Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-09-09

sun gives light to the earth that the
great body of Catholics continued to
vote as they had been accustomed to
vote-the democrats continued to be
democrats, and the republicans contin-
ued to be republicans.
It is little curious to hear republi-
can speakers denounce what they call
the interference of the Catholic priest
hood in politics, and then turn over a
few pages of history and see what the
Protestant priesthood have done, not
only with the appreciation but encour-
aged by the loud plaudits of these same
republicans. Have you forgotten the
petition to Congress of three thousand
Ct think that was the number) Protes-
tant ministers, denouncing the policy
of a democratic administration, and
with what flourish of trumpets it was
presented aud applauded? And is it
not an undeniable fact that no demo-
GRAFT ever suggested or thought of as
sailing Protestant church because of
that "priestly interference in politics ?"
Is it not an undeniable fact that though
the form and language of the petition
was criticised, though IT was said that
it was of questionable propriety for the
petitioners to appear in their clerical
character, and not in their simple capac-
ity of citizens, yet no one was found to
deny their right of petition, or to Willy
their churches because they exercised
that right
Have you forgotten the advent iii
Washington of a large body of Protes1
tant clergy Of Chicago, who almost as
sumed to speak in the name of the AL
mighty when demanding of President
Lincoln the issuance of the emancipa-.
ton proclamation ? and is not every
man Of you witness Of the fact that
"priestly interference in politics" occd-
stoned no democratic assault upon p
Protestant church; when, on the othsF
hand, it was Justify applauded by the
republican leaders and the republican
press And yet these same leade1 s
and this same press are ready to HI
into spasms if Catholic priest has b
audacity to exercise his right as m
American citizen, and express, howeR Ter
modestly, political opinion that is fbt
orthodox according to the radical creed.
Fellow citizens, am not Catholic,
and have no desire to draw comparisons
between the Protestant and Catholic
priesthood; but since the latter arg Aso
freely denounced for what is called
their interference in politics, it may
not be amiss to ask few plain ques-
tions. What man ever heard pollti-
cal sermon from Catholic pulpit /
am sure never did, nor did | ever read
or hear Of one. What man can number
the political sermons preached from Pro-
testant pulpits, from thatof Henry Ward
Beecher, in Plymouth Church, down
to,that of the humblest edifice whose
ann vspoints to Heavenp What pan
So lard of Catholic priest NAL ing
| suo,taIp speech +? / am sure / river
s,nol sor do believe such thing ever
|lsssslrred. But who can tell hoy lkany
estant ministers have taken the
b, from Henry Ward Beeeher down
Granville Noodles ? What man
heard of Catholic priest being a
didate for office / know that /
lid, nor do / believe that any of
lid. But how many Profess
gers have held and how
Office, from the halls of
the State Legislatures
|s| smbler Offices of the
IND the town /?
4 Ayou will much mis-
gu suppose that, in
/ mean to censure,
any Protestant
tant priest. On
n bere to defend
& hurch, and to
Il be he Chris
: Aor Catholic,
unbeliever,
extent, his
& Is Pill have the
Institutions
IS Aof free
law
e II US he
and,
:. s. Z Il worship
s Il dictates
here TO
Rduced
ercises
JUDGE
luse
con-