The Placer herald., 1871-01-21
[From the Marysville Appeal.
MAJOR EXCOMMUNICATION.


EDITOR ApPEAL:-The Sacramento Union
reminds one of "Goldsmith's Schoolmaster
-"tho' vanquished he can argue STILL" Al
tho his favorite "Papal Curse" against Vic
tor Emmanuel has been traced to Lawrence
Sterne, the Episcopalian Minister who -four
ished full one hundred years ago, the Union
gentleman persists in attributing the paterni
ty of the Everlasting Curse" to Plus the
Ninth. "We are satisfied, quoth the Union
of Thursday last, "that Sterne's curse (altl,o'
not an eract copy Of any erer issued BY a
Pope) does not Substantially differ either in
tome or in detail from many of the curses is
sued from the Vatican!" This certainly is
very like a contradiction in terms, because
if copy doesn't substantially differ from the
original, in tone or in detail, it may be call
ed correct and tolerably exact copy. But,
seeing no similarity whatever between Stern S
original curse and Plus the Ninth's Encycli-
cal Letters, dated March 26th, 1860, and
November 1st, 1870, in reference to Victor
Emanuel; on the contrary, in both these
documents (Which issued from the Tatican)
the Holy Father prays for the conversion OF
those who sacriligiously invaded the States
of the Church; the gentleman of the Union
takes another tack, and tells his readers (as
the wolf in the fable told the innocent lamb)
that, Gin times long past''-far up the
stream of time-away in tho beginning Of
the tenth century! can especial curse was
pronounced against one Baldwin, Baldwin-le
Chaus, i. e., Baldwin the Bald, of Flanders
by whom he doesn't say and from these
premises he concludes that it is neither
''scandalous" nor 'iibelous" to attribute this
obsolete and perhaps imaginary curse to Plus
the Ninth. Really, such logic is startling,
and we are sorry it is not in our power to
compliment the Sacramento Union, in the
words of Cato, viz: "Plato, thou reasoneth
WELL" Would the editor of the Union like
to be made responsible for the Blue Laws
enacted by his Puritan ancestors in New
England 1--WE guess not. Is President Grant
to be held responsible for the deeds which
his ancestors may have done-for the mer-
cess whipping, and boring of the tongues,
and cutting off the ears of poor Quakers "in
times past?" Certainly not; because our
worthy President is making the best amends
in his power to the Quakers for the cruel
persecution to which they were subjected in
by-gone days. What right, then, has the
Union to inpute the especial curse pro-
nounced by somebod y-he does mt tell us by
what Pope-against "Balwin the Bald, " in
the beginning of the tenth century.
But is the curse against Baldwin a fact or
a fiction? The Union vouchss for its genu-
mess because &c tain writer named Henry
G. Lea gives it as true, which no reputa-
bic author would dare to do unless it was so,
because if found to be false, it woald do "A
fatal injury to his book" Now without DIS
putting the rcspectabilify of the Unions fi-
vorite author, Henry c. Lea, who, for
aught we know, may be like Brutus San
honorable man, although the "New Amer
lean Cyclopedia" takes not the least notice Of
the gentleman. Let us examine the Bald
win curse little more closely, and on its
own merits. Whoever pronounces delib-
crate curse, like that against the unfortunate
Count of Flanders, must intend it to take
effect; now the framer of the last curse,
"given as true" in the Union, couldn't have
had such an intention. Because the impre-
cation against Baldwin, the Bald, reads a.
follows: "Let him be accursed in his hair!"
How could any one in his senses curse the
hair of man that has got no hair? Hence,
on the face of it, the curse against Baldwin
is a mere myth-a patent fiction. With re-
gard TO the concluding observations of the
Union, viz: "No reputable author would
dare to give as truth what, if found to be
false, would do fatal injury to his book. !"
We shall only remark that Hallam, Robert
son, Mosheim and Maclaine are reputable
authors, who certainly did not wish to edo
fatal injury to their works, yet these re-
spectacle authors, one after another, attrib-
ute to ST. Eloi or Eligins-a bishop who
lived in the seventh century-doctrinal opin-
ions of which the saint was as innocent as
Plus the Ninth is of the everlasting curse.
Hear the words of these four honorable men
in reference to St. Eloi and his doctrine
Catholics were, at that time, taught that
true Christianity consisted not in the absence
of fraud and injustice, or, again, of immoral
ity, hatred or strife-but in merely coming
to church, paying tithes, burning candles and
praying to the saints. They imagined that
they satisfied every obligation of duty by a
scrupulous observance of external ceremo
nies!" (See Hallam's "Middle Ages" vol.
B, p. 1853; Robertson's "History Of Charles
the Fifth" Mosheim's Ecclesiastical His
tory" and Maclaine's Translation
Century, Need we add my further proof
that not only one but seren reputable auth
ors may dare to give as true what is found
to be false? That the current testimony of
the above mentioned writers in reference to
St. Eloi and the doctrine of Catholics in his
age is "wholly false and calumnious," we
are assured by DIR. Waddngton, tn Prot
estant Dean of Durham, in his "Ecclesias-
teal History" p. 39S.
Begging your pardon and indulgence, Mr..
Editor, for thus trespassing on your valra-
ble space, remain, yours, VINDax.