The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-04
Friday Morning, August 4, 1865.


[Frcm the Montreal Daily Witness.]
THE CANADIAN CATHOLICS AND
THE UNITED STATES.
Amongst the modern champions Of Roman
ism. none probably is more talented, more
universally respected, and wields so great po-
litical influence as the celebrated Count OF
Montale1nbert. but, although in former days
an apologist of Ultra-montanism, the Count,
as he grows old has given more and more evil
dence of his love for constitutional liberty, and
has thereby lost much in the admiration of his
papal friends. Quite recently he has gone fur
fher still, and shocked their nerves by the pub
lication of a pamphlet on "The Victory OF
the North in the United States" in which he
has taken decided ground against the cause OF
the South, and bids the friends of freedom in
France. and throughout the world, thank God
for the success of the Federals, which he calls
"the triumph of legitimate power over an in
excusable rebellion, of justice over iniquity, of
truth over falsehood, ofliberty over slavery"
Mr.. De Montalembert has ever been held in
high estimation by our French Canadian
Catholics and their press, his addresses, politi-
cal and religious, being often reproduced here
and much admired but his deVout praise to
God for the triumph of the United States is
thing which our Ultramontanes cannot en-
dure. They have all along warmly espoused
the cause Of the Southern rebels, and have
Systematically, assisted by the clergy, SANDER
ed cur Northern neighbors, and now 1t seems
to them intolerable that the greatest and most
eloquent French Catholic layman should con-
denim their course, and enthusiastically all
mire those they have so relentlessly vituper-
ated. The Courier du Canada has therefore
entered the lists against the Count, and begun
the publication of a series Of articles, the pur-
pose of which is to show that, after all, there's
not more degraded people than the North
ern Americans, o more loathsome nation than
this @putrefying corpse" nor more detesta-
BILE cause than thu. one which has just gained
the victory. On the other hand, LIE Defrich-
elr and lie PGys, without letting themselves
into the controversy, are giving the best an
swer to the ultramontane ISLANDERS, by publish
ing in full, and by instalments, the pamphlet
of Mr.. De Montalembert, SO that French Ca
nadians can hear both sides.
The unfriendly feeling which the Catholic
clergy of Canada and their organs have dis
played towards the United States during the
national struggle, and the sympathy evinced
towards the rebellion of the shareholders, is a
matter of notoriety. The return of peace and
fhe triumph of the North have had no effect in
moJerating these expressions of antipathy.-
On the contrary, the defeat OF their friends
to have only embittered Canadian Ultramon-
tanes. and their tone is more defiant and
irritating than ever.
L
lent and fanatic hatred, evinced now more
than ever by Canadian Ultramontanism for
the Americans and their government 1t would
be found, perhaps, in the bitter disappointment
which must be felt in Rome at the reconcllia-
tion of North and South. The United States
were great Protestant country, tullof ultra
liberal notions, and very aggressive against
Romanism. 1t was evidently best for Papal
interests to have this heretical and dangerous
power permanently broken up and paralyzed
by civil war. But now this pious hope is DOOM
ed for ever.
Another circumstance which may partially
exnlain The increased irritation at present felt
by the Catholic clergy of Canada is the evi-
dent fact that they have sustained serious
defeat at home by the victory OF the North
The return ofpeace bereaves them OF a youth
full. promising, and enterprising portion of
their flock. The French Canadian emigra-
tion to the States, which nothing will stem,
proceeds at an alarming rate, and is secular
impulse which completely undoes the religious
crusade for a national colonization OF the
wilds of Lower Canada under the auspices OF
the priests. Moreover, this irresistible run
ming away of the people from the immediate
supervision and control of their pastors is tc
the latter nothing less than moral defeat
Inspired by pastoral letters from the bishops,
the pulpits had warned the people of the sin
of emf grafton to the United States. The at
fractions of the latter are every day proving
more potent than the injmctions of the
Church. Hence the language of disappoint-
ment, anger, and curse against the victorious
neighbor. After overcoming by the strong
arm the enemies of the South, he is obtaining
peaceful victory over Canadian hierarchy
not accustomed to brook quietly humiliation.
If some allowance should be made for the ex-
asperation of language natural to recently de-
feated parties, certainly both the Southern
chivalry and the Canadian hierarchy are en-
tis,ed to it; and there is no wonder they should
express extrayagant feelings of hatred toward
victorious enemy, common to both.