The New York Herald Newspaper, April 2, 1855, Page 1

‘ ° - Ls , 4 | v7 * . ‘ 4 THE NEW YORK HERALD. WHOLE NO. 6793. MORN ARCHBISHOP HUGHES. ‘His Sermon Yesterday atthe Cathedral. THE DOGMA OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. Proposal tq Commemorate the 8th of December, ASSAULTS ON THE CHURCH. 0. &o., ko. Archbishop Hughes returned from his journey to Rome von Tuesday last, in the Atlantic. He had gone there on invitation of the Holy Father, to participate in the pro- ceedings of the Council or Coavention of Bishops, in reference to the much talked of and but Itttle understood dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin. That great point settled, he has returned to give his attention to the interests of his archiepiscopate, and to those questions, Isy and spiritual, which attract so much pub- Ke interest at this particular epoch. Yesterday being the first Sabbath since nis return, there was a very gene ral desire manifested on the part of the community, as swell of other denominations as of his own fold. to see and hear him, and to learn his views on matters and thinge in geveral, and on the topi> of the Immaculate ‘Conception in particular. It had not been announced that he would have made his appearance in his pulpit yesterday, but yet it was generally expected that he woul’. And so St. Patrick’s Cathedral was the shrine}to which thousands of our ‘population yestescay bent their steps, albeit many camong them were unused to appearing in that or any other Roman Catholic temple. Our reporter was among the number, and with difficulty—so densely thronged ‘was the edifice—was able to procure admission. But ‘the Roman Catholic clergy of this city are extremely and exceptionally civil and attentive to the press, and did not even close the door of the sanctuary itself against the servant of the public. It was Palm Sunday, and the pews and aisles were plentifully supplied with branches of that shrub, which had previously, itis to be presum- ed, received the usual benediction. The church wore its usual aspect, it not being the custom to drape it unti Good Friday, we believe. The mass, too, was the ordinary Ligh mass celebrated every Sunday, the only difference being that it was some what longer, the history of the Passion, as re- Jated by the Evangelists, being introduced and read at Jength. The Rev. Francis McNierny officiated at mass, assisted by the Revs, Wm. Starrs, Vicar General; Thos. S. Preston, Secretary; Thos. Durning, John Barry and Jobn Hennessy. Archbishop Hughes occupied the throne during the celebration of the first portion of the mans, He did not wear the state robes of his high office, but the ordinary under-dress, if we may so call it, of an archbishop, consisting of the tunic, and a lace cape, surmounted by a smaller purple velvet cape. Instead of the golden mitre, he wore on his head the barita, or avelvet cap. We were pleased to see the reverend man appearing in such excellent health, He seems much improved by his European tour, and, as ntieman be- side us observed, must have left Rome immediately after the close of the carnival, and availed himself of a trav- eller’s Micense to take what fare he could get. After the reading of the Gospel of the day he ascended the pulpit with a firm step, and, with excellent intonation and for- <cible delivery, commenced his SERMON. And s very great multitude spread their garments in the way, aud others cut dewn branches from the trees and strewed them in the way. And the multitude that went before and that followed. cried out saying, Hornana to the Bon of David. Bleaned ie he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest ‘The narrative in the Holy Scriptares, as read in the mans of Palm Sunday, is the history of the Passion of our Saviour. It begins with the 2ist chapter of St. Mat- chew and concludes in the 234, and is appropriately read at thie season. But the words which we hay: just read ss our text are those which are especial ty applicable to the solemnity of the day. They are the record of the enthusiasm of the people, seeing the Son of God entering into the Holy city. They are the record of that mutability of human affections which shows that possibly the same voice which cried ‘ont “Hosanna,” cried out a few days afterwards ‘Let ‘aim be crucified.” Nevertheless, the church, in order © impress upon you the great truth—that of our Savi- ar submittiog to the humiliation of the passion, which ‘was not by vecessity, but by his own choice, and as the ‘manifestation of bis love—the church, I say, has pre- served those words that you, following day by day, whrough the ecclesiastical year, the course of the mys- eties of the earthly life of the Son of God—may ray in ‘welcoming iim to your hearts, ‘Hosanna! blessed is he ho cometh in the game of the Lord.”’ In short, the alms you bear are significant of triumph as well as of xy. The palm is the symbol which, along the aisles of > ecatacomba, distinguishes among the saints who were 4id there to sleep during the first ages of the chureh, those ‘vo died as martyrs to their faith, The branch of paim ad the vial of blood engraved on their tombe distin. guish the martyrs above all others, and symbolize victory. Victory! And yet it seems strange for me to peak to you to-day on the subject of victory, since it is not my:purpose in this connection to speak of the vic ‘tory of the Son of God, who triumphed over death and the grave and thus became a conqueror; bat of his church, whicl: inherits the vicissitudes of his life. That church is heir to his sufferings, and yet at the samo Aime it is triumphant. It is of it I now design to speak It might otherwise seem strange to you that I should wpeak of triumph, or of palms which symbolize it, at a ‘moment when you are assailed in the private circles and mthe public journals with imputations of dishonor, ewith reviliag@ with calumnies, with slanders, and when even those who should be, and who are by the every object of their ereation, the appointed guardians to regulate principles of eternal justice, have them- ¢elves, in pushing their authority to an extreme, attempted to invade the simple rights and liberties of the Church of Jesus Christ. This, then, does not seem a ‘moment to speak of triumph; and yet it is precisely the Moment when tiat subjectis proper. It is so—because what do these assaults prove’ they prove that the or- @inary means are now considered not sufficient to arrest progress of truth on the theatre of free discussion, ~ °¥ Prove that there is mo way of putting down these 9 ‘dteachers of the doctrine of the 3on of God—thove ‘ are subatifuted for his own preaence—the church. they prove more particularly that if the hostile ings of those who know nought of her divine attri- agft and of her majestic beauty, who believe that she /? = source of corruption, that she is the enemy of the vaman kind, that she is the adversary of all that is en