Le Louisianais. [volume] (Convent, La.) 1865-1883, 1868-01-04

70 teach wisdom to the Creator, are the worst enc
miss Of The country they profess to serve by their
vile ~efusiors, and the curse of the human race.
Jew, Turk, Pagan. Catholic, and the countless
fragments of frotcstantism4cac and every one Of
these has a theory to which, if he be sincere, he
makes every earthly consideration subordinate and
in defence Of which, he has, time and again. yielded
up home and possessions, and even life itself Mems
practice indeed, do not always accord with their
theories ; bnt the fact that they cling so tenaciously
to the principle of their creed, proves that they deem
religion supreme. and that It is therefore the rule Of
action for man-governing and suhordinating all
things else. 1t must consequently, govern politics:
and as II was revealed to man for the purpose Of
sustaining and perpetuafing the Divine law, and Of
disseminating the plan of Redemption. it can, in no
contingency whatever, be Subjected to any political
theory without virtually denying the sovereignty Of
the Creator.
Now when the author of Noioqne dcfamcs and
dccrys the Catholic religion, he is manifestly either
soliciting the power of the government to suppress
1t, or cxciting. the hatred Of individual Americans
against its followers. In the first case Helper advo-
Gates the abso,ntism of. the State in the other. he
courts social despetism-the ahsolutism Of the indi-
vidual-the certain precursor Of anarchy. In both
or either Of those hypothesis. the old, exploded idea
Of "vox ropuli, vox Del, is revived the will Of
the people is invested with infalihility and the law
Of God, of which Religion is the exponent, is made
to stand aside, when it opposes, or seems to oppose,
State expediency, or curbs popular passion or ca
price.
And thus Helper, whose Book processes to teach
the Governments of the world how to convert their
empires into so many terrestrial p~aradises, stands
forth the champion, at once, Of the anti.christian
doctrine that suhordinates the Divine law to pop,r.
lar prejudice Of the anti social doctrine that hounds
on man to prosecute Ills fellow-man; and Of that in.
tolerant Puritanic spirit that denies Gods creatures
the right OF choosing the form of Religion by which
they shall render homage to their Creator!
One Of the fundamental laws of our government
is. that it can neither prescribe nor prescribe the re-
ligion of the citizen. But if Helpers fendish advice
were followed, the necessary consequence would be
social disorganization man would be at enmity with
man; and a religious war would be inaugurated,
whose results would be immeasurably more dsas-
trous than those Produced by our late political con-
fict. And surely those are sufficiently deplorahle !;
and ought to satisfy the ~malignity of Helper and
such as he, if it does not cover them with eternal
infamy.
But now, suppose that in the madness of the mo-
mcnt, and i~nstigated by the netarious counsels of
such incendiarics as Helper, a popular outbreak
should occur, and violence organized against our
Catholic fellow citizens. as. a few years ago. it was.
under the "know-nothing" regime, it is not to be
supposed that the Catholics would tamely submit.
In all our wars, Catholics took a prominent part
they were found 10 the rank and file and commits
stoned staff of our soldiery; they manned our navies;
they presided at the birth Of our Republic they ex-
plored our rivers, cleared our forests and even dis
covered this very soil from which fanaticism would
now ~ostracize them Is it then at all within the
range of probability that a people with such ante
cedents could or would quietly fold their arms and
see their natural rights as citizens. cxtingnished =
see, without resistance, their religion spat upon,
execrated THAT religion for which their fathers for
nearly two thousand years. have fought and bled
despised alike the Establishments and the fury of
tyrants suffered pains and psnalties-imprison-
ment, exile, death !!
Well then. if they would not tamely suffer indigni-
ty to their religion, or violence to themselves, (and
assuredly theNRwould mott society would be instant
ly disrupted; dissolved its very foundations swept
away All that we have ever heard or conceived OF
demoniac hatred and malice 4+eald be rivalled by
the phrenzy of human passion and no power on
earth, save Religion, could keep our social existence
from total humiliation. The government would be
- inefficient. in such an event. to restrain popular pas
sion for the people are the government, or oueht to
be; and we saw enough during the political vertigo
yclept ACKNOWLEDGMENT, to satisfy us that the
occupation Of high positions gives no security against
popular delusions.
Religion alone then, as it gives form and direction,
and strength, and an ultimate ':end'' to society as to
individuals, can save society from disorder-can
rescue it from anarchy and chaos. But what Rel.
gion7
Not the Protestant religion; for that is Just what
ever the individual or the State chooses to make it;
and therefore it cannot rule or govern, or in any
way restrict the action of its own creator. But the
contrary is the nndeniable fact,-that the protestant
individual shapes and fashions his professionalism to
his own tastes, and makes it subject to his desires,
feelings, or passions. And as individual action is
thus confessedly independent of a religion formed
to individual fancy, so also is I umultuous society ut.
terly beyond its control; for society is but an ag-
'eregation Of individuals.
Now while the Catholic Church respects the in.
volatility Of what are called the Rights of man.,
she also insists on suhjecting their exercise to the law
Of God. She teaches that whether isolated OF living
i" society separately or collectively humanity
must accept the Divine law. and submit every feel
ing, every passion, every emotion, every faculty
reason itself, to its mandates.
Can Professionalism do this Can Professionalism say
to any individual, sYou must obey the Church -
No; because the ready reply is, II am my own
Church., as many good professionals, proud of their
religious independence, say. In fact. the protestant's
INSTRUMENTATION to any religious influence, does but
make him \ better protestant; for thus, he protests
the more.
But. although professionals are, unfortunately, in.
dependent of religious control, Professionalism itself