The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-10
DAILY PRESS,
PORTLAND.
MONDAY, JULY 10, 1871.
A Mask Removed.
lrrom lIaIper's Weekly.I

lfrom lIaIpers weskly.I
The Catholic World, which is the chief
roman catholic organ In this country, saws
that, "niie the State has rights, she has them
only IN virtue and by permission of the sinner.
ior authority, and that authority can only be
expresse'l through the Church, This IS the
unqualified assertion OF the supreme polti
cal authority of the Church, the doctrine of
Gregory, and of the midnight of the Middle
Ages. Such declaration explains the hos
tility of the European statesmen, even of
those attached to the Roman faith, 30 the doc
trine of Papal infalIibility, and it iastiies the
jealous lspicion with which the political ad-
vances of that Church are regarded in this
country. Those who have thought that to
oppose these advantages is 10 prosecute GER
tain church, will now understand that it Is
not the religious faith of that Church which
has been assailed, but its political purposes
which have been exposed.
1t is indeed part of the craft of the eccle-
siastcal managers to blend as far as possible
the religious and the political character and
aspect OF their Church, so that when the one
is satirzed the other may seem to be ridiculed.
Thus the figure OF the Pope symbolizes both
the spiritual character and the temporal as
sumption of the Roman Church and when
Mr.. Mast or any other artist, exposes the
worldly designs of the hierarchy, under the
typical figure of the Pope, he is accused of
deriding bishop, dear to millions of Chris
tians Yet it is not the Bishop, it is the
King that would be. that he scourges; and if
the Pope were content to be Bishop, like
those of other churches, subordinate to the
laws of the land, and not assuming to be su-
perior to them, he would be no more a proper
subject Of political criticism and satire than
any other clergyman. 1t is the priests of any
Church seeking the supremacy of ecclesias-
tical authority In civil affairs that we oppose,
and not we only, but the very genius of Amer
can liberty opposes them. When they de-
clare, as in this article of the Catholic World,
that the State exists only in virtue of the
superior authority expressed through the
Church. we reply that the declaration is a
total denial of the fundamental American
principle that the State exists only in virtue
of the superiority of the whole people. Gov
ernments justly exist not by the consent of
any Church, whatever, but by that of the
people.
The astounding insolence of this assertion
at this time, and in this country, is surpassed
only by its folly. 1t is repugnant to every
tradition and every conviction of the dOmf-
nant race in the United States, the only race
which has ever comprehended and developed
constitutional freedom, and which, by reason
of that capacity and tendency, early resisted
and long since abolished ecclesiastical politi-
cal supremacy. If Father Hecker is correct
in his reported expectation that, by the end
Of the century, the Roman eccesiasticism will
be supreme in this country, it will only be be-
cause the dominant race will have entirely
changed, and because all the great traditions
and muniments of civil liberty will have been
forgotten and relinquished. Such result
would be relapse to political barbarism.
This can be seen In an illustration. A few
days since the twenty-fitth anniversary of the
pontificate of the Pope was celebrated by the
members of his Church in this country wher-
ever and in whatever manner they chose
And the members of any Church have always
the same liberty. 1t is the very essence of
our political system. But while in this pros
porous and intelligent and truly civilized
country such is the principal and the prac-
tice, few years since, in the City of Rome,
the capital and seat of the Roman ecclesias.
ticism, tbe ordinary Protestant services were
not allowed within the walls. The igno-
rance, the squalor, the stagnation, the hope
lessuess, the superstition OF the City of Rome
were the necessary result of the doctrine of
the Catholic World, that the State exists by
consent of the Church, The intelligence, the
prosperity, the happiness, the progressive civ
ilization, the civil and religious liberty of the
United States are the necessary result of the
absolute and stern separation of church and
state. Should the epoch foretold by Father
Hecker-if the report be true-ever arrive
any such demonstration as that in which tbs
members of the Roman Church have recently
beer indulging in this country, with the free
consent of all other denominations, who are
numerically to the Roman as ten to one,
would be forbidden by that Church y every
other Christian body. Father Hecker is mis-
taken; but let no American mistake the sure
result of the political aims of Church which
dec lares that governments rightfully exist
only By its permission.