M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-03-25


when Catholicity in Ireland, like the
sun in meridian, Gazzled Europe ;
when the fatherly hands of the good
old monks distributed religion, edpca-
| tion and charity to all around them,
Like the other Monasteries, the Alb
bey Of Slane serves now to shelter the
dead, and preserve them in consecra-
ted earth till they appear in resrrrec'
ton, " '''''
All the horrid and abominable
means that were adopted to grind to
the earth, and crush forever, our faith.
fnl race, and obliterate every recollec-
tion of our foretathers, render it a
matter Of astonishlpent and thanks.
giving how, through such an ordeal Of
blood and fire, tradition or a record
should reach our day of what our
church and our country once were.
Thanks to once great and glorious
Spain-to France, Of stirring memory
to Germany, and other lands so
often sanctifed by the preaching, the
labors, and the footprints Of our Irish
Saints. Thanks to Heaven, to these
Catholic countries, who, while the
Irish were prescribed, plundered and
hunted to death at home, opened their
arms and received the exiles of our
race welcomed them in a foreign
land I; wiped the tears from their eyes,
and gave them a home, and, as far as
they could, a country. Many Of these
exiles enlisted under the banner that
sheltered them, and carried it tri.
: umphantly through the smoke and
: blood Of a thousand battle fields
Others of these foglorn outcasts carried
with them, from the homes of their
youth, and the land of their love, the
records Of their church, the tradition
and mournful "reminiscences of their
melancholy history, and thus, in the
archives ofthe continent, was preserv.
ed the memory of the old race and the
ancient Church of Ireland. a "..''
But, notwithstandin & this long-con.
tiIued, unfeeling, civil and religious
persecution and oppression, Ireland
still stands erect and uncrushed. Her
spirit dies not-quails not. Her chill.
dren, wherever they 20, bear with
them that character which is emphat.
ically their own-geperous hearts,
respect for laws, untirihg industry and
christian faith. ' speak 0: them in
general. Of course there are excep.
tionS to this rule, as to every other
What portion Of our population shipea
brighter with every private and social
virtue 7 What portion are so little
tainted with the wild excesses and ia.
naticism of the present age ? Where
do YOU find Irishmen carried away
with Mormonism, Millerism, Mesmer.
ism, Vitchcraft, table, turning, spirit.
rapping and negro, o,slayery 2 'Theil
character is always the same; no de-
gree of cold can chill it, no excess O
heat enervate it. Fuse such virtues
into the American character, and
know OF no people on earth that woulC
stand forth on the pages Of history at
once SO dignifed, 50 virtuouS, SO brave
SO ilIustrious.
Without christianity, and conse
quently without supernatural graces
men follow and obey their natural in
stincts. Preach to persons deprived o
those virtues ofthe cross of Christ enc
of penance, Of Purgatory and Of He'll
and you preach to men who have nc
ears to hear; but change your subject
and discourse of spirit worlds, talking
tables, or other blasphemies against
Christ, and you will receive the pAu
dts of millions Of admiring listeners
Now, what does all this portend
Why, plainly enough, that the tend
epcy Of the country is to barbarism
that is, to the rejection Of revealed
and traditionary christianity. Thi'
downward tendency is so direct anc
swift that nothing can check it but {
, powerful opposing force. Thank God
, there exists such force, and it is il
4 full and efficient action--a force tina
t has hitherto driven back all the waves
, Of impiety and irreligion, and com
f PEELED them to retire within the bed
; from which they rolled-a force tina
, no barbarism has ever yet withstool
+ OF ever will Withstand. That force il
5 the power of the Catholic fsith-tha
faith which hath meyer failed, anc
f against which the gates of hell have
f never prevailed! |! that faith which, il
, the presence of its bitterest enemies
boldly avowed, "Thou art the son O
the living God 70 Every nation whicl
, has been rescued from barbarism
J present or impending, has been res
! cued by the timely interposition ofth,
Catholic church. Here, then, lies th
hope the confidence, the strength o
f Americans. 3sr I>,,-
But the instrumepts-the agent
for the work--where are they t
be found9 We shall find then
among the poor and despised !
i. in a word. among the emiorants from