Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-03-14
4alIg GmpIre.
From the Freemans Jou ma. I
An Appeal In the Interests OF
Truth.


The hnbitual readers Of our journal, and
all who know us personally, need not be as.
sured that we will defend no cause, nor any
set OF men, except as the same are innocent
and in the right We have not cared to seru
tirize that proportion OF our readers who do
notproiess the Catholic faith The msiority OF
our enrolled Subscribers are Catholics We
are Catholics ior our souls sake, and in all
our profoundes, convictions. In the Catho.
Z lie faith we find the reason and the assurance
| for our assertions OF political liberty, denied
/ by those bite rest Of anti-Catholics, the Puti-
tRns
lf priests or bishops, or archbiahops Of the
Catholic Church fall into alterations, peculiar
/ opinions, weak compliances to earthly powers,
or personal passions we Join not with them,
nor do we make their apology. History tells
us that no lAyman has ever AvRiled 10 be
/ hereslarch, but that weak eRrthen vessels,
| holding an inestimabe deposit-prissts,
bishops, arehbshops,-are those that have
made shipwrecks Of others With themselves
! Some weeks ago an AbomiRsbls story was
circulated in the papers in regard to q fright
! tul catastrophe at Santiago, in Chill
/ large church there took Gre inside on occa-
sion of religious celebration, and fearful
number Of women we're burned to death or
soffocated Through Eoglsh and Yankee
correspondents, and by Valparaiso paper,
/ published by vagrant neither OF the people
nor the religion of the ChiliRns, distorted &C.
counts, imputing inhumAp conduct TO the
/ clergy OF that church, were sent abroad We
deeply regretted 10 find in so many Of our eK-
changes that have learned to distrust reports
made in the interest of sboitionism, willing
reception and reproduction Of this seandAl, as
| il it were matter Of feet
Have we not learned, by the systematic
lying Of the Puritan papers, that fAlsehood
! flies with the wings Of bird, aud that truth,
shut up in q tortoise SHE'LL creeps after il,
without ever overtAkingit .
When we first read the exaggerated aud
wrought up reports, we said n these columns,
that the story was overdone, because tho
priests OF that church, whatever their char ac-
ter, we're at least human, and that, as their
relatives and near friends were in the crowd.
it was not possible that they busted them
selves with saving old benches and chains
while their kindred were in danger Of life
i We new, ut length, through the seeply
channels Of truth, have the following facts,
in regard to the catastrophe.
There were, in that church, at the time
I just two priesis-no mors---ihey we're not
Jesuits-nO members Of that illustriOus Or
der are at Santiago OF these two priests,
ore hsd two Of his sisters present who lost
their lives His emotions we're such as 10
overpower him, and he was carried out iu.
sensibel The other priest wholly unable TO
offer any physical assistance in such an over
T poweriug calamity, did, what may seem very
foolish or useess 20 people not Catholic, bot
the highest boon, in Catholic estimation, that
be yosld confer. He stood, among the fall.
ing cinders and the gathering smoke and
"a nd uitnrad tho Svardg Of .Inh
solu ion aloud--so that any peuitent present,
wiling 10 coufess her sins, aud sincerely sor.
Tor them, iRbt be- assured, as her CAtbo.
lc education had taught her that her will was
accepted for lis performance, thar one to
whom Christ had said whatsoever ys shall
Loose on earth shall be loosed also ia hes-
ven, had said over her
"The Ahsolyng words,
To eass a troubled hrsSst."
The other calumnes heaped on the clergy
Of this church were equally rulhiess The
Sacristy door was not closed Numbers did
escape by it. but, in panic, the crowd rushed,
as usual, all one way The "Letter-box for
the Blessed Virgin, was dragged into this
event having nothing to do with it, In Any
church in New York where the Confraterpity
OF the Immaculate Conception is celebrated.
the same thing NAV be publicly heard Some
good woman petitions for prayers Tor a do.
bauehed husband Some mothers for u do.
luded daughter. some sister for besuiIed
brother. Names are not mentioned, bat The
prayers Of the faithful are asked. and gained
for the object, These are pious, and N, ritori-
Gus acts Why drag them from the Sane
; tuary where they belong, TO the arena of the
newspaper, where they must be misunder-
stood2 Why OH 10 satisfy the same in
satiAble thirst for meddling, that We complain
of in tbs Puritausl
, Finally, and IS the only matter on which to
hibge charge Of complaint, the parAphernG
; la Of the illumiusti0n was committed 10 a
professional artist 10 such matters. Az To-
4 this, we say nothing Ss 10 the past. That 'sar
tist' is already ruined ia Chilli Hui, there
are other buildings besides churches, in this
city on which, when crowded, We have looked
with the impression that few present knew
the risk they run in being in the GhronR
! There are artist" who build edifeps in New
! York. that, some day, will tumble about the
, ears of giddy throng-who have no, been
A saying their prayers
. Do We ask too much of our gallant and
truth-loviog Democratic exchanges. Who, Ia
4 part or ia whole, have copied the cRlumuies al
partisan aud Yankee correspondents ia re-
y gard 10 this matter, to publish At least tbus
much for truths sake, that; The colorina
that was given 10 the melAncholy catastrophs
} by the baFning Of church at Santiago, Chill
50 far as irehee,s on the clergy ofihai church
Is simply on a par with the reports We hear
= through Lincolns dispatches in regard /,
army demonstrations. Truth coming alopy