New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-15
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Nv PERU.
TIE REV DR.. WOOD. OF CALLAo DENIES AS
sERTIONs or AN APOSTOLIC DELEGATE.

THE REV. DIR WOOD OF CALICO DENIES AS
sERTIONs or AN APOSTOLIC DELEGATE.
Chcaro June 1l-At the meeting OF the Method
ls ministers this morning the Rev. John Lee. chair
man OF the Committee on Religious Liberty for
Protestants In South America submitted report.
Bishop Vincent. he said had been asked II the pre-
else information" given by the Apostolic Delegate
for the Republics OF Peru Bolivia and Ecuador to
the papa, Secretary OF State correct. The
V,shop repled by inclosing statement OF the Rev.
DR. Thomas n. Wood OF Caao. who was said 20
know all about" the situation In Peru DR..
Wood took the letter OF Cardinal Rampolla 10 Arch
bishop Gibbons based on information furnished him
by the Papal Delegate and answered IL categorcal-
ly thus:
'First Pr1testants far from being restricted IN
tho frea exercise OF their worship The Constl:u-
,Ion forbds us publicity for our worship The cler-
Ical organs applaud unlawful outrases committed
on us and preachers enthuse their audiences with
the cry Death 10 Protestans" These Facts should
have modified the statement Of the Pap1 Delegate
N Rampolla so that the latter would not have re-
ported that we are far from being restricted III the
free exercise OF our worship
Second .Protesants are rather accorded larger
degree OF liberation than Is compatible with strict
construction Of the political constitution OF these
countries The present Constitution dates from lsto
= nd found Protestant worship tolerated in the Land.
ook for granted It's existence and restricted It's pub
uc,t, without defining the limits of the restriction
rbo Constitution saws: No one be compelled to
DO what Is not required ny law nor hindered from
doing what Is not hndered by law 1t is false TO
say tha, we use more liberty than strict construc-
don allows.
"It is eouhly false TO set forth. as the two fore
going quotations seem TO do. that we are acting In
defiance Of law under tolerant lenlency from the
Roman Catholic, Church. The truth Is, We are care
fIv and consclentlousy acting within the limits CT
the law as Interpreted By lawful authority. and all
our difficulty grows out OF the unlawful intolerance
OF the Roman Catholic clergy. The Papal Delegate
In Lima must have known this and ought 10 havo so
reported f. 20 his superior In Rome. Rampolla does
not repo-t Macchi's wor!s cannot tell which OF
then, IL 10 blame for tha attemp 20 throw the blame
Of our dstreeses the politicians OF Peru and give
ne consi,u1ion Of Peru recognizes no other
form Of marriage as valid than that prescribrd ny
SAYS nothing about marriage, and makes no refer.
ence whateyer 70 jhe onn' staies that bt
The Delegates Informs him 10 that effect The
since The coming OF the Delegate to Peru we
have been falling under new series OF restrictions
oyssinSins our marriages from CIV! registers In
Callao and ending in November. 1885, with supreme
executive degree ou,lawlng them sweepingly. and
been contrary 10 the Constiution, without stating
IN %9a t,r Methods. Epistopal Church rs having
its marriages excluded from civil registry with no
need az such specific mention. as the decision was
made 10 cover al marriages not socmnized by
Roman Catholic priest
After I mad started our work In Lima the Arch
bishop wrote officially 70 the Executive. asking that
NV orcratiors u" stopped Ftis ground was not "A
charge That was violating any law, hut the sweep
ing pre,cnsi cns That my propagandn was. from the
nature OF e. hostile 70 the State religion and there
fore hostile TO the State. The Executive passed the
case down 10 the Project Of LIMA, he 20 the Sub.
Project he 20 tho police " no watched US without
our krowledce observed how people went I'm md
out lof our chnpc noted what did entered and
oiscrved within as wei without. IN the Sub
Project was satisfied and drew up report TO the
effect that we were not violating any law or regu-
latIon within the compass Of tho police Tho Pre-
feet indorsed II his report 10 the Supreme Execu-
tive. The record remains In the Ministry OF Wor-
ship and Justice"
Mr. Lee sold that the crusade inausurnted by
the Methodist ministers more than three years age
10 secure the same re gious liberty for Protestants
in Peru Lima and Ecuador that Americans en-
loved In the United Siatea had been regarded mot
simply as n battle for Professionalism, but battle
for humanity" They knew. he added, that victory
would come finally. and until II did come their
motto must continue 10 be no surrender"