The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-29
The "Alarmist" Question.

To the Editor of the Press:
As requested you to publish the article
from the Christian Mirror of Jan. %, 1876,
which called forth the note of Feb. 25th., from
Bishop Healy, which appears in your issue of
this morning, beg to notice briefly his COM
ments on said article, in their order,
1. Whether the article was from Catholic
pen, or not, the Boston Pilot, some years since,
as quoted by another Boston paper, uttered
similar sentiments, and, moreover, if my mem.
ory serves correctly, stated that it would be the
duty of the Romish church to re-establish the
Inquisition wherever she might have the
power. .-rE-
2. The date of the number of the shepherd
of the Valley" containing the article in ques-
ton, can probably be given by the Mirror.
8. As to the shepherd of the Valley being
the organ of the Archbishop of St. Louis /
know DothIng. e. t
4. s'The declarations made" accord, in nv
opinion, with the history and the practice of
the Church of Rome for Centuries wherever it
the "Auto's de Fe,'' of the Spanish Inquisi-
tion-the massacre of st. Bartholomew, and, in
our day, the desperate efforts of the Church of
Rome to suppress both civil and religious liber-
ty in Spain; to this end bounding on Don Car.
los and his ignorant and bigoted followers, and
only just now recalling them when the contest
is hopeless, and after sacrificing thousands of
lives
can see nothin anonymous about the article.
The Mirror will probably notice the Bishops
note; and, If he desires my address. you are
free to give it. Yours truly, W.R
Portland, Feb. %, 1876 ....
In looking over the Catholic Journal pub
lished in Pittsburg Pa. we find statement
that the extract was originally written by Rob-
ert Bakewell in 1867, now judge in Missouri
and ran as follows:
'If the Catholics ever gain, as surely they
will gain, though at distant day, an immense
numerical majority in the United States, relig-
ious liberty as at present understood is at
an end. So sag our enemies
The journal ends the quotation there, but as
Published below it will be seen that it is not
complete or that some other person than Judge
Bakewell wrote it: ...
I'VE confess that the Roman Catholic Church
is intoerant, that is to say, that it uses all the
means in its power for the extirpation of error
and SIM but this intolerance is the logical and
necessary consequence of its infallibilIty. She
alone has the right to be intolerant, because she
alone has the truth. The church tolerates her
etics where she is obliged to do so, but she hates
them mortally and employs all her force to Sc
cure their annihilation When the Catholics
shall here be in possession of considerable
majority-which will certainly be the case by
and by, although the time may be long deferred
then religious liberty will have come to an
end in the republic of the United States Our
enemies sag this and zoe believe soith them.
Our enemies know that we do not pretend to
be better than our church. and in what con-
cerus this, her history is open to the eyes of ALL
They know, then, how the Roman church dealt
with heretics in the middle ages, and how she
deals with them to-day everywhere where she
has the power We no more think of denying
these historical facts than we do of blaming
the saints of God and the princes of the church
for what they have done or approved in these
matters. HeresY is mortal sin; it kills the
soul and precipitates the whole soul and body
into hell. 1t is moreover a most contagi-
GUS disease. and propagates itself indefi-
nitely wherever it has got foothold, and
| thus puts in jeopardy the temporal and
eternal welfare of innumerable generations
to come. This -is the reason why princes,
| truly Christian, eXtirpate heresy root and
branch in their kingdoms, and that Chris
tan States drive it out of their territories, as
far as they are able to do it. 1t we now abstain
from persecuting heretics here, we boldly re-
peat it, it is only because we are too weak, and
because we believe that in this condition of
things, we should, in attempting it, do the
] Church we serve more harm than good.'