Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 1/Number 7/Comments and extract from "The Columbia Hive"
We extract the following from "the Columbia (S. C.) Hive," of March 14. To its truth or incredibility we say nothing—our readers are left to draw their own conclusion. It is a fact, which no reader will pretend to deny, that the Catholic church has cruelly tortured many of its dissenters, and we have no doubt, but that in a coming day, the innocent blood of thousands will be brought up as a charge against some of its former members.
It might be thought a novel thing that the Pope should undertake to introduce the inquisition into this Republic, and we have no doubt but there are many who are watching his moves with great vigilance, and the least show on his part, to enforce the Catholic faith will be noticed.
As much as our blood chills on the reflection that that church has persecuted those who were unwilling to be governed by its principles, we sincerely hope that no extravigant [extravagant] nor unfounded report may have influence over the public mind against our Catholic community.
We not only hope this, but we honestly pray, that our happy country may never be brought to bow to the mandates of no religious society whatever. The late shameful persecution against the church of the saints in Missouri, has taught us that others besides the Catholics, would, if they had the power exterminate all who refuse to worship the same way!
Inquisition in the United States.—The Protestant Vindicator, a very respectable religious paper, printed at Baltimore, Maryland, states that large excavations have lately been made under the Catholic Cathedral of that city, in which dungeons are constructed for the confinement and punishment of those of the catholic faith, who may denounce or renounce that religion.—It is also stated, on the authority of the same paper, that John England, present Bishop of Charleston, (S. C.) has received from the pope of Rome an appointment of "Inquisitor General of the United States of America!" which commission he now holds as a proper authority, with the addition of Legate and Nuncio of the pope. That a Roman Inquisition should have existence in this country, at this time, altho' necessarily unaccompanied by its usual train of cruelties and abominations, will we think, surprise most of our citizens who prefer to see it a land of liberty. Of the correctness of the Vindicator, singular as it may sound to the uninformed we entertain no doubt.— Poughkeepsie Eagle.
Some of our public prints are trying to "kick up a fuss" between the Protestants and Catholics. We have not yet learned when the Catholics violated the Constitution, and since the Protestants can no more than keep it honorably, we advise each party to —> READ IT! !