The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-05-17

SUNDAY, MAY IL, 1868.
Opposes 81 fedscves such restraints and re-
stores tho liberty necessary "a. progressf
y y estdeht thSat naan,s own own passions
carry him Into every lind "a extreme,
vhsreby tho hnanas that natHe has fixed
mo always ai1sessAed, ana the rights Of
others are nsasehtl Invaded. These sx-
eesses are ipoaae, and these inyasiGas pro-.
duce restrs1at. q Int liccnse cfeaAes IN m
stability, "a insenatity - unfAvorAbie, to
exertion as actual restraint, and thsEe4ore
equally with it, . deprivation IL true liberty.
/ Passion strikes It's most fatal blows
It human liberty when It wars ON the
two principal Christian virtues- and
purity. BY. the FIRST vice; ~ produces ine-
quality among men BY the second, insta-
bility in the marriage rslaioa.o self,ag-,
srandiseznent listens not 70 tho voice Of
charity. The weaker must yield dnd sweIl
the Importance Of the stronger. Tins men
II serh and peasants, while they assumed
the haughty bearing Of nobility, Man
found woman weaken than hi1aAeaf, and
refused to recognize her equality in other
respects. Force placed the utmost restraint
on weakpess in both these Glasses. Oppres-
sion ren6efeds progress Impossible and deg
radstion certain, The peasant became =
moro beast Of burden, and woman . play
thing or q slave. = a a ras
g Again. The license of passion overstepped
the bounds Of conjugal fidelity. The sane
hty of marriage became irksome, and d.
vorce grew common. This shattered the
family tie, which is the basis Of all society.
instability being impaired to this relation,
affected all others, and produced kind Of
anaFchy unfavorable TO exertion, and totally
destructive Of progress.
The natural remedy for such evils is rea-
son. Reason ought to destroy every I'M
natural restraint, and prevent every suici-
dal license. But did Reason do this I When
and how did she stand forth the ellarnpion
Of TRUTH On the contrary, she sided with
passion, not by silence only, but by
arguing ingeniously for every abuse. The
world, the flesh, and the devil were too
strong for her, and she joined in the ALI
ance to hamper humanity with distinctions
and restraints which should bring it con-
stantly nearer to intellectual and moral
death. ... a''Ets.' =: GiFc- -
Religion waited until its agency could NO
longer be doubted, and then came toIthe aid
of reason. It regenerated human nature,
and it can point to the very .nfincipies-the
equality Of men and the sanctity of the fam
ily ie,-throngh the agency of which it
wrought. the change. Il is true that right
reason would have always sanctioned these
principles, but reason was not true to itself
The Church announced and maintained
them in spite Of the enmity Of the great and
the apathy Of the weak. God gave berthe
power from on high to be faithful to the
truth, and TO touch the hearts Of men. The
supernatural supplied the insufaciency of
the natural, and faith triumphed where
reason had failed. ai <t
The proud and mighty lord was told to
look upon the serf whom he despised, and
love him. The creature whom he had
always regarded as little better than a brute
must now be his brother. How could he
refuse, when the very priest at whose feet
he knelt was the son Of that serfa The rude
warrior, the despotic chieftain was taught
that the wife whom he had regarded as
kind of servant was his equal. How could
he deny her his reverence when he had
learned to honor Mary as the flower of hu-
manity and the Queen of Heavenf
Thus pride was humbled and violence
subdued. The restraints of selfish force
were removed, liberty was restored, and
progress permitted. At the same time,
license was checked, salutary order en-