thtened, or grand in conception or performance, can ad no other mode of attacking her; she is beyond the euch of their feeble attacks, And if they fiad thi* worse necewsary, is pot this time of triumph’ But vere in still more, destly beloved brethren. Leoking ver the bistory of this church, of that miraculous vciety, one, harmonious, universal, independent, that pe Christian society called the church—looking, I say. wer the annals of her history, and of what she has paased through, you perceive how closcly she resembles a fher history, the history of the life of her Divine founder. Hers is a succession of trials and of triumphs. hire is, like his, an everlasting ‘guffering on the part of the world, and on the part of the enemies of truth. And Sof the part of tLe church, as on the part of Christ, there ' » * perpetual triumph And who is it that can recollect or amoment her viciasitedes when the first Apostles en- “ered the gates of Rome—ths imperial mistrews of the world—anc eutered the lists with the powers of ‘that ene. |) my when Peter ex tered the lists with dread Nero, who, f | 7g, can recollect that, and not recognive her Divine ori- fin’ Nero had his triumph for a moment, while Peter had ain triumpo for all eternity, in heaven ana on earth. Both were conquerors, Watching the succession of her cares during toe frst three hundred years, and seeing that the whole force of that empire which had subjected the nations of the world was directed towards the exiin aglshment of the young life of Christian society, wo fini ‘that that society grew and increased the more, and that that mighty Colossus of an empire crumbles into dust. ue it inthat while, on the part of the world, the ia, and bas been, aad ever will be assailed by aii passions of the humam heart, allied with “¢ allied with science, and allied with wealth oot ‘While she must, like her Master, suTer for the hes NG EDITION—MONDAY, APRIL 2, 18 present, nevertheless, at the proper time, ale triumpba. But there is a special reason whythe uplifted palm in your hands to-day should be regarded by you ass token of triumph—the celebration of a victory. That victory ig the great event which has #o lately occurred. It ix the definition or a doctrine which, “although believed as a private sentiment in the heart of the church for eighteen hundred years, had not yet before received the official sealof tbechurch. I of the doctrine of the Imma- culate Conception of the blessed Virgin Mary. And the ground of triumph in respect to this topic is, not that any definition, or any belief could make that most distia- guished and most elevated of all God’s-inteliectwal eres- tures, whether in heaven or om earth, more bhosored, or that any definition could add to her giory or to her prerogatives, but that ali the heresies by which the church bas been from the contains, without one single exception, in the errors whith they teach ome principle caleulated to weaken or destroy and, if possible, to into degradation, in the estima- tion of men, the ever blessed Virgin Mother of God. Tha: has been more particularly the case within the last thre hundred years. The least ancient of the heresies bave been preached is that ene especially which made ita point to wound her and cut her off. Their theory was to adore her son, indeed, but at the same time, by way of increasing bis honor, they would depreciate ber preroga- tives and almost ca)! into question attributes whict Fo ni Ne ae Oe servant of God, Ané they thought they were making grea! ts y pretentes to reject tl because t crencences of time, which had grown into the holy practices o( the Cathotic chureb. after these came otbers.sce- ing other errors untouched by the first retormers, Gvally every coctrine of the church, even to the divjnit of the Son of God, bas been not only din] and rejected under the plea of making C' atintty pure and at the same rational and worthy of intelligent beings. These errors havegone as far as they posaibl; could go. And, on the other band, while the chur has maintained those doctrines which she always had waimtained, it is remarkable that in proportion to the assaults of the adversaries of truth the faith of her chilaren becomes more and more wa intense to~ wards every dogma which ber enemies had denied, and among them more especially the honor of the blessed ‘Virgin Mary is, 1 will not ‘my among the Catholics of this community but of the world, more lovingly up- held. Among the opponents of theChureh no sound is heard now except the sound of hostility to the pre rogatives of Mary. Catholics may have found themselves at times under the necessity, as it were, through the sense Of expediency at least, of not u this doctrin but they believed 1t none the lers. Fi ata time wi! many of these idle speculators. these’ philanthro; without God, these humanitarians without any divini- ty, these men who look at human natureas # kiad of urprovable upper-strata of animal life, and have no key to its mysteries—these men who believed at last, { aup- pose, that the Church of Christ had fulfilled her high mission, and was now @ thing which. had out-lived t! period of its usefulness and should be cast aside—t! Chureh cf Christ determined a great point of faith. Ah let these men meditate on ihe spectacle which was wit- nessed in Rome on the 8th of December, 1864, and they will probably understand that the church is not dead— that the church is not old—that the church has not outlived its usefulnese—that she lives and reigns; and that as ehe has seen the rise andthe ruin of em- pires and dynasties during eighteen hundred years—herself unmoved—so she will live to wit- ness all the changes and vicissitudes of these silly spe- culations on human philosophy and human humanity, by which these philanthropists would attempt to come to the relief of mankind, by raising and elevating this fallen and otherwise depresseo and umhappy race. It was my privilege, dearly beloved brethren, to be among the favored oues who witnessed the assembly ot vishops at Rome. As it was not my desire to pronounce any- thing like a formal discourse to-day, I shall perhaps bet- ter full your cesires if I give you in brief a narrative of things as they occurred, in connection with this great subject of universal joy and triumph. I will therefore roceed to doso, As I have remarked, for the lust three undied years, but particularly since the beginning of this century, those who were most nearly in com- munion with God—the bishops, or many of the bishops, the priests, and holy persons cevoted to religion—expreased outwardly their great desire that the sovereign Pontiff sbould define as an article of faith that belief which bad been floating from the beginai: on the sea of Catholic tradition, and abi: in the Cat! lic heart, with reference to the Immaculate Conception. ‘The Holy Father entertained with favor the expression of this sentiment; and during the period of his exile from