The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-04-08

nlm6el1 IN Oen8nce OF the 0OVefu-
ment of the country.
The bishops were not slow TO
obey the command. The archbish-
OPP of Bohia and the bishops of
Olinda. Para, Rio Janeiro. Dram
antina and Mariana follow the
example of the prelate of Pernam-
buco. and, despising the orders of
the Government, have hurled their
anathemas against Masonry.
In the meantime the Govern
ment is meeting the situation. It
sees that il - not simply aquestion
which concerns Freemasonry, but
one in which the Independent ex
istence of a government is involved.
If the bishops win the day. then
the ecclesiastical government, which
for centuries kept Rome immeasur
ably behind every other country in
intellectual progress, will be trans
ferred to Brazil The burden
which pressed 80 heavily on the
necks of the italian people, the
Brazilians have no desire to wear
What should be the remedy, has
seriously engaged the attention of
the press and the authorities.
Some recommended the indiscriin-
mate prosecution of all the bishops:
others their Punishment and that
of the Jesuits from the country.
The Government has pursued q
milder plan. yet which we may
hope, is only the entering wedge to
a holder course, which shall put
forever an end in Brazil to ecclesi-
astical intolerance and Papal as
sumptions. On the 9th of Sept
ember it ordered prosecution to be
begun in the Supreme Tribunal of
Justice against the Bishop of Per
nambuco. Success, we say, to the
cause of right
When this subject WAS before the
Senate of Brazil, it was warmly
discussed. Freemasonry having
been attacked by Senior Mendes de
A!meida, a bigoted disciple of the
church, he was answered by the
Visconde de Rio Branco, who holds
high position in the Order. From
his speech, which was frequently
applauded by his brother Senators,
we make the following extracts:
II accepted the charge of the
Masons of Lavradio circle, and / do
not repent doing SO, let the noble
Senators, in accordance with their
theology and canon law, decree as
many communications as they
please; my conscience is at ease,
my relations with God are those of
q complete Christian. 1 do not
consider it expedient to defend the
State religion in the manner Ultra
montanes do, and / should wish
that the illuminated minds who,
like the noble Senator for Marian
ham, possess 80 much ecclesiastical
knowledge, would promote the in
terests of religion in Brazil in an
other way, by contributing to the
better education of our. clergy, to
the edifying of their focks by the
prelates, evangelizing those focks,
and diffusing light and faith amidst
them with apostolic works, with
the example of devotion to God
and society, whose pastors they are.
1t is thus consciences should be
appealed to, not by commencing
with expelling from the Catholic
church the members of a society
which has existed SO many years in
Brazil, always as a peaceful and
benefcent association.
''The Masonic symbols, of which
so much has been said, are allego,
ries and traditions, signifying moth
ing contrary to religion; the noble
senator's who 80 piously say amen
to the accommodation of the Bra
lillian Masons may laugh at them,
but they may not allege Herewith
that we are heretics or heresiarchs
The Temple of Solomon, whose al
legory the noble Senator consid-
cred one of his stones of scandal,
is NEARLY the first manifestation of
the dogma of . single true God, a
remembrance abiding to the work
Of art of the ancient Freemasons, q
symbol of the moral and universal
temple in which Christian civiliza-
ton should unite all humanity. All
these symbols are drawn from sa-
cred history, and therefore I do
not know how they who do not
disdain to employ the mythology
created by paganism, can see even
blasphemy in the expression s.Su
preme Architect of the Universe"
as though God were not the ere
ator Of the world, and that His
wisdom, His power. and His good
ness are not adored in this formula
In fine, Mr.. President, all I know
of Masonry is that its maxims are
love Of God, of our neigebor, and
virtue. I think, therefore, that
there is not only an injustice, but
even a mistake, a gross mistake, in
politics and in religion, to seek to
arouse this presecutory crusade
against societies so numerous, SO
radicated in this country, SO peace
f,,l up to now, and to whom many
families are owing their subsistence;
against societies in which the Cath
ohc religion has sincere and de-
voted adopts, who are living ex-
amples of domestic and civic virtues.
I believe, Mr.. President that
this Unsatisfactory in Brazil-is
within the dominion of reason and
public censure; that it is not point
of faith. God preserve us, indeed,