THE AMERICAN
'6
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.
"AMERICA FOR AMERICANS." We bold that all men are A Beriean who Swear Allgane to the Uniknl Slates without a mnul recurvation Id favor of the Pope.
PRICE F1VKCKN IS
VoUJMK V.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FKIDAY. OUTOUEU 18, ltW5.
NUMBKB 4 J
I
A ROMANIST'S OPINION
As to the Relations Which Should
Subsist Between the Church
tnd the State.
Seme Yerj Queer if Jiot Very Absurd
Logic, Even Judged from a
Roman Standard.
We take the appended extracts from
a paper contributed by Iter. David
Mojes, D. C. L , rector of the Church
f St. Den la, Ashburnham, Mass., to
the New York Fneman's Journal.
He says, at the outset:
''Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, has
shown himself a wise statesman and a
truthful relator of facta In bis recent
letter upon the American Protective
Association. The object of his letter is
to show that that association has no
reason for its existence any more than
the Mafia of the Italians. But it may
be well to go more into detail and show
how futile are the arguments of those
who would seek to prove that the Cath
olic religion Is a menace to the state.
The plain facts of the case will dem
onstrate in the clearest manner that
the Catholic church is the upholder of
society and of the rights of the people.
The principles taught by the church
In Its solemn pronouncements and
through its learned theologians and
fatherr, whatever may to the degree of
authority with which they are put for
ward, are quite enough to convince in
telligent non-Catholics that the church
in its normal action must sustain the
secular power r.nd consolidate its inde
pendence. The religion of Catholics is
not a menace to the state.
THE CHURCH DENIES THE DIVINE
RIGHT OK KINGS.
We may observe in pasting that when
Leo XIII. says that by the selection of
the people the ruler is designated, but
aot the rights of sovereignty conferred,
his holiness means that the people are
aot the ultimate source of power, but
that those rights pass cn from God to
the ruler through the medium of the
people, whereas the selection of the
ruler comes absolutely from the people.
But no matter, so lone; as the pecple
have the choosing of the person who
, shall rule them, what greater gnarsrtty
for the rights of the people and the re
straining of tyrannical monarchs than
these principles? And at the time
when James I. of England e'aimed to
have received bis power directly and
abolutely from God, defenders of the
per pie arose in the person of eminent
tbeologims in Catholic countries to
deny this Iheory a9 approximating too
losely to theocrtcy. To reign by di
vine ight both as to person and power,
matter and form, and to preclude the
people from cither election or resist
ance by force of arms under any circum
stances was what the Protestant king
was aiming at. This, moreover, was
the teechiog of the English universi
ties which bad fallen under the in flu
esce of the new religion at this identi
cal period; and it wss a flagrant contra
diction between belief and prac ice for
the Pro'e3tant party to have contrlvf d
the banishment and dethronement of
their king, whom, in their delirium,
they had supposed to be divinely ap
pointed. The old Kaiser of Germany,
in our own day, had a weakness, too,
ou the subject of bis own divine and ir
responsible person. He put the crown
on bis own head on the occasion of his
coronation to show the people that he
did not receive his appointment from
them. Even the present young man,
Inheriting the traditions of his house,
and not a bit behind his grandfather
in his most unbounded presumption,
has got some vague and ill-defined idea
that he is superior to the constitution,
and more than once since hi accession
to the imperial throne he has come
into disagreeable contact with the par
liament of the nation. And what of
Queen Victoria? Perhaps she has
never given it a thought, but the dec
trine of the divine right seems to be
shadowed forth by tbe impress left on
the coins of the realm, which declare
her to be the Queen of the British by
the grace of God, But not a syllable
about the people. Anyway, it was
principally since the Reformation that
we find the divine-right theory advo
cated, and almost exclusively, I should
say exclusively, by the above party,
and not by the Catholics. Very few
kings since the reign of Moses have
reigned by divine right, or by any spe
cial and direct act cf the governing
power. Moses stood erect upon Mount
Sinai, crowned with a halo of light,
and holding in bis hand the tables of
the Law. lie ruled as the envoy of
God, not cf the people. God not only
gave power to the Hebrews to govern
society, but, intervening by a special
and supernatural act of authority, He
laid His hand upon their leader, con
stituting hiui their king by divine
righ'. His tight to command was
given him from above, amid the con
vulsions of nature upon that holy
mount. Tbe scene is sublime.
