The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-23
From Harpers Weekly.
A MASK REMOVED.


country, says that "while the State
has rights, she has them only in viz /
tue and by permission Of the supe-
rlor authority, and that authority can
only be expressed through the
church" This is the unqualified as
sertion Of the supreme political au-
thorlty of the church, the doctrine
Of Gregory, aud the midnight of the
middle ages. Such declaration ex.
plain the hostility Of the European
statesmen, even those attached to
the Roman faith, 20 the doctrine of
Papal infalIibility, and it justifes the
jealous suspicious with which the pc
litical advances Of that church are re
garded in this country. Those who
have thought that to oppose these
advances to persecute certain
church will now understand that it is
not the religious faith Of that church
which has been assailed, but it's po-
|litical purposes which have been ex-
posed.
It is, indeed, part of the craft of
ecclesiastical managers 70 blend as
far as possible the religion and the
political character and aspect Of their
church, SO that when the one is sa-
tried the other may seem to be
ridiculed. Thus the figure of the
Pope symbolizes both the spiritual
character and the temporal assump-
tons 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 a
Bishop dear to millions Of Christians.
Yet it is not the Bishop, it is the
King that would be, that he scour-
GEES; and if the Pope were content to
be d Bishop, like those of other
churcnes, subordinate to the laws Of
the land, and not assume to be supe-
rior to them, be would be no more al
proper subject of political criticism
and satire than any other clergyman.
1t is the priests of any church seek
ing the supremacy of ecclesiastical
in civil affairs that wa OPP
pose, and not we only, but the very
genius of American liberty opposes
them. When they declare, as in their
article of the Catholic world, that
the State exists only in virtue of the
superior authority expressed through
the church, we reply that the de-
claration is a total denial OF the fun
aamental American principal that
the State exists only in virtue Of the
superior authority of the whole peo-
pie. Governments 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 dominant race
In the United States, the only race
which has ever comprehended and
eveloped constitutional freedom, and
which bYreason of that capacity, and
tendency, early resisted and long
since abolished ecclesiastical political
IfFather Hecker is cor
rect in his reported expectation that
by the end of the century, the Roman
ecclesiasticism will be supreme in
this country, it will only be because the
dominant race will have entirely chang
ed, and because all the great traditions
and muniments Of civil liberty will have
been forgotten and relinquished. Such
result would be a relapse to political
barbarism.
This can be seen in an illustration. A
few dava since the twenty-frst anniver-
sary of the Pontifcate of the Pope was
celebrated by the members of his church
IN this country wherever and in what