The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-08

don't want 10, to go there, even ON a
visit-why cannot the Catholics OF the
entire globe be permitted to own and
consecrate the few square miles occu-
pied By the city Of Rome, to the resi-
dence Of their Chief Pontiff, and to
the Offices of their religion? Have
they required. as the Church of Eng
land does. people that don't believe in
it to contribute to its support? Not
at ALL Rome is the property of Cath
olics all over the world. 1t is as much
so as the ground of the old st. Pat
rick's s. in New York, with its ruin
looking walls, is the property of the
Catholics in this city.
A thousand Catholics need, for
their church, certain space-and
thew have the right to have it. Twenty
thousand Catholics need a larger
space, and have right to it. How
much space do nearly three hundred
millions of Catholics need, for the
offices that are so common among
them?
We reckon it would be poser to
say that they did not need all Rome,
and find it crowded at thatl
But we find in the Register, of
Southern Indiana, an interesting let
ter from the Rev. E. Sorin, of Notre
Dame Seminary, rebuking the editor
for publishing the fact; then justifying
it, and winding up by warning him
what the political consequences will
be to any aspirant for public honors
who is implicated in the publication
of unpleasant facts in regard to the
Roman Catholics. In the justification
he says:
How Scotch preacher could pre-
sumo to complain of the Pontificial
Government, because he was not al
lowed inside the ,oalls of the city Of
Rome, but outside only, when, for
centuries, no minister of the old
Catholic Church was allowed in the
whole United Kingdom, without ex-
posing himself to forfeit his head.
how such an cutlery could be raised
from such quarter, is rather anus
ing. 1t certainly comes in bad grace
from that portion Of the globe. So
much for Scotland and her neighbor.
Having justified the exclusion, by
ancient English practice, he goes on
to state how our army suppressed
rebel preachers in the South, and
from that he argues:
Is there any need of argument to
show parity between our case and
the case of the Roman authorities?
Is the Pontifcial Government obliged
to trust strangers, or rather class of
strangers, whose sentiments are well
known to be inimical, more absolute
ly than our own Government in our
own land? as 10 s.a.. I4lth 30
When the principle of excluding
other religions from Catholic .coun-
tries is thus defended by Roman Cath
'olics in this country, it seems to make
the facts in the Roman case of little
moment; and certainly it makes out
that Protestant worship ought to be
excluded from Rome, and all other
Catholic countries, if it is not; and
all countries are Catholic where Cath
olics have the power re a1h1
But the Rev. Father then goes on
to tell the editor a story, to Illustrate
the political consequences that will
follow him for publishing a Roman
Catholic fact, which he justifes as
right in principle. We give this as
political curiosity, and the reader will
see by it, and by the Catholic COM.
ment on the Roman incident, that
none of the Roman intolerance is
found in America. We may remark
that we thought the Roman affair of
little consequence, save as an illustra-
ton that the ancient spirit still re-
mains but. it has been of more inn
portance in its revelation of Catholic
spirit in America etellsii
Father Sorin says: .,o \ 9s.s 81
Your Roman article wildly reminds
me Of what happened some nineteen
years ago, to one of your illustrious
predecessors, who, / think, has not
forgotten the little incident. an
It was just the opening of his pub
lie career. Out of courtesy, before
entering on the campaign, be came to
ask me what / thought Of his chances.
| thought, he would fall and, as a
friend, told him so. Of course, it
surprised him, and he would know
the reasons that led me to such an
unexpected and ungraciops sconclu-
sion. | had only one, and immedi-,
ately gave it to him. A. few months
before, he had published in the same
st, Joseph Valley Register, that the
Pope of Rome (the same who is still
there) had fed away to Gaita, and
that he (the editor) hoped it was the
last who should have to fly into ex-
lie, Precisely at that time, South
Bend was the terminus of the M. s..
Railroad, and quite number of
workmen were employed on the line.
knew they had read the unlucky
paragraph, and would remember it at
the polls. In vain did the young can
didate convince me that he had not
himself written the unfortunate
piece of news, but copied it from
some Eastern paper; he had Endorsed