But God has not vouchsafed this
favor to the cations. Angry at their
departure from His law, lie stems to
have withdrawn Himself into the dark,
Impenetrable cloud which surrounds
Hi throne, and to have committed the
forma ion of secular governments to
the p ople.
DEMOCRACY MOST CONUKMAL TO CATHOLICITY
Jeffdrson must have studied the ori
gin of civil power in the fathers and
theologians of the church, or must
have taken a few bints from Arch
bishop Carroll, before be entered upon
the great task of drawing up the Dec
laration of Independence. He may
have pondered over Blackstone and
have searched the archives of Europe
for the most liberal treatises upon con
stitutions and the formation of states,
but nowhere would be find the rela
tions of ruler and subjects and the
essential principles of authority and
liberty so scholastlcally laid down upon
the basin of Scripture than among the
theologians of the Catholic church.
A nd now, having disposed of so much
in a cursory way sufficient, however,
to arouse in the minds of our opponents
a suspicion that true Americanism lies
with ub we would observe that there
are principles which express abstract
truths which have never been realized,
nor ever will. There are countries
which profess the Catholic faith and
where all are spiritual children of the
pope, the head of the church. There
are countries where canon law has
been the basis and sprit of their secu
lar legislation, and where for certain
disciplinary concessions the peopie have
bound themselves to the church by
spiritual treaties called concordats, and
so forth. Now, to take these countries
as a sample of what Catholics demand
here, where the state is based upon the
natural law. and is bound by no spiri
tual allegiance, is simply absurd.
Besides, when we come to examine
things closely, we find that there is
very little, apart from the terms of
special agreement which Catholiccoun
tries were free to make, claimed by
them, which all denominations, no mat
ter how strenuous they might be for
state control, would not claim here.
The ' churches in Atcer'lca consider
themselves empowered to defend the
Christian religion from all attacks and
from everything that would sully its
purity, whether these attacks come
from individuals or f om the state.
Ministers who are sentinels on the
watch-towers of Israel will not hesitate
to condemn unjust laws on the side on
which they offend against morality.
Such laws, they believe, have no intrin
sic claim to their obedience, and if their
resistance is passive it is because they
should not disturb public order, which
is a paramount consideration.
In the governmentof civil society the
Christian ruler should conform to the
moral law, natural or revealed; that is,
In his public acts he should do nothing
that is contrary to the good of religion
or the salvation of souls; nothing which
would interfere with the obedience
which subject owe their church and to
God. This is both claimed and admit
ted, we would imagine, on all sides in
America. Moreover, it is guarranteed
by the constitution.
Liberty of conscience, under the re
straint of the national law upon which
every civilized government is founded,
is the best and only legitimate form of
policy in oi:r present conditions, in
which we are divided immeasurably in
matters social and religious'. If, by a
fiction of the imagination, we supposed
the world to profess one faith, to have
one thought and one preference for the
truth and for tbe visible organ through
which it is manifested, then we might
seek to realize a higher ideal and de
light in using lawful means to keep up
this marvelous and almost unearthly
communion. But we are losing our
selves in supernal abstractions which
have no practical utility. So long as
we have different faiths around us, we
have obligations one towards another,
and these involve the exercise of char
ity and forbearance, and a recognition
of mutual rights in our public manners
and in the enactments of the state.
This is the rule, also, for Catholic coun
tries where other communions are
found, and where the unity of faith is
broken.
The American Government is based
on the natural law. This a divine law,
for it is dictated by God through the
ordinances of nature. Having thus its
foundations securely laid, it allows the
development of the positive law of re
ligion upon this unchangeable basis,
protectirg all alike and securing to
them the fullest liberty consistent with
the natural principles which underlie
its constitution. This liberty is claimed
by the ministers of the gospel a-d is
asserted not merely in their direct ac
tion upon their own spiritual subjects,
but in warning the state to keep off lU
sacred domain and rtfraln from enact
ing laws that wi uld contra voce it tbe
slightest degree tbe laws of that divine
code of which they profess themselves
the guardians: There are more thin
Mr. Parkhurst valiant and fearless de
fenders of Christlani'y . Politicians miy
say thai rome of them bave gone too
far and have entered upon the domain
of politics. It may be so; but all of
them, we believe, aimed at the spirit
ual well-being of the community, and
claimed the prerogative, as spiritual
ministers, of judging the extent of their
own spiritual jurisdiction. The crimes
reprovej may havo bad a temporal end,
and were, in this respect, social or po
litical, but this did not prevent thete
ministers from looking upon these same
crimes under another aspect, and In
their relation to the law of God. These
very crimes, without ceasing to bo tem
poral, became thus spiritual, and as
such fell under the moral supervision
of those who had been ordalr.eJ to tbe
ministry and to the preaching of tbe
word of God.
