The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-27
The Catholic Telegraph on the New
York Riots. t


York Riots.
From the Catholic Telegraph, July 22d.
We take it for granted that our read
ers have received full accounts of the
fearful scenes which took place last week
in the city of New York. Murderers,
thieves and rioters of every class have
had control for days of the metropolis,
and the laws, the municipal authorities,
and the General Government have been
de6ed and dishonored We do not in
tend to refer now to what has taken place,
but TO the causes which have produced
such disreputable effect.
How has the>riot been set in motion ?
Who are the instigalers ? Who are the
cunning but cowardly conspirators who
have misled and inhamed the poor work
ing men, and whilst they kept secretly
within doors, have sent forth their dupes
into the public streets to commit murder2
On VIII Sc sou is the guilt? On whose
hands is the blood of the slaughtered
| We have a right to inquire, because,
people of various nativity were engaged,
| yet many of ..our Catholic countrymen
have lost their lives Who were the po-
iitical leaders in New York by whom
they were seduced into instruction
against the constituted authorities
In the great anxiety to keep religion
and politics apart, which, with dema-
gogues, is very important matter, an
extreme has been reached, so that many
persons think they may do what they
please in the political arena without be-
ing amenable to the laws of the Church.
They have made the political field free
ground for themselves, Ihedged it in with
care and set their sentinels along its
lines to see that no one should enter
| whose conscience was not hardened
| against any ecclesiastical counsel. In
this way they have effected total sepa-
ration between the great dogmas of Faith
and the rules which shoul6fegulate their
action in one of the most important de-
partments of life they have ignored the
intimac5 which should exist between the
Gospel and the social and political action
of the citizen. Hence, for some time
back, a certain class of Catholics has de-
MED the right of the Church to interfere
in the slightest degree with the license of
the politician to say and do what he
pleases We see men on the platform
and through the press advocate princi-
pies subversive of social order, insulting
and threatening ''to the powers that be, i"
and though St Paul may warn and the
Church deprecate their conduct, they
have set both at defiance. They shake
off responsibility when in their political
battlefield, and to them the Gospel is
something or nothing-a rumOr of yes
terday-a twice-told tale which they can
not condescend to notice.
What is the consequence of this evil
teaching-this anxiety to keep the
Church at distance? A class Of men
in whose minds there is no religious
spirit-proud, conceited men, clamoring
to have their own way in all things, ever
ready to insult Bishops, and pouring out
from week to week torrents of defama-
ton on all who do not acknowledge them
as their political leaders or coincide in
their opinions These are the men who
have made liberty cloak for malice"
and drove, as at the point of the bayo-
net, so many of our poor countrymen
into the streets of New York to violate
the laws of the land and suffer in death
the consequence of their error.
The Catholic Church teaches obedi-
!
is one of her most cherished precepts.
1t is the constant theme of her pulpit,
because il is dictated by the Savior and
inspired by the spirit of God. What be-
comes Of family when the children
rise against the parents? What good
can Priest confer on the souls of men
when he defes ecclesiastical authority?
Where re we to look for the spirit of re-
ligion and holy peace when the mob rules
the city-and what are we to think ofthe
men who, claiming to be Catholics and
shouting constantly their profession of
faith in the public ear, are yet working
day and night to exasperate human pas
sion by falsehood and the grossest exag-
geration of political events? Such has
been the fact in tie City of New York.
For months have the pioneers of blood
!. been at work urging the people to crime,
, and all under the hypocritical name of
liberty-of free speech-of personal in
dependence! The heaitIess scamps!
Why did they not go into the streets
themselves and do the assassin work,
and not take advantage of the impetu-
osity of character for which our poor
, countrymen are known, to drive them
, like cattle to the shambles? 1t is against
, these men, these teachers of insubordi-
nation and disobedience, that the blood
which has been shed will cry out to
heaven. In their ears, for many year,
will be the widows moan and the Or
phan's cry Their faith and their works
: correspond Their names will be the
names of criminals, and every Irish Cath
Ole will have reason to remember them
with horror.
Is this time to encourage disorder?
Is this time for the encouragement
, and circulation of newspapers which in
, vite to anarchy? Are you not content
with the amount of blood-Catholic
| blood shed in the streets of New York?
Do you want more-more blood? Is this
the time for the Pastor of souls to utter
treason and sneer at the Government
and to the people who look to him for