be:ice the tombs of the apostles, when at Gaeta, he issued an ewcyclical letter to all the bishops of christen dom, requiring or requesting them to furniah him with a declaration of sentiment which prevatlad among thelr elergy and people on the subject, Uf course it re- quired a long time to receive answers to such a letier, sent to the various parts of the earth; but little by littie, one after another, these responses came in, to the number of, [ think, 564, from so many bis! ops, seattered throughout the’ world ; and of these there were less tham fifty whose writers considered that, although the doctrine was true, ana was believed by them and by their people, i: was not expecient to ce- fine it at that moment. There were only tour oat of that immense number whose writers were not prepared for the definition. These letters are published, and con- stitute an aggregate of nine octavo volumes. ‘And still owing to the difficulty of access in such remote and pagan lands as some of the bishops dwell in, they had not yet received the encyclical letter, or had not been able to forward their answer, These letters having been received, the Holy Father, even then, while yet at Geeta, aprolnted # commission of twenty of AY Rake ians, tor the purp6se of in ting @ ng ween ane had recorded on this si jot. These again, after their return, were aided by others in Rome: and finally, after much prayer and fastin and fupplication of God, both by himself and wy. others whom he required to unite with him, the Holy her determine¢—no doubt under the Divine ‘in ration of tl certain number of bishops, country might be more or less represented, to assemble at home. He did not invite many because he was aware that to some bishops it would bes matter of greet in- convenience to go, and he knew that anything like an invitation or formal request would be correspo: wi no matter at what sacrifice Nevertheless even this, for [pore bho thn to the Sth of December there were assembled, from day to day, some 154 bishops of the Catholic church, ting every mation, and, | may say, every tongue and tribe under the aky. Ae had come together, the question was submitted to thém, not indeed as to the doctrine, for that they bad already been the first to profess, as to the appropriateness or fitness of tume—these two its were = withheli—but as ‘to the form and of what is called the “bull” —the form and articles of the proclamation in which this doc- tri to be defined, as it had been drawn up by the theologians. Hed Larbat which was eating to them. ‘This it was their duty canvass, paragra, gtaph, line by line; and they did so, ing ee pose simply to sift out and examine and probe whether any autbority had been quoted in support of the trine, which authori; be questioned. [t was their provinee to ree that no slight error of the theo- logians should introduce a doubtful teatimony in sup- port of such a doctrine. Ob! dearly beloved bretbren, what a spectacle was the these bishops! Ad were kindly received ‘by the Father. All as fembled in a public the great St. Peter's, There was no ini Receasnry. third and fourth days, thers bo had far off These men, who had journeyed thousands and thousands of miles, had but just time to refresh them- selves and put on their episcopal robes before they walked into the assembly; they took part in the ciscus- sion of the matter before the body in the very hour within which they bad arrived. ere was no com- paring of notes as to what each one believed—there 8 no question of high doctrine or low doctrine—there s no interrogation as to what school one belonged, or an to what had been the inflnence which the sentiments of the 4 ye or the effect of the church North or South, or Fast or Went, Lad had upon the minds of those who came to take part in the proceedings of that ya may asrembly. There was the oneness, the univer: sality of truth—one heart, one faith, and one lan- guage. Lf every bishop had spoken his mother tongue, what a jargon would have been there! What an imitation of the scene at the Tower of Babel! But there was one language used—the of the chareh; and 8s faithful and a truthfal one is that language, by which every bishop understood the other, and’ read his thoughts without ambiguity. There was no time, I say, for introductions or making acquaistences; but they were able to read each other’s countenances. ‘And thus, having transacted the business for which they came, turned home each to the fold he had left behind, the: tf \t—with a few exceptions—having made the ac- quaintance of even the a0 whom had met in that assembly. Finally came the day for the promulga- tion of the dogma. That Sth of December deserves to be celebrated in the annals of the ih, for all time to come, ana day of joy toevery Christian heart Tne holy Pontitt bimselt—tbe supreme Pontiff—officiated ; and at proper time received.in the name of the whole Catholic eburch—ineluding the Greek and Armenian—received, in the name of the whole Catholic world, from the lips of the Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, supported by the bishops of both ranks, the suppliestion that, by authoritative and infallible ¢ ot the chureh, be might declare the prerogative to the Mother of the fon ot God. That scene cannot be described: and no one ought to attempt to describe it. I shall not attempt to delineate to the picture which that scene has left still freah ond solemn om my memory. I shall not ee = san T could not coi part nd ‘eriten succemsor of St. tock. very tempents and persseutions and trials b; which the church,had been continaslly agriat~ het served only to remad him of how truly the reality cor description given be, or how dearly this as. the” Ghureb nds with the God. How could a church sustained by the powerful of this earth; if it were’ the universal love of mankiné? If it would pot be the church of Christ, and you can similartty betweer it and wha: he describes, because descrides a time when those who should te the death the children of that church were rendering God a service. So it waa that t! that venerabie pontiff om the chair of St. Peter, of that church whieh had endured persecution and gE EE SE8aa ire it In things ‘twining to order Dut in what apporteles te june 'm that be ia time had been prepared for the premulgation of thia doctrine was read by him, im a clear, distinct, audible voice, Dut amid a silence which was, I may say, awful, in such a multitude ef people. Wher he came to that part wich is parely doctrinal, which is the definition nazely, that God Le Prerogative had, through the merits of Jesus ist, preserved ‘the Virgin _ from every stain of original uilt—when he came, ney, to that point, his him with emoticn, and then you mght have scenevery cheek present be! cewed with tears of emotion and of tenderness. And at the proper time, after having announced tt, the music of the special choir waa forgotten—that choir so peculiar and,s0 cultivated