What more do American Catholics
claim? And, we may ask, what more
do they claim even in Catholic coun
tries, where we will suppose a higher
and more normal alliance exists be
tween church and sta'e? Tho Catholic
obtains very little mora by virtue of a
treaty, and by the filial subjection of
the state to the church, than what all
ministers claim and obtain in America,
namely, the free and unimpeded exer
cise of the Christian religion.
CHUKCH'S RELATION TO THE AMERICAN
STATE.
The Catholic church is divinely com
missioned to tjach religion and pass
upon the morality of actions, in the
hope of eternal life. She is supreme
in spiritual matters, and, moreover, is
the judge of the limit) of her own spir
itual jurisdiction. It does not belong
to the civil power to define the rights
of the church and the limits within
which it shall exercise them. This
is a proposition which we hold, for
tbe contradictory is condemned in the
Article XIX of the Syllabus. The po
sition of tbe church here is unassail
able. But the church, while adhering
to this as a principle, and protecting
her dogmas, as well as the spirit of
them, with jealous care, observes a yn-
dilatory pilicy toward the state, and
aspires to a most perfect harmony in
matters of discipline.
Now, while this is the case, the
American people claim that the statj
shall not enact laws in opposition to
their religious belief, or in any way in
fringe upon their liberty of conscience.
Both recognize the divine law, positive
and natural, to bo of a higher order,
and maintain their right to judge of
spiritual cases In their own sense, yield
ing obedience to unjust laws for the
sake of general discipline and peace.
Conscience here makes a decided stand.
They do not, especially In matters con
nected with the profession and practice
of religion, accept every enactment
from the state without remonstrance,
simply because it comes from the state.
The e are limits to the state's jurisdic
tion imposed upon It by the natural
law and by the religious clause of its
immutable Constitution, and the people
will finally see that it does not trans
gress. And yet the church is conserva
tive and a support of order, for she
urges her subjects to obey the laws,
not simply for a purely natural reason,
but for a supernatural reason, in which
we see the superiority and excellence
of the Catholic system of morality over
the grosser and more selfish motives of
the system taught by Horbert Spencer,
and, strange to say, advocated by sev
eral ministers of the gospel. But while
the church inculcates obedience to the
general order of things, she lays down
the conditions upon which a law should
be possess intrinsic value, and of itself
be lit to command obcdienc3. She com
mends the early Christians fcr resist
ing, in the spirit of martyrdom, a law
ordering them ti sacrifico to the gods,
which was manifestly opposed to the
divine law. Tne law had no Intrinsic
force, and they were to obey God rather
than man. We trust the defenders of
the right of conscience and the admir
ers of Christian heroism will unite with
us in giving due credit to the church
for the advocacy of such doctrine?.
Conscience has its rights, and 0113 is
that it be at least a moral judge, as
suredly for those outside our commun
ion, in the relation between the state
and themselves on the subject of relig
ion, and this whether the stato for the
time being is the judge or not. If they
did not claim this they would assimi
late themselves to the pagan legisla
tors of ancient Rome, who maintained
the law was just because it was enacted
by the state, not that tho state should
enact a law because it was ju-t. The
world has made progress since then.
