The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-13
THE CATHOLIC HIER4RCHY.


and the Sufragan Prelates OF the Bal
timore Council-Their Views on Pure
ly Secular Education-Infanttc1
one OF tho Alleged Results-The Relt-
gious Interests OF the Colored Race.
The pastoral letter Of Archbishop Spalding
and the Sufragan prelates Of the province OF
Bsltim ,re, at the close of the tenth Provincial
Council, May, 1869, was read in the Catholic
Churches Of Baltimore, on SundxS last. On
the subject of education the letter says:
Bitter experience convinces US daily more
and more that purely secular education, TO
the exclusion of q religious training, Is not
only an imperfect system, but is attended with
the most disastrous consequences to the indi'
vidual and to society. Among Catholics there
cannot be two opinions about this subject, and
we are happy to Zee that this practical truth is
beginning to find acceptance also In the MINDS
of rejecting men among our separated pretn-
rem. While we are gratified at witnessing 80
many intelligent persons throughout the coun-
try embracing the true faith, We are Obliged
to confess With sorrow that . greater number
are lost to the church. There is no exaggera.
tion in saying now what Bishop England felt it
his sacred duty to state many years ago, that
hindreds, nay thousands, Of, souls annually
stray away from thesfold in this country on ac-
count Of their early religious education. If we
look for the descendants Of those numerous
Catholic families which have emigrated to this
country during the past and present century,
we will find that many OF them have wandered
away from the faith Of their fathers, and not Q
few Of them are now ranked among the most
active and unrelenting enemies OF the Church
of God. The only way to arrest this evil which
we deplore, is to make ample provision Tor the
orol o,d roli0kon1a fraininN, 0fi vOutl.
The clergy are exhorted to establish paro-
chial schools everywhere as soon as practica-
ble. Under the head Of the murder Of the
luuocents," )" the Bishop expresses the following
strong language:
The abiding interest all feel in the preser-
vation Of the morals Of our country constralns
MS to raise our voice against the daily increas-
ing practice Of infanticide, especially before
birth. The notoriety which this monstrous
crime has obtained of late, and the hecatomb 3,
of inisnts that are annually saerifcad-to Mo-
loch to crafty an unlawful passion, are sufi.
cient justification for our alluding to painful
and delicate subject, which should not even be
mentioned among Christians. We may observe
that the crying sin Of infanticide Is most pre-.
valent IN those localities where the system OF
education without religion has been longest
established, and been most successfully car
RED out. The inhuman crime might be COM
pared to the murder Of the "Innocents," except
that the criminals in this case exceed in enormi-
ty the cruelty OF Herod. If it is sin to take
away the life even OF an enemy; if the crime OF
shedding innocent blood cries to Heaven
for vengeance, in what language can We
souls are stained with the innocent blood OF
their own unborn, unregenerste offspring.
The murder OF an infant before its birth is, In
the sight of God and Of his Church, as great
crime as would be the killing Of child after
birth, with this agerayating circumstance,
that in the former case the unborn child dies
deprived Of the essential grace OF baptism.
No mother is allowed. under any circumstances,
to permit the death Of her unborn infant, not
even ior the sake OF preserving her own lite,
because the end never justifies the means; and
we must not do evil that good may come from
il. We confidently believe that you beloved
children in Christ, are strangers to this unnat-
ural vice. Our words, therefore, are language
rather of warning than OF reproof. The dan
cerous amusements, prominent among the
evils we kave to deplore, and which is an evl-
dence Of the growing hcentiousness Of tho
times, may be reckoned Q morbid taste for In
decent publications, and the frequency OF i'm
moral or positively obscene theatrical perform
ances. No entertainments seem sufficient to
unless they be highly sensational, and caicula-
ted to crafty the most prurient appetites. We
can hardly say who deservea stronger condem-
nation-the actors who pander to the most
yitiated. tastes, or the. audience who en-
courage, by their presence: and applaud
these grossly indelicate exhibitors. Both
actors and spectators appear to we with
each In -their rapid march down the sup
perry path Of sin. We deem it particularly
our solemn duty TO renew our warning against
the modern fashionable dances, commonly
called .German,' or round dances, which are
becoming more and more the occasions OF slnS.
These practices are 30 muoh the more danger
ous, as most persons seem to look upon them
as harmless, and indulge In them without any
revelation, the wisdom Of antiquity, the light
OF reason and Of experience. all concur in pro-
claiming that these kind OF entertainments
csnnot be lndulged In by any virtuous persons,
unless they be more than human, without
detriment to their souls, or even be present to
take part in such amusements, where the eye
is da2zled by an array Of fascinating objects,
whore the senses are captlvaled b7 enchanting
music, md the heart is swayed to aud ITO
amid the surrounding gaiety and excitement.
Under the head Of "Our Colored Brethren"
the prelstes say:
AS tho father Of the late plenary council
thought it expedient that all measures to be
adopted for.tbe religious improvelaent OF the
colored race should be referred to the provls-
ioual councils, we deem it our duty in the pres
ent instance 10 invite your attention to this
important. subject. Our colored brethren
should have o large share in the e1-
ercise OF our zeal. particularly IN those sec
tions Of the province where they are more nu-
merorsiy congregsted. Our Heavenly Father,
whose benign providence watches over the
humblest Of His creatures on earth, as we'll as
over the highest angels IN Heaven, epjoins on
the pastors OF his Church the duty OF minis
tering with equal care TO the lewly and the
great. God forbid that We should exercise
less vigilance in laboring for the salvation OF
thoee immortal souls whom God created IN
his own image and likeness, and for whom bis
only begotten Son did not disdain to die The
Church, while careful never unduly to dis
turb the established relations existing be-
tween the different classes ofsociety, makes no
distinction OF persons in the distribution OF her
heavenly gifts, and she honors alike her devot-
ed missionaries whether they evangelze the
white race like St. Francis De Sales, or the ia
panese like St. Eranc1s Xavier, or the negro
slave of Carthsgena like blessed Peter Clsver.
O., let US then, like our glorious model st.
paul, become weak to the weak, that we may
gain the weak; let us become all things to all
men, that We NAV save all; remembering that,
like him, we are debtors to all-the Greek aud
barbarian, to Jew and Gentle, to bond and
free. The colored people are tractable, and
generally grateful for our minlstratlon. Their
arising from their sudden emancipation, should
the more actively excite our sympathy. We
that are stronger ought to bear with The IN
n Al. III Srnf