in its power of execution, was forgot- ten—and the great byma of praise and thankfulness, Te Deum laudamus—wae raised under that mighty dome of ?t.Peter’s, apd sustained by 40,000 voices. Such was the spectacle witnessed on that cecasion. But in the mean- ume the bells from thetowere of three hundred churches: , announces the joyful tidings te the expectant popula | tion; and from town to towa, aod from village to village, went forth the mews that at laet, by the suprems au- thority of the church, it was 9 longer « belief of indi- , Yidual choice or aflection, but « doctrine of the Catholic shureb, that Mary, the virgin Mother of the on of God, among other prerogatives of divime grace, had been con: osived without a stain of sim. Aw there may have been rome misconception in regard to this point, it is proper that I should explain to you, briedy, the sum and sub- stance of the question, I need aot remind you that the Catholic church, in her origin, preserved the faith in tne utmost simplicity, It was believed, but as yet there was no.cefinition by which it was formallyexpressed, And thus you know that, wherens thedivinity of Christ is the very cornerstone of Christian doctrine, that dogma was on indefinite one, and not in the-form in which we now have it, until three hundred years after the time of our Divine Saviour, Will any One sey, will any Socinian say, that because this doctrine was not dedved it was therefore not believed! That would be absurd. being defined proves nothing, or it proves that it w lieved, and that the definiwon was not nece period when Arius and bis associates wer tahe advantage of the simplicity, or, if 1 the vagueness of the faith; and, by « of human language, they pretended to te vinity of Christ was certainly not hither too, with reference to the very Scriptures. | period still when the church defined and proposed those books of the holy Scripture which are of inspired origin and of heaven. Up te that time some denied one book sowe another. There was a certain vagueness and in- definiteness about it. So again with regard to the nature of Christ—the schism which took place in the time of Nestorian. The Nestorians would have Christ as a duality of persons—the divine pe person. They would admit that the blessed Virgin wan the mother of the man Jesus, but not the moth Divine Jesus. The doctrine of the church had bi hat the persons were one, and that the n natures were united in the one perso sequently, that the blessed Virgin Mary was the woiber of this one person—Jesus Christ, So at the Council of Ephesus, where the question argued—the iultitude of the faithful outside, waiting patiently to know the chureh on this subject, yy heard that it was lawful to continue still, as they bad cont nued be- fore, to call Mary the Mother of God, ran through th crowded streets of Ephesus, proclaiming the joyful ne ‘Thus, you perceive, that a doctrine may be true, an may be revealed and as truth, long before it re- ceives the suthoritat anil sanction of the teacher ith, and to ig the faith of in what, therefore, is the difference between our conditicn as Catholics now, and what it was before this cogma was proclaimed’ I will tell you, im brief. Before that time ve believed by individual belief it & sentiment which was familiar in the writings of our predecessors. We find the ardent devotion which trom the earliest times they have manifested towards the blessed Virgin, Because they loved Christ, their Master, they loved bis blessed mother, hardly separating them, with’ this difference, that the one was pure crea- ture, created in time, and the other was a God and man united, But ip the human relations of Christ they pever separated bim from bis mother in that Lola and repulrive sense in which modern attempted to accomplish it. Woe, therefore, beli the Immaculate Conception as a sentiment. was a time when we might be Catholics, because 1 other matters periods theologia: ‘the New Testament, because there had been no authori tive definition of what books should be * We know that St. Augustine be- ved in the Immaculate Conception, for though he had relied much on the doctrine of original rin being univer- sal, he bad al Mother of God.’ . He did not say that she was conceived without sin, because it was not bis province to pronounce a dogms in any autho ritative form ; but he excepted her. She was too sacred to be included in hit theory of universal depravity. And what is ths universal depravity, dearly beloved brethren? You know that it is original sim. You know tbat by the fall of our first ite it was introduced, and ali mankind became tainted. You know that a pol- luted fountain does not give forth pure water. You are avare that in the order or appropriation of maatind from that first pair the parents commumicated to the ebildren their own nature, and they could not communi- cate a higher nature. The guilty parent could not com municate innocence to the being about to be created. ‘Thus original sin passed into a law, and the doctrine of the Catholic church bas always been that the blessed Vi jary, by her merita in the birth of Jeaas Christ, ed to ‘her in anticipation as a qualification high calling, exempted from that common law. We are cleansed, by the of God, original sin in baptism. t ts the grace of God which cleanseth us from that original ‘taint of guilt. ‘She, in the very moment of her concep- tion, by the grace of God, was sanctified without ba tiem, im ber mother’s womb. Mary, according to jefined and universal faith of every Catholic heart, ne- ver had contracted the slightest stain, the slightest blemish, eitker of original or of natural sin. And, in fact, dearly beloved brethren, though this be called Catholic doctrine, if there were among those who are separated trom the Catholic church any, who believe really—not by mere common parlance —but believe really, the divinity of Jesus Christ, they should as a matter of course admit—they would be by their own reason com- Ned to aémit—the Immaculate Covception of the ested Mother Log andere vere Ponce howd Dlessed Virgin Mary; because he was thus ministered to under the overshadowing of the Holy Ghont, and because it would be an incongruity and an indignity to suppose that he would take flesh of a being who had been at any time, at any period, in her co afterwards, under the dominion of sin dominion Of the devil, And this would hav had it been otherwise. She could never have been the Mother of God had she been, not one by Hix divine grace and power from the stain of original a but one ransomed, one who had been the slave of the devil by original sip, but who was now emancipated and resened, an qualifed as an emancipated slave to be- ceme the Mother of “the word made flesh.’ thing! The Catholic heart never believed that. Always and everywhere the sentiment of the Immaculate Con- ception ‘a to the very nature of the Christian faith. As a matter of course, it was a consequence necessary from the belief in the Incarnation. This sentiment always existed, and would have existed, though it had not received this authoritative sanction, It was the universal faith, the universal belief through- ‘out the Catholic world, and of ages and ages since the commencement of the chursh. What was the nature of our faith then ’ Our faith then was a kind of principle Our faith in this matter was as is the faith of those who tinciple of infallible authorit; thowe outside the Catholic church. He believes in a great a our doctrines, in the Trinity, the Incarnation, and maay other tenets which are dogmatic in the Cathelic church. But how does he believe them’ He believes them because he reasons them out bimself—because there is a certain religion head of which these form ingredients He believes them thus, and calls that fe 4 that in the bighest degree of faith be cam have. But when an infailible teacher, an infallible Page mond of what is true, Ce authority to ia then becomes rei ad is not faith for one, but for all. Wit hat sathority we may believe « dogma, but laa; 80 8 do not recognize the Let me speak of one of we uthorit, impose itom any one ¢ bad po authorit; jore to teach 7 thoritative sense. It was sentiment. But has happened? It bas bappened that that been universally believed in by the whole Catholic church from the bas received the sanction— of what’ of the ehurch—of the Supreme Pastor of that ebure! him who is the vice it of Christ in determining trath—of the Vicar of Ci ot the one whom Christ commanded us to believe—of the one Minister of whom He said) “He that hears you bears me, and be that des you ma. Who then, is it that teaches this doctrine? It is the Son of God. How does he teach it’—verbally’ Itmay have been to while be was on the earth but now he teaches it, or rather be has always taught it, a4 an element in the faith iteelf, imbuing the convictions and feelings of every be Heving teart, Thus it has been taught. And now this truth, so authorized by the shurch, bas become a dogma of the Catholic faith, namely, that by the merits of eerie et by a ingle ocean in toe fret fnstan er conception, ¢xem evergiorious Mary from the teint of nal That is the new theory. That it is which is subject of joy, not that ft increases for a moment our faith, but - fies our faith. You believed before because you Its not | We rejoice that passers nev eniee J in raised. There daughter was as pure in ber conception and in her nature as if ahe had been the first-born before the fall of our been a child of their innocence, the difference thet then she would have been pure and immaculate by pature; but now she is, by the grace aad by the preroga- tive of God. Look on her then, sgt watel> her footsteps slong the humble carees of her life, free trom taint of sin in binth, in life, or in death, She was the creature of God, as you are. She was not divine. She was human’; but she was qualified for divinity, aad was chosen ell the daughters of the eat ‘This bumenity, therefore, is not #il bed or irreleemable ‘There is at least one exception, These is that pure bright lity undefiled; there is tha? one who has been fitly described by so many epithets“and compartyons in the writicgs of the ancient fathers; there 4 one on whom while fixing your eyes you behold the point from which the man who would, elevate humavity rust take hig departure. Rejoice, therefore, dearly brethren, on this cceanion, Let the palms in your hand be at once the commemoration of the journey of our Saviour to Jerusalem, and of this Fi triumph after 1,800 ifted up. Sums cores, if abe had years. Lot your hearts be et there” be no depression asc of the enmity and assaults of — the world. them you know what you are; and you know that ‘ou were not what you are, yow would not be assailed, t your hearts be lifted up to God. Let them rejolee in a tender, holy joy; and give thanks for Hiv infinite mercies. And may ‘we be by grace preserved from the ruin which original sin brought on the whole hu- man race; and may we live here exempt, trem every stain and’ defilement which have descended to us from our first parents. Lat to-day be held sacred, Let the Sth of December be called for memy centuries te come the Anniversary of the Immaculaié Conception. Lat it be fixed in your minds. And formysell commemorate it both in testimony of the evént, and of my joy at being present at the Council, and in gratitude for many favors. and for the extreordinary protection which | bave received—and I have no doubt, frony the all powerful intercession of the blowsed Virgin Mary. C he happiness to commemse & monument to glory of God and his church, and to ‘ation of the events which have so rv. cen\\y transpired, and of the Catboite ideas which [ have endeavored thas to communicate. Aitor the sermon was ended, the mnes was resumed — many persona haviog meanwhile lefi'the church; and the ceremonies baving cloned, the Arehbishop gave hi benediction, and the congregation dispersed. The Oyer and Terminer. THE PRISONERS TO BE TRIED. The April term of the Oyer and Terminer opens to-day, and the Hon. E. P. Cowles, lately appointed by the Gover- nor to fill the unexpized term oceasicned by the (eth of Judge Edwards, wil preside. The calendar ts anu- sually heavy; one man in charged with arson in the first degree, and seventeen ax principals in nine different murders. We sabjoin the following likt — ‘Ihe People vs. Moves Myer, charged with arson in the first de gr ‘The Same vs. William Eberle, charged witih murder. The Bame vs. William Scharflenberg, charged with murder. The Same va. James Ryari and Justen Patten, charged with murde Peter M. Lawson, charged with murder, @ Allee, chat with murder. , charged with murd Same vs. Joseph Hall, charged with murder, ‘The Same va. Ana Maria Doichey, charged with the murder ot her child, ihe Same vs. Lewis Baker, James Turner, Patrick Mo- Laugblin, John Hyler, Cornelius Linn, Charles Van Pelt, John Morrissey and James Irving, chargea with mur- Ger. Owing to this great press of business it is probable that the trial of those charged with the murder of Win. Poole will not be brought on this term, We trust itunay turn out otherwise, The following is a brief description of the different prisoners mentioned above, and a aketelr of the crimes with which they stand accused:— MOSES MYER in indicted for arson in the firat degree. About seven o'clock on the evening of the 34 of November, 1864, a fire was discovered iu the grocery store of tne prisoner, No, 505 Grand street, but was soon extinguished by the ice of the Seventh and Thirteenth wards. The fo! wing suspicious facts are charged agains! Myers in connection with is fire. It in said that a fire oo curred in the same store on the sunday night previous, under cireumstances which created at that tine a great deal of suspicion, The fire on Sunday night burnt « hole through the floor by « partition, and on the