Those ideals of state perfection, such
as we read of In the Christian constitu
tion of state', that admirable encycli
cal and exposition of Cathollo princi
ple, are of couise more perfo t than
lboa represented by tbe nations; but.
viewing the condition of things. It
would te inoportunu, unjust and Im
proper to force the realization of these
Ideals, even If it were Id our power to
do so. The present pope, in tbe "Im
mortale Del," has declared hi prefer
ence for a more practical separation
between church and state, when their
union, through tbe harassing persecu
tion of ittiJel governments, becomes
the occasion of so many evils. The
adoption of tbe less perfect and a de
viation from the Ideal sometimes cre
ate a government more perfect in the
concrete, and the only one that should
be chosen. A government of this kind
can alone exercise tho functions of one,
and that in a manner conducive to the
end for which It was brought into ex
istence namely, that of maintaining
order and promoting temporal happl
noss. Jhston Vibtt.
THEY WOKE I.OMJ COATS.
Priest Heading a Itig Procession In
tcrcepttd by Government Cavalry.
CITY ov Mexico, Oct. 9. -There Is
much excitement I ere over tho viola
tion of the law fct-biddlng public relig
ious demonstrations, on the part of
2,000 pilgrims from Puebla, who
marched into the town of Guadaloupe
with baar.ers and carrying large bronze
crucifixes. Priests, wearing the pro
hibited long black coats and chanting
litanies and religious bymns, accompa
nled them. The procession was inter
cepted by Prefect Velasquez on horse
back, accompanied by a squad of cav
alry, Mho demanded that tliepi'grlms
take off their religious budges and furl
their banners and that tbe priests take
off tbelr clerical coats. Father Yermo,
a Spanish priest of Puebla, who com
manded the procession, was arrested
for Infraction of tbe nf jrtn laws and
Gned f."0 and admonished not to repi at
the offense. Pre'ect Velasquez crdered
gendarme to stand guard on the Inside
of the great church of Guadaloupe,
which measure was protested against
by Bishop Placarte, but without avail.
The gendarmes entered the church,
where the priests requested they should
remove their hats, Out Velasquez or
dered his men not to uncover their
heads. "The liberals say the church is
as much a public place as any theater,
and nowhere in such places do gen
dtrraeB take off their hats, even in the
presence of the president of the repub
lic. Among the American prelates
here to attend the coronation fetes are
the archbishops of Santa Fe and Cin
cinnati and the bishops of Ogdens
burg, Dallas, Uharlo.-ton, Brownsville,
Natchez, Covington, Indian Territory,
Columbus, Springfield, Tucson, Galves
ton, Nashville and Vlncennes; also the
Archbishop of Quebeo.
MORMON Sl'ECTElt ONCE MOKE.
Old Priesthood Dabbling in Polities and
Utah Tern Up.
Salt Lake, Utah, Oct. 12. Per
haps this city and territry, with all
its troublous times when the fight was
on betwe :n the Mormons aid tho ad
venturous "Gentiles" who entered the
territory, has never be in aroused by a
political sensation as it was by that of
to-Jay. On Monday last, at the meet
ing of tho Mormon Priesthooda soci
ety thaf., at one time, was as secret as
the Masonic order), the presidents at-
t3mpted to discipline Moses H. Thatche r
and R. H. Roberts, nominees respect
ively for United Stat3s senator and
member of Congress on the Democratic
ticket, fjr not having consulted the old
oligarchy for its consent to do so. This
was in the face of several previous pro-
nunciamcitos that the Lord gave to
tho first presidents no 'divination of
political qucjtion?. 1 Several circulars
to that effect bave been publicly issue!,
and some werj used to secure tho pas
sage of the last enabling act through
Congress. In an interview, published
to day, O. W. Powers, chairman ot the
Democratic central territorial commit
tee, has stated that, while Thatcher
and Rjb :rts are apostles in the church,
Demecrats nominated them in good
faith, with the understanding that the
union of caurch and state had been
abolished in Utah. This is not all. He
has called a mooting of the Djmocratic
territorial com nitloe with the implied
but not stated purposo of calling the
state convention together and with
drawing tho nominations already made.
When this is done a fight is to bo mado
against the adoption of the constitution
on which Utah expects'. to be admitted
as a state. If the Mormons rally to the
support of the constitution aid adopt
it, then the matter will be carried to
Washington. Many leading Republi
cans are taking part with Judge Pow
ers, who was the leader of the old Lib
eral party in Utah. C. E. Allen, the
Republican nominee.Ior Congreis, was;
"cheek by jjwl" with Powers In those
trouhl.ius days, and many predict that
be will co-operate on the political lino
of anil Morm n against Mormons. It
will bo a re'igiju. nut apolitical,
fight.
m 9 m 1 - i.
