The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-05-28
The Power Of Hlnnnsnoe

An exciting debate occurred in the Span
ish OortPz on the 12sh Of April, on the
Church Question. In reply to Canon Mon.
terola, CASTELAR, reviewed the effects Of the
imposition Of a religion by the State, in
mastery manner. This speech carried the
whole COrtes, and raised CASTELAR, to pin
Daels Of popularity seldom attained by an,
public man in so short a space Of time. This
mssterly reply to one of the dignitartiss of
the clerical party, has taken the whole
country by storm. It was the topic Of con
versatiOn in all circles. When he closed be
was instantly surrounded BY the members
Of the liberal psrty, who shook his hands
and embraced, amid the most deafsning av-
plause from all sides Of the House and from
the galleries. The scene was one Of the
most stexciting ever witnessed in the Spanish
Oortez.
An extract or two from this extraordinary
speech viii give the reader an idea Of its
elOquence and power
Abiding to persecution, he said that Senior
MOuterola's puerile assertion that the church
did not kill the hsretics, but the civil power
did, was equivalent to the assassin saying be
did not kill bis victim. but bis dagger dsd.
The Inquisitiou had been the dagger of the
church. The truth Of the persecutiops was
10 be read IN every page Of their ecclesiastie-
al history. Did SenOr MOnterola w'si him
to cite the Encyclical in which Pope Inpo-
cent III, condemned the Jews to eternal
Slavery Did he wish him to bring the
letter in which Pope Plus V charged Philip
II, to seek an assassin to kill Elizabeth Of
England2 He then passed on to Senor Mon
terOla's boast as to the Catholic Church hsy-
ing been the depository Of learning, aud the
founder of grand uniTer.i tiles. He would be
just He would admit this. When Europe
entire was decOmposed by feudalism, the
church was the center Of unity +; the idea Of
life the tribune Of the people she was the
shield Of the people, and the onl intellectual
and moral instrument in the midst Of bar
barism. She could not live long in such
times without being poWerfully y progressive
institution. ButeOmPare the great universi-
ties which the ideas Of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries originated with the
most 1lustrious Of their Own-Salamanca
for instance. What illustriOus foreign. Eng
lish and German universities, had Senor Mon
terOla cited Those Of Spain had retroOrs-
ded, not because the Spaniards were less in
telligent or talented than the English or the
Germans, but because the latter had scouir.
ed before them the grand moral treasure
of liberty Of thought He then passed on
to reply to OOnOn's remarks as TO Rome.
Senior MonieTOla says ] have never been in
Rome. Yes, I have. l have visited its
ruins; have contemplated its three hun
dred dOmes | haYe been present at the
ceremonies Of the Holy Week l have ad-
mired the gigantic Sibyls Of Michael Angelo,
which seem to launch eternal maledicgioDs
have seen the sun penetrate the bssilica OF
st. Peters have sought in those ashes an
atom of religious faith-I have only en-
cOuntered deceit and doubt. Yes. / have
been in Rome, and L have seen in the SaIia
Regalia, painted by Bascari, fresco Of the
emissaries Of the King of France, who sent
to the Pope the head Of Coliguy. I have
seen. the apOtbOesis of the great ecclesias-
tical glOries Of the e1ecutioners-the assas-
sins Of the night Of St. Bartholomew
The speech at this point was tremendously
aPplauded. He then commenced the perora-
ton which excited so much attention, and
which, even when translated into English, is
very fine but in the original Spanish, as
delivered BY CASTELAR,, was matchIess:
Canon NOnieFOla has said that be would
renOunce all bis ideas and all his belief if
the jews returned again to rebuild the tenn
pie Of Jerusalem. What does Senor Nom
terola believe in the terrible dogma that the
children are responsible for the sins Of thei
fathers Does Ssugr MOnterola believe
that the Jews of to-day are the Jews that
crucified Christ do not believe it ] am
more of Christian than that. Great is God
in Sinai the thunder precedes him, the
lightning accompanies him the light en-
velopes him, the earth trembes, the noun
tains fall in pieces But there is a God
gTaDder and greater than that. Not the ma
jesiie God Of Sinai, but The humble God Of
Calvary, nailed to a cross. wounded, thirsty.
crowned with thoFns, gall on his lips, aud
yet saying, Father forgive them. forgive
my executiOners, forgive my prosecutors,
pardon them, they know not what hey do
Great is The religion Of power, but greater
is She religion Of love. Great is the religion
Of implacable justice, but greater is the re-
ligion OF pardOniDg mercy. Aud /, in tho
name Of that religion, IN the name Of the
Gospel, come here to ask you to write in the
front Of your fundamental code--Liberty,
Equality and Fraternity among all mankind'