se- cond occasion it occurred bebind the counter, under the shelving. A strong smell of camphene, or burning fluid, waa noticed by the police and neighbors at the time of putting out the fire on this last occasion. In addition to these circumstances, there was.an insurance of $1,500 on the stock, in tue Reliance Fire Insurance Company, and $500 on household furniture, when in fact there did not appear to be stock and furniture in the premises to the amount of $500. WILLIAM EBERLE. William Pberte, accused of the murder of John Gilfoy, by firearms, on the 12th of October last, in a German by birth, of light complexion, and is about thirty-five years ot age. It is alleged that Eberle and Gilfoy were workmen together in a cabinet manufactory in Fifty- fourth street, and that the former, about nine o'clock in the evening of the day in question, (under the im hago that his fellow-laborer had represented him to the bows as m bad workman,) took a double-barrelled gun, and, while Gilfoy was walking in Ninth avenas, came bebind and fired at him. The man instantly fell. Eberle, it is stated, ran away, and wan seen thus by seve. ral witnesses. Gilfoy died from the effect of the wounds he received two days after, and the Coroner's jury, at the inquest on the body, returned a verdict of wilful murder agai net Eberle. WILLIAM SCHARPFENDURG. ‘This prisoner, under an inaictment for the murder of Helens Myer, tx a Swede—a sailor by profesrion—and about twenty-five years of age. It seems that he was attached to Helena Myer, « young German girl, boasting of fair face, bright eyes, and frail virtue, Helena was in a dancing house in Washington street on tho night of the ith of September, flirting desperately with » a legion of lovers Unfortunately, Scharffen his appearance, at an unlucky moment when his mis trons was reclining on a sofa with two or three adoring about ber. became jealous, and her eaprice and neglect of himself roused his parsiona to a pitch of fury beyond his control. Without giving any warniag of hi intentions, and before his design could be frustrated, he drew a dirk knife and stabbed bia victim, inflicting a wound {rom which she expired the next day. JAMES RYAN AND JUSTEN PATTEN. James Ryan and Justen Patten, two youths of be: 17 and 10 years of age, the former an Irishman, aod the latter, we believe, an American, are jointly indicted for the murder of Jamen Cahill, « policeman. It in alleged that the prisoners, about one o'clock on the morning of the 29th of September last, burglariously entered « ba ker’s sbop, in Ninth street, near avenue C, The owner, who was in bed, hearing a noise, got up and went ‘had instantly turned and fled. shouting watch, and officer Cahill, hearing his 1d seeing the men running, chased thera a« far avenue Band Tenth street. Here it is fired at him three severa) times with near the on to ® tree box ties came up, expired. The mur Past ing about 6 o'clock in the Parade Ground. Nothing was found about their persone to voplicate them in the crime: and the main point in ther trial will doubtless be their identity with the burglars se staire, The burglars, after one at bim, ala: of the heart. The policeman h he stood until PETER M. DAWEON. This prisoner isa Swedish sailor, of about twenty veveo years of age. He is charged with murdering Je, 8 Nongeboreman, on the 17th of December er the following circumstance —They were both ins porter house in Washington street, drinking together, when words parsed between them about some tride, that Coally terminated ins determined quarrel It in aileged that Law, caught O'Neal by the back of the neck, bent him over, and rane dirk knite into his body, seer the epine. | Internal hermorehage ensued and the wounded mam died the next moruing. The privoner Was arrested on the spot by the First werd police. EDWARD ALLEN, A boy wome sixteen years of age, is charged with the murder of Patrick Quine, Qainm, it is state! was walking (2 Anthony street, near Centre, om (he moro ment, aod, maki knife’ ones of twice into bis bedy, The mam died to days afterwards, and the prironer was arrested om the spot where the crime was committed TERENCE 4 AMMILI. lean Irishman, sboat 45 years of age He hae workat In 0 bouded werehooss, sad ap to the commission of Ube offence, though indelgieg often the first and the I ‘the prerogative, Ss ‘eat, etornity—the Ere ee, bo ° prea tate wen is Terhalion cecrption, their ate I propose to | tT weilte Ss have borne the character of an honest man, He is charged with murdeving hie wife by wounds and bruises, on the Ist of January 1865, He lived ia 32 Trinity plaice, and, it is |, come home drunk on the day in que, bm ay bie wife there kicked and beat her to death. A manin company with Hammill, and who was arrested aa a witness, went in search of « policeman, and when he returned the woman was dead, and the floor covered with her blood. The now in the prisoner, Tombs, presents » picture of the extreme of misery and despair. JOSEPH HALL fy, we believe, an American, about 35 years of age, and is cherged with the marderof William O'Brien, with o pistol, on the lat of January Inet, The prisoner had pre- viously beon iu California, antt ft is wapposed nad bees much’affected by thé delupiow of spiritual rappiags and manifestations, The déceased and the prisoner, both about the same, age, were becom friends, living sud Doarding together. They were im » drinking saloon oa ‘fhe day in question, end, It seem, » quarrel took place uta dollar bill thet O’Briew had found. ranted half, but the other aid a0; be would give Hall then became very. B tevolver, ami pointing it sf O’Briem exclaimed, “Six shillings or nothing. Noveply being given he fired. O’Briem fell, and while on thé ground his quondam friend fred ja twice Two builets were lod iw the cirb ns mel Hall thea, mupposing he had killed his associate, fired another abot at his own throat, wounding himself severely, severtag carotid artery and 1a: He aldo fell, was arrested, tiary Horpital on Blackwi to hear of the fate of O’Brien, who, after being, 0d, removed to the New York Haspital, where he of the fourthday, The defence set up by the prisomer'é counsel in this case is insanity. LEWI8 BARR, The personal appearance of Lewin Baker, who stands changed aaa principal in the murder of William Poole, is by this time very well known tothe public. is in apy way that gentleman's awbition, bis wish must have been amply gratified, He in about five fost ten inches high, strovgly built, large head, blue eyes, and tight eurliag brown hair. Baker wax born fo this soun try, but is of Welsh descent, and han been a resident of New Yok. His occupations during life have been varied. At one timoa sailor, he deserted froma whaleship at ‘the Sand wich Islands, and came home in a man-of-war, About five years age he obtained the appoiutment of policemair, and was detailed to protect emigrants against runners, He continued in the department until