Owyhee semi-weekly tidal wave. [volume] (Silver City, Owyhee County, Idaho Territory) 1868-1869, 1869-01-22
Father Coll on Victor Hugo.

House. I'D Nov, 1868, in which be
made mastery argument in few
words, against the institution of sla-
very, incidentally touched on the
subject Of absolution, or power Of
the priests, 10 absolve persons from
SIM This, it appears from the tenor
of his letter, Victor Hugo is not pre-
pared TO endorse, but on the contra
ry, styles it an opprobirous relic of
the past, with finaticism, the seal
fold, divine right, etc. With relig-
ious subjects, We, as conductors of
the TDM. WAVE, have nothing TO do,
and noticed the letter only in its POI
litical aspect, as a sound and noble
defence Of Liberty as against Slave
ry, monarchy, the divine right of
Kings and Queens to rule a people
without their consent, etc.
Rev. Kiliau Coll of the Catholic
Church, in this place, takes issue with
the writer, as is very proper in one
Of his profession in the ministry, es-
pecially so far as reflections may have
been cast on any OF the tenets of the
Church, which il is bis duty to de-
fend. We cheerfully give place in
this paper, TO the reply of Father
Coll, which will be found in another
column. With the religious bearing
of any Of his remarks, as we said be-
fore, we make no issue, nor shall we
at any tine take any part in relig-
ious controversies, or interfere in
religious matters. except TO oppose
the complications ofChurch with the
political affairs OF State.
We believe the principle cstab-
lished by the Fathers of this Repub-
lie, Of allow n every man to wor-
ship God according to the dictates of
his own Conscience, and of protect
ing him in the peaceful enjoyment
Of that right. tn be the only true sys-
TEN Of legislation on the subject Of
worship. 4 system that shonlG not
itself modest, nor allow conflicting
crpeds to interfere with each other,
nor restrict any Church in the free
exercise fanny rites II may choose to
establish, provided they keep within
the law of the land and the rules
and asages of civilized society,"
Each Church should support itself
without relying on the taxes of the
people, ms in England and other
countries, where the Church assumes
to control the temporal az we'll ms
spiritual conduct OF the people, and
Is not in return responsible TO the
people for any thing. Shonld Victor
Hugo, Gen. Prim, Marshal Serano
and their followers, accomplish for
Spain, what John Bright. Stewart
Mill and others have done for Ire
land, and are doing for England, and
there shall come time when every
Catholic in England, Ireland and
elsewhere, and every Protestant in
Spain, Italy and elsewhere, can wor-
ship unmoIested. as they please and
what they please, without being
Obliged nv law to contribute of their
substance to the maint enance of
Churches in which they have no faith,
and when all shall have voice in
making the laws and choosing Off
GERS TO execute them: who shall say
that they have not accomplished a
good work? What they propose in
the way of religious liberation, in
case Spain should become Repnb-
lie, has not yet TRANSFERRED; nor is it
known how the leaders Of the insur-
gents intend to deal with this q0es-
ton, except that the Cortez have gran
ted free permission for all dcnomi-
natinns to erect Chnrches within the