New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-02
BOER TOLER4TION.
WHAT 1T MEANS TO ROMAN CATHOLICS "A
CONTRASTED WITH ENGLISH FAT
MENT OF THAT FAITH

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: I Roman CathoIiC-very much the
other way-but from personal knowledge I indorss
the statements OF Cardinal Vaughan and The
London Tablet" which is his own property, with
respect TO the treatment of his coreIgionists by
the Beers In the TransvaaL 1t is true they have
or late somewhat relaxed their severity toward
them but although the Beers have admitted some
religious orders into their territory and allowed
somewhat greater freedom of worship to those who
profess the Roman creed. yet the clergy and re-
ligous orders there only suTeranCe, and
whatever property they hold is liable to conisca-
ton at any moment. 1t is held by no firm title OF
tenure and should any priest. nun other mem
Der Of religious order violate any Of the
merOus regulations. many OF them most petty. all
OF them most vexatious. by which the members OF
the Roman Church are fenced round. the pains and
penalties attaching to such infractions of the law
are heavy and range all the way up from fine or
Imprisonment Punishment from the Transvaal
and even to death. For instance. President
KRUGER has forbidden under penalty OF u Think
Punishment. certainly heavy fine, accompanied at
the pleasure OF the Court by Imprisonment the
baptism OF a Zulu. Basuto Bechuana man.
woman or child by any but minister OF the
Dutch Reformed communion; and these men
take interest in the spiritual welfare OF these
blacks. the majority of them would die without
baptism were it not for the Anglican and Roman
clergy, who defy the law and administer the
sacrament by stealth
Your correspondent Of to-day, by implication. ac-
cuses England of like bigotry; first, because the
sovereign. his her coronation. takes an oath
in which the Roman doctrines are condemned as
false. and secondly. because there several
offices in the British Government which cannot be
held by Roman Catholics To take the last OBJ
lection first: Except the throne itself the Lord
CHARACTERISTIC of England and the Lord Lieu
tenancy of Ireland. there is not lay Office
under the Government that is not Open 10 OF
any religion of The present Lord Chief
Justice of England is Roman Catholic. so is the
Postmaster-Cieneral. the Duke of Norfolk. who is.
besides hereditary Earl Marshal of England. and,
as such might be called upon if necessary TO at
tach e*an Cardinal Vaughan himself for treason
tand he would do it, too. If ordered by the Queen)
and the Vice Royalty of India for some time
held by the Marques of Ripon, who was not only
Roman Catholic. but seceder TO that Church
from the Church of England
To pass on to the first objection: As the sover-
eiCn OF England is unfortunately also the tenn
poral head of the Anglican Church. and as that
test against all that is false and Uncathoc in the
succession especially bars Roman Catholics from
ton oath should contain a clause framed as Is
is not Intended to condemn the Roman Church as
a doctrinal body, only the doctrine of the SUI
premacy of the Pope and his right to interfere In
things spiritual and temporal so far as the United
Kingdom and its colonies are concerned-a very
different thing from President Krugers assumed
right to decide upon who shall who shall not
be baptized. the claim of the Vatican to decide
for the Anglo-SaXon race what is or Is not OF
faith, or how much Of its politics and policy its
members shall take from Rome E. r.
2S.