r five weeks previous to the Stanwix Hell A when he was suspended on account of @ piatol fight that he ana Turner had with Tom Hyer, in Dick Vlatt’s saloon, under Watlacls’s theatre. During the latter p of hin career, Baker wow, im all respects, a fighting m: After Poole war shot, Baker (who was not wounded 40 severely an to provent bis travelling) went ‘to Johno; Lymg’s saloon, at the corner of Canal street aa Broadway, where he remained concealed ‘durin the nearch of the police, Theace, It in all he departed im company with Councilman Kerrigan, Daniel Linn, one of the kightl ward police, Harvey Young, aod George urns, Ho was afterwards seom-at Fatty Florence's public house at Macomb’s dam, where be was conceal It is supposed that on the second might he was tak close carriage and ouse of one Brady in Klizabeth street, where he remained a few days; that, under the disguise of a milkman, he escaped from thence to Jersey City, wherehe was traced by Judge Stuart, but succeeded in getting away in the nick of time The Inst fact known in Baker's history, in hin taking a pas- in the Isabella Jewett wad setting aati for the Oanu- Whetber he will be ultimately ceptured by who are now in pursuit of him remains to-be seen. ‘Their success can scareely be deemed probable, PATRIOK M’LAUGILIN. Patrick McLaughlin, olian Pandeen, ia of Irish parents, but born, according to bin own atatement, at Cohors Falls, He is now 24 years of age, Me neem to have practised it mach, His character in aid ve been bad previoas to his going to Califoraia, in and since his retarn it has not improved, Many brutal assaults are laid to bis eharge. In hia examina tion before the Coroner in relation to the charge preter- red ageinet bim, Mclangbito ptated: ‘I was not in Stan- wix Hail at the time the shooting was going on; | was on the sidewalk.’ JAMES TURNER. James Turner is now about thirty years of age. He ia the man who, it ts said, shot himself in the arm while taking aim at Poole, He was born in New York, apd went to New Orleans to learn the cooper’s trade, He subsequently left that eity for San Francisco, where, it in paid, be belonged to the A. BU. Club .and became somewhat notorious. Some time after hia rotur New York he had an afiray with Tom H, of which have already appeared befure the publ ner was a0 india} {rota the effects of his Corover Hilton did not think it pra: amination with the others still, necessity for the amputation of hin stated, he has since almost recovered, JOHN MORKISSEY. Morrissey was born in Irelond, and is twenty-four years of uge. He came to this country, when an infant with bis frends, who settled in Troy, He is over xix feet in height, powerfully built, and of dark complexion, eyen and bair, He was once engaged in steamboating on the Hudson, and subsequently as an emigrant run ner. He also went to California, and seems to have re turned from thence with the character of a fighting man. He has bad several ring fights, and hax been When the Stanwix Hall t bling and dri ‘the He! f the present when Poole was shot. JAMBA IRVING. James Irving is butcher by trade, and in said to be doing & good business, Though nota remarkable ight er himeelf, be assoc! with men of thatclass, backs them up, and seems ambitious of being eopsidersd one of their number, Irving bas been ao active soft shell Gemocrat. (HYLER, LIKN AND VAN P John Hyler, Cornelive Li and Charles Van Pelt are alo indicted as principals for the murder of Poole. Hy- ler ina tall, thin, gentlemanly looking man, of light com plexion, between 20 amd 36 years of age. He lived over Stanwix Hall at the time the affair took place. Linn ia hort, slender young man, twenty years of age, with dark bi apd face. He was born in New York lives at 07 Chariton street and is a jeweller by trade. ‘aniel Linn, the policeman, who is H e with aiding Baker in hin escape, Van Pelt i ceubee By eccupation, (= 31 years of age, ant lived 3 Bléridge street. He was not in Staowix Hall when any of the shots were fired Political Intelligence ELECTION IN CONNBOTICUT, To-day will take place the annual State election io Connecticut, and there are to be chosen State officers, Congressmen, and members of the Legislature. Four tickets are in the field tor all except the Representatives to Congress, the whiga having adopted the nominees of the American party on the Congressional ticket. The are the candidates for the various State offices re was never any rm, as Las been Sy ing hous in Lao- jon. He was not h party — Demorrat Amrva Gercerntn Samuel Ingham, William T. Miner Lieut, Go John T. Wait, Wiliam Foett Mereary.. Roger Averrill, — N. D. Sperry Treasurer {[Taleott Crosby, A. B. Caler Comptroller . Thoms Cowles, Alexander Meerfll Whig Fre Gunerwen ... Heary Dutton, — enry Dutton Lieut. Gavernor,. hex A Molly, William b+ Secrdary Oliver Hi. Perry, Daniel Ly ove Treawrer Daniel W. Camp, Arnos Tor asead, Jr Comptroller. John Dunham, Hollin 1. terever The temperance party have nvi nominated » ‘icket, but will probably vote for Mr. Dutton, the wai and free roll nominee. The following are the candidates for Congress Diet Demeerot. 4 « Ist... James T. Prat Vera Clark, Jr “ Hamue) Arnold, 46 one Weodraft, od a Joel W. White micney Depn 4th ..., Welliaan A. Noble Wilkes W, Weie WiLA® APPLETON. lve te Congress from ne This gentleman ex Mepreseat the Fifth district of Maseachusette, has declined the honor of « public dinner ‘endered him by & number of influential citivens of Boston, THE TOWN ELRCTION IN PORT JRRVIB, W. 1. Pour Jaxvm, March 2 70 THF EDTROR OF The WER Att, our repert it thin 5 ‘inion matin piney be jorities ranging from sinety to ove hondred amd thirty By correcting the mistake, you wili confer s fever om ont many pateom and friends. Tar Garees Cane—Jodge Lea, of the Becood Dietriet Court, yexterday gave bis decision ope the ap pleation for 's mew trial iw this case. The trial la re faced, o@ the gavund that the kno: of s witenes of the headwriteg and signstere of on ie will, by the reqeirereate of cur cote, shoals ot rom having often seen the decease! write ant wien turing Wels Wifeteme «The court euchede: all witnesere whe t+ rive their seformatice from clurt myarcm — NO e a If notoriety | | | PRICE TWO CENTS. AFFAIRS OF CUBA. IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE FROM MADRID. THE CONCHA VERSION OF THE CUBAN PLOT. The Captain-ceneral’s Private Opinion of Spanish Prospects in (hat Quarter. Whe Dspartero Ministry Shaking im the Wind. Great Military Preparations Making by Spain. Outrages upon American Consuls at 8a- gus la Grande, Cubs. OUR HAVAMA CORRMSRONDENWCE, he, dee, ho. THE NEWS FROMSPAIN. DETA I OF THE CURAN CONSPIRACY —CONCT.A'S COr- FIDONTIAL DESPATCURS ON THE STATE OF Tom IKLAND. ‘The Madrid correapomieat of the London 1Vines, date of Mared 4, writen as foli To-day's papers contain corerpondence from the x yanna, with details of the late conspirac kk which ap pears to have been very