The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-22

| aware of the SYSTEM of outrage and terror
| ism which is now in full swing against the
| Irish people, we must confess the accounts
we have received of tie destruction OF some
/ OF me memorial crosses erected in Irish
| Catholic gr;lveyards, to lneinorize the mar
tyrs Allen, Larkin, and OBrian, aud to. ask
the prayersSOf the faithful for their sonls,
comes on us with surprise. Those acts of
destruction are SO many gross outrages, not
merely on the patriotisla and charity of the
lnsh people. but also on the doctrines of
their religion. They are acts of>desecration
essentially similar to those performed in
Ireland during the reign of Qneen Elizabeth,
and by the sanguinary fanatic Cromwell,
and his followers Those blasphe,nous and
sacfiiegiOus wretches hacked and hewed to
pieces the images of the saints, together
| with crosses and crucffixes wherever they
went; they smashed the costly COMMISSIONERS
erected in Catholic churches aad graveyartls,
whenever the designs and Inscriptions fig
urea upon them gave prominent expression
to the Catholic belief in the communion of
the saints and the efficacy OF the PRAYERS for
the dead. The mutilated fragments of some
OF these emblems remain to this day to fill
our souls with horror of the vile ruffians
who wrecked tl,ern,-; and robbed and perse-
cuted and murdered our Catholic foref;sthers.
But we did think that no one in or out of
" authority would dare to CODY such deeds
atsthis day I'VE had no idea that magistrates
and policemen would attempt to enter the
Catholic graveyards, and in this, our own
time, demolish OF tear from the place crosses
erected to the memory of the dead, and in
serlbed with the Catholic petition for the
souls departed. Yet this shocking outrage
has been committed. We have Letters be-
Tore us from several correspondents, giving
details OF the atrocities. One describes the
demolition OF u memorial cross which had
been erected in the village graveyard Of
Templeorum, county Kilkenny; another,
the preparation of d similar deed near
Rathowen, county Westmealh- The work
OF Dissertation was done in open day, and
with pretense of authority. Can it be
possible, we ask, that these deeds have the
sanction of law Can it he that policemen
and magistrates in this country still have
the power of entering the sacred precincts
of Catholic burial places, and hewing down
the emblems there placed, if the individu--
ais to whose memory and for whose spirit
ual benefit they Were erected did not die in
the good graces of the British government
Does the law direct that the Cross, the en-
blem of Christ's resurrection, and of the
Christians faith and hope, shall be- torn
down and hacked to pieces, if it he set up
whose Aves the British government took
away9 We can hardly believe 1t. And yet
we find that such things are done. The peo-
pie, or those whose rank, position, and abil-
tiles make them the guardians OF public in
terests inthis down-trodden land, should
look to these things, and have the question
tried out, that we may know exactly how
we stand. Small as lis the semblance of
legality now left in this country, we are de-
cidedly in favor of Investigation into the
lawfulness of such acts of dissertation, if
they be repeated. For our own part, We
the protection of the public right in this
matter, and cooperate in any legal effort
to bring the cross breakers to account for
their deeds.-Dublin Nation.