I, V. A. 'a as a Dynamic Agency In
1'oiitlra.
From all accounts, tbe A. P. A. ticket
bas won la Nahvillu, Tenn.; tbe Amer
icans eh c i'd a mayor and a majority
of the city councilman. There were
only two tickets in the field the Demo
cratic and tbe ticket of the element In
favor of good government. The Re
publicans, scenting danger from tbe
fires of patriot Urn which were ablaze
in all sections of the city, and recogni
zing tbe determination on tbe part of
tho better element to end the Rum,
Roman and Ring rulo which for years
has domineered over the people, very
shrewdly refrained from entering tbe
race From the telegrams sent out to
the Romanized press, it would appear
that the excitement and fueling were
so Intense that tho big up-town saloons
closed their doors early on the evening
of election. Tho truth of the matter
is, that tho tough element bad begun
to realize that tho laws would be
strictly enforce 1 j int as soon as Mr.
McCarthy should take his seat; and
they commenced to practice some of
the forms which in a few days they will
be compelled to observe, whether it
suits them or not. The name Mc
Carthy is a very familiar one, and is
met with very frequently in politics;
but It must not be confounded with the
variety that is acting as mayor of Le
nient, 111., or the "Buck" McCarthy
secies that infests Chicago's Stock
Yards region. As tho Nashville Mc
Carthy bad tho backbone to run for
mayor on the A. P. A. ticket, there is
no doubt but ho will have the nerve to
enforce, without fear or favor, tho laws
as they are. "Equal rights for all,
special privlles to none." Chicago's
mayor was elected on the Republican
ticket on false pretenses. Ills claims
to Intense Americanism were wordy
"works of art" before election. Ills
acts were boautlful specimens of Ro
manismafter election. To the Ro
mans be gave Kent and 12,000 positions
In patronage. To tbe Americans (when
the Itomans had all been supplied) he
gave 32 positions of trust in the shae
of jaiiltord, laborers, Watchmen, and
scrubwomen. His motto appears to le:
"No rights for any but Romans, all spe
cial privileges for the Irish." The
larti.ao press endeavors to throw as
imieli ( dlum as possible upon the vic
tors in Nashville, claiming that the
letter class of Republicans voted with
the Democrats, while tbe negroes voted
with the A. P. A.'s. It Is only a few
short years since tho Republican were
claiming that the Democrats in the
gouth were intimidating and driving
the colored voters from tbe polls, and
that it was not safe for a man w th a
black skin to be seen near tbe voting
booths on election day.
Tbe G. O. P. has always laid claim
to having bein the party to free the
negro, and were very much concerned
about tbe welfare of their colored
friend. But now thing have changed;
the colored man has profited by expe
rience and by the educational advan
tages which under the Constitution be
is permitted to share equally with his
white brother. And, moreover, being
quick to think and to act, be has per
ceived the band of Rome in the politics
of our country and the danger to eur
free institutions from all plotting and
scheming Jesuits and popish emissa
ries, and has accordingly worked and
voted with the Americans. When he
was a slave, with nothing but his soul
to save, the the Roman Catholic Church
did not bave any time to waste in di
recting his steps toward the golden
stairs; but, once ho wa free and began
to receive tho price of his hire in the
coin of Uncle Sam, tho holy (?) mother
church was in an agonized frame of
mind to devise ways and means to save
his soul, and Incidentally to save some
of his dollars for tho pope. As the col
oreJ vete is getting beyond control of
tbe oRic. -seeking politician, "the ring''
has concluded to throw him overboard.
It is only a few days since that the
Republicans in Louisiana formed tbe
White Republican League. This goes
to show the high esteem In which the
colored voter at the South is held by
the Republican party; and, as the
Demccratio party had always declared
itself opposed to the colored man, t here
was only one thing for him to do, and
that was to attach himeclf to the A. P.
A. an organization which knows nei
ther birth, place, race, nationality,
creed, party, faction, or previous con
dition of servitude.