well combined, ‘lhe chief plot ter in stated to have been a Catalan, af thename of Pinto. The afair was to have come olf on Lhe Lith, and Concha war to have been shot, atthe tla ratre, frome box opporite te bis own. ‘The gas wae tea ‘to have been put out,famd the shout of “Indepeude aoe!’ raised. ‘The consyiracy had extended ramifications, ant reek- onel on the cooperation of the flibustes ( from the United States, There was a-oontral cluly wit b tranchee in the provinces, The rebele had sbuistacs ce of arma and ammunition, including artillery. One or respoudemt nays that the plot had been golmg on for alevy n months. If tins be true the secret was wi folly well | cept. Pinte was the founder and director of the Lyceum ub, where the conspirators ret, under pretext of playin tat cards and Diluiarda, and there a quantity of payers we re noted, written in cipher, the key to whieh has ah covered. By railway anumber of negrom were to betals m to the Havanna, avd thegeame meacw of conveyena was to serve for the pirates expected to land Yous ill, how ever, bave received details of the affair ye shorter ‘han that of Madrid, The disposition of the + xsellent. It was thought that the filibnste rs, um of the failure of their confederates, would & tlempe A landing, Ono sceoont states their numbory =| 2,000 or 4,000. Thetr discomfiture in considered rertain The first imtimation that something vowsnal was ante \pated was conveyed to thé inhabitants by the arrivel at the Havanns of two Eogliah men-of-war, the wand -umoe- were coming, the departure iot « and the movement ted ado the persone a. rector of the rail one Cadalso. who, it is anid, wa left for the inter to various pointe of the coast: and ail the trope were ready to mareh at two hours’ notice, with throw aya’ government has received com@dential commanica tions from General Concha with reepeet to the atate of the island of Cuba, whieh in evidently such aa to taapiew neral with considerable upeasinvess al fidentiy trusts to wurmowat all diffi suitien, erpecially if the Mimisters and the Cortes attea ite his suggestions with the line of evlonial polecy te observed considers elatwe and Cuba to be very mimilar to that of ‘ioe ate nada In 1837. and wishes the example of bagiandte be sions to be made to the; colony. 0 Omron, Joncha is waing hia very at- hil cont to do #0, to prevent not to be governed & garrison of 20,000 mow will be found ail insufficient to preserve it lo Spaia, if the Inbabitants ben In & postacript to the above, dated at half.past five om the ofternoon of the Sth, the same writer aay In to day's Cortes the discussion om the lar of Seuore Vale ad suspended, in order reatios with reepect to the atrietly observed, for the the greatest past of the ‘dite ity relating to Cubs arose frow that subject. Senor longa proposed = vote of tistaction with the explanations of th ramen, ‘the Cha mber unani ely agreed to it The dis ot the roto for a singla Chamber war resumed Luzuriaga opposed it, and itwaa rejected by 183 against 101. The Chamber then rv The Madrid correspondence of the'Varis Cons \tilignnar® given an exactly similar version of the tevor of Gesera® 3 Concha’s confidential despateben to the Bpanish govern J ment, and adds the following in referouce to the Spewiding loan — Several Fremch and English houses have mate b loan oneot them ( of real prope 4 inh) offers nance received proporals from lahtt French house. Nothing had been decided oo the sud ject up to that date, tn the eounril of ministers. MILITARY PREPARATIONS FOR THE URYENCR Gr cunA. A telegraphic despatch from Madrid, in the JmwrnaGs dog Dr bats, gives, under Gate of March 6, the fo lowing given for the immediate embarked om battauion of infamtry for Cubs. By the let of May 5.000 men aio destined for Cubs, are to be ae aBpanish porte. The army of thet to be carrie’ to 90,000 men A coumw | of Ministers was held last night, on the subject of fw affairs, but nothing has been suffered to tranepine, The Patric says We have letters from Havana, which stale i at the Suthorities there bave adopted extragrdiiaary m™@ squres of precaution against the aggression of the | jirsiea, which seems imminent The entire ulend Mt) beow mp Te blockade of the ew sate sbips of the Spanish marine has bern prow ules the moviliration of the maval companies © . decreed, and an apyenl wade to the Mpaniarde ~ the two hemslephoves, to invite them to incorporate thee jeniven im volunteer battalions, which are te be formed & . Havema, the interior of the isiend. This! appeal haw ly responded to, and the buresut + if immerip rdly been able to enter down the t ames fest soough. The greater portion of the regaise troops will be directed e pon the pe menses? oe Ut volumtenrs being left the charge of defending lile and property a6 Havanese ’ GENERAL CONCHA'® VERSION OF THE © rnePrRACY The private temgraph (ageme hervor) of ates te be Paris journals, wade the same date, (¥ arch 4.) the following authentic details of the conspireey init before the Coune!| of Minuwtere at Madrid by M. lWietling — For slong time past General Concha bad « presenti ment of the conspiracy, from the neraetine tion of the man who bed taken Leper (Castaneda) and the abortion plot of Raracos. The length rucetesel in ue revelling the thread of it, aed it sppears from the de elarations made snd the papens eines thal Uke the racy bad existed before thee code, 3 the inlaw’ thet the eorrepirstor. bat templated In With an expedition which was to leave tly) (milled States under the orders of General Quitmas, aoompeaiol by Henderson and Kinney, Take expedition, Yea st ite dle fo four large slenmers— Cis Iau pra, wheels was to amid ‘rom Galveston, Texas twith men tee imniel Web ter and the Prometheus, which were to leave Havammah With equal ferees, and the remainder, te the egmber af 5,00 men, were \o wave Kew York ip the Massacha vette. Tie lant renal hae boom detaisied by (he Ammert. eon authorities, in virtee of & demrart te (he! effect mate by the Bpamith Comrol The evasp raters deferred the execution of thele plam, im order to wert the ineus of Mr Seule’s mission On the decision of the reeults of that mission (he ox petition ens te Gepart immetiately fo Cobe in order to seppert t, armed bodies were orpeninet Y the ivland with re ined chiets thay were im vorh a monner thet in « given time of two or three days theee bands cows tart from pointe agreed apre ‘The American Alibusters had surcrmted im deceiving the vigilance of the prers ant of our cameule in the United Ptater by [ane — yd ramon hal they were shout 0 proceed to Coote 5 be conspiracy having hewn Oacovered, the ( Genera) conewatretes all the farce: of the island vaes aod at Las Tunes, after leaving efective in the towns of Mantings de Cube sod Puerts jonmt mewt me weced— ~wen alee trowpe of ene ia grter to were ry ate of * omen sof Geloae emigrants, whe hel bene bronget te we by Oe Feijoo betompyer Coapeoy the we ‘— pay t .