The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-06-13

| tells of the doors were novel, and the gates
| judce and pride had cllsed and barred against
our people the first decree of our liberation
went forth; on the 18Th Of April, 1929, Catho-
| lie Emancipation was proclaimed, and 600 900
| of Catholic Irishmen emf pred into the nations
| legislature in the personpf O'ConneH. 1t was
the first and the greatest victory of peaceful
principle which our age had Witnessed, the
grandest triumph OF Justice aud truth, the
| most glorious victory of the genius of one man
and the first great act of Tonnage which Ire
and which Ireland's people paid to the great
principle of peaceful agitstion. OConnelPs
first and greatest triumph WA the result of his
strong faith and his ardent zeal for his religion
| and his Church. The Church was to him, as it
is to us, "the kingdom of 3od," and in his
labors for it he was made honorable" and re-
ceived from grateful people the gran,dest title
Liberator." He was honorable in his labors,"
when we consider the end which he proposed
to himself. II was no selfish nor even purely
voted himself, his time, his talents, his ener-
gies, his power, to the glory of God, to the
liberation of Gods Church, 10 the emancipa-
ton of his people. This wasthe glorious end;
nor were the means less honorable. Fair; open,
manly self assertions; high, solemn appeal to
eternal principles; noble and unceasing pro
clamation of rights founded in Justice and in
the constitution; peaceful but most powerful
pressure of apeople united BY his genius, in
famed by his eloqnenee, and guided by his
vast knowledge Of wisdom-thesei We're the
honorable means by which he accomplished
his great work, and this great work was the
achievement which gained for him the it'll, title
| it only to Ireland" says the great Lacordaire,
| "that Emancipation has been profitable, where
is the man in the Church that has freed at
! once seven millions of souls Challenge your
recollection search history from that first and
famous edict which granted to the Christians
), liberty of conscience, and see If there are to
be found many snch acts, comparable by the
extent o their effects, with that of Catholic
| Emancipation. Seven millions of souls
now free to serge and love God even to the end
of time: and each time that this people, adj
vancing in their existence and their liberty,
! shall recall to memory the aspect of the man
/ who studied the secret of their ways, they will
ever find inscribed the name of O'Connell, both
on the latest pages of their servitude and the
| first of their regeneration His glorious vic
tory did horror even to those whom he van
quished. He honorcd them by appealing to
their sense'of justice and of right; and i'll the
act of Catholic Emancipation England
knowledged the power f II people not asking
for mercy, but clamoringfor the liberty OF the
soul, the blessing which vas born with Christ,
and which is the inheritance of the nations
that embrace the Cross. Catholic Emancipa-
tion was but the herald and the beginning of
victories. He who was the Chhrchs hberator
and most true son, was also the first of Ire
lands statesmen and patriots. Our people re-
member well, their future historian Will
faithfully record, the numerous trials borne
for them, the many victories gained in their
cause, the great life devoted to them by OCon-
nell. Lying, however, at the foot of the altar,
as he is to-day, whilst the Church hallows his
grave with prayer and sacrifice 1t Is more
especially as the Church Emancipation of his
people that we place a garland on his tomb.
1t is as child of the Church that we honor
him, and recall with tears of sorrow our recol-
lections of the aged man, revered, beloved,
whom all the glory of the worlds admiration
and the nations love had never lifted up in
soul out of the holy atmosphere of Christian
humility and simplicity. Obedience to the
Church's laws quick zeal for her honor and the
dignity of her worship, q spirit of penance re-
hning whilst t expiatsd chssseniAg Mhilst i
ssanC aud frequent use of the Church's holy
saeraments, which shed the halo of grace
round his venerated head-these were the last
prand lessons which he left to his people, and
thus did the of his life set in the glory of
Christian holiness For Ireland he lived and
for Ireland did he die. The people whom he
had so faithfully served, whom he loved second
only to his love for God, were decimated by
visitation the most terrible that the world ever
the nations of the earth trembled
and men grew pale at lrelands desolation.
Her tale of famine, of misery, of death,
was told in every land. Her people fed af-
frighted from the soil which had forgotten its
ancient bounty, or died, their white lips utter
ing the last faint cry for bread. All this the
aged father of his country beheld. Neither
his genius, nor his eloquence, nor his love,
could now save his people, and the spirit was
crushed which had borne him triumphantIy
through all dangers and toll the heart broke
within him, that brave and generous heart,
which had never known fear, and whose ruling
passion was love for ireland. The martyred
spirit, the broken heart of the great Irishman.
led him to the hottest spot of earth, and with
tottering steps he turned to Rome. The man
whose terrible voice in life shook the highest
tribunals of earth III imperious demand for
Justice to IEelandI -neM-seaslt thea Restles1
tombs, that from that Threshold of Heaven
he might put up Il cry for mercy to his country
and his people, and eiler up his life for his
tive land. Like the Prophet King, he wonld
fain stand between the people aud the angel
that. smote them, and offer himself victim
and holocaust for the land which he loves.
But on the shores of the Mediterranean the
weary traveller lay down to die. At that last
moment his profound knowledge of his eoun-
tryis history may have given him that pro-
phetic glimpse of the future which is some
times vouchsafed to. great minds, He had led
a mighty nation to the opening of the right
way,n and directed their first and doubtful
steps in the path of Cancellation and justice to
Ireland. Time, which ever works out the de-
signs of God, has carried that nation forward
in the glorious way. With firmer step, with
nndaunted soul, with high resolve of justice,
peace, and Cancellation, the work begun by
Geland's Liberator progresses in this our day.
Chains are being forged for our country, but
they are chains of gold, to bind up all discord-
ant elements in the empire, that all men
shall dwell together as brothers in the land.
If w bn he nf ipio