The decision of the supremo court of
Nebraska in the case of tho Omaha tiro
and police board; the matchless reign
of the Americans in Detroit; the elec
tion of an American on the Democratic
ticket in Indianapolis, the home of
Ilenny Harrison; and now the election
of an entire A. P. A. ticket In Nash
ville, baa surrUtd and astonished
sonic of tbe "big booses" In both par
ties, and, from tbe activity tha differ
cot committee are displaying, it is
very evident that they are endeavoring
to find out "where we are at." Tbo
reports from Indlanaolis on Sunday
Indicate that the town was never so
quiet and orderly la it entire history.
Tbe saloons obeyed tbe laws, as It was
understood the new mayor meant busi
ness, as bis first ifflolal act was to dic
tate a loiter to the actingebief of police
instructing hlra to enforce tbe law with
out quibbling or tbe exhibition of any
favoritism or partiality.
Rome's prns-s may endeavor to cast
reflections upon the negro who ha the
courago to stand fur Americanism, but
they are absolutely silent concerning
the time when (In ISO!) Pius IX. sont
bis blessing to Jeff Davis and tbe south
ern confederacy, when the (Htpu's Irish
fell over each ether In their esgernoss
to get in tho front ranks of thoso de
serting from the Union army and Moo
ing to Canada. Then It was that tbe
colored men, in defense of tho Union
army and Old Glory, went to the front,
and "the colorod troops fought nobly."
Abuse of tho A. P. A. and the ne
groes will not change the rosult right
will triumph In tho end; and tho boys
in Nashville have taught Romo a lesson
that si. e will not soon forget.
Ajax.
How Did tar rapacy ilti There!
It seems ktrange how tho Roman
Catholics, numbering only about ten
millions In this country, can exercise
such a controlling influence and power
In polities. He-nee, Id view of this
comparative smallness of numbers,
many who have not given particular
attention to this subject do not believe
that the Republio is In sny danger
from papal Influence, and that tho
A. P, A. organization should not be
encouraged. But the better portion of
our citizens, who keep up with the
times, know full well that declarations
of tbe order are no exaggeration of the
fact that the papal power has already
ereatly endangered tbe perpetuity of
the Republic and its free institutions.
But the question arises in the minds
of rxany thoughtful men, How did the
papacy get t here? How came It possi
ble for it 'to obtain such controlling
power In the eit'os? Wo answer that
the conscienceless politicians gave them
this power for the sake of the un'ted
Catholic voto one instance of which
we will give ti show bow It Is done:
We are credibly Informed by a promi
nent A. P. A. cf Memphis, Tonn ,tbat,
although the papists have been greatly
In the minority in that city, yet just
b'.fore election the priests go around
and demand of the prospective candi
dates for election 80 per cent, of the
appointive offices to bo under priestly
control in case tbo said candidates are
elected, for which guaranty they should
have the Roman Catholic vote. Hence,
under this arrangement, tho papists
soon have 80 per cent, of the police
force, fire department, and other
branches of tho civic service, b -sides
securing for Roman Catholics the ma
jor portion of positions in the publlo
schools. Now, this instance of priestly
diabolism and Romanized party cor
ruption is a political eye-opener to
every one who wants to tea and who
will give his attention to the subject.
And no one can suppose for a moment
that this is the only instance of the
kind, for doubtless the same course has
been practiced for years in all cities,
which explains the profound mystery
In the mind ot many how it is that the
papists can manage to secure the con
trol of almost the entire police, the
teachers in our schools, and other city
officials; and we hardly know which
are the most deserving of our disgust
and utter loathing the intriguing
prie-ts, the corrupt and Romanized
politicians, or the papal hierarchy who
inaugurated such a bold and successful
plan to bring the great cilies of this
country into subjection to the j apal
power.
However, this course of conduct will
s:wn be stoped. The political power
of the American Protective Association
and kindred associations will in the
near future destroy tije priestly power
in politics and relegate to the rear the
miterable politicians who have turned
traitors to their country and fill their
places in the cities and throughout the
country with true and loyal Americans,
who will free the nation from papal
bondage and from every vestige of the
political foi torints of paaa Rome.
J. G. P.
Yonng Mothers
Should early learn the necessity of
keeping on nar.d a supply ef Gail
Borden Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
for nursing babies as well as for general
cooking, it bas stood the test for 30
years, and Its value is recognised. 3
. .... a
