The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-06-13
A combination and form indeed
Where every god did SOON to set his seal,


now stretched full and broad the tvIe Ways Of
life, and he must choose between emTthe
way which Jed to all thai the world :prised,,
wealth, power, distssssien. title, glory , AND no
intellect, the association with all that was
most refined and refining the way which led
up to the council chambers 81 the nation, 10
all places of jurisdiction and of honor. to the
temples wherein were enshrined historic names
and glorious memories, to share IN al piess-
ings of privilege and freedom. The STRINGS
of genius, the promptings OF youthful ambi-
ton, the consciousness of vast intellectual
power, which placed within his easy grasp the
highest prizes to which the last infrmity of
noble minds" could aSflre--an this, inpeiled
him to enter upon the bright and golden path
But before him opened another way. No CLEAN
of sunshine illumined this way; 10 was wet
with tears it was overshadowed by misfortune,
it was pointed out to the yonng traveller of life
by the sign of cross, and he who entered 1t
was hidden to leave all hope behind HIM, for
il led down through valley q hnm IMITATION
and afflicted people. claim for O'Conneh the
glory of having chosen this latter Pth, and
this claim no man can gainsay, tor 1t y the ar
ghment of the Apostle in favor of tie great
fawgiver of old" By faith Moses denisd him
self to be the SON of Pharaoh's daughte: rath-
er choosing to be afflicted with the people OF
God than to have the pleasure of sin for
time, esteeming the reprOach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures of the Egyptfans"
Into this way was he led by his love forhis re-
ligion and for his country. He firmly believed
in that religion in which he was born. He had
that faith which Is common to aHCatholics,
and which is not merely strong opinion or
even conviction, but an absolute and most
certain knowledge that the Catholic Church is
the one and only true messenger and witness
of God upon the earth that to belong to her
communion and to possess her faith is the
first and grandest of all endowments and
privileges before which everything else sinks
into absolute nothing. He believed and
"belicve in his heart unto Justice" but that
he must CONFESS with his mouth unto
salvation" and the strength of his faith left
him no alternative but to proclaim loudly his
religion, and to cast his lot with his PEG Pile.
That religion was this peoples only inheritance
They had chung to it and preserved it with q
loye and fidelity altogether superhuman, and
which was the wonder of the world. The teach
ing of the Catholic Church was accepted cheer
fully by the Irish people when il was first
preached to them. They took it kindly and at
once from the lips of their Apostle, and Ireland
was n grand example to all nations where-the
seed OF Christianity has ever been the martyrs
blood. The faith thus delivered to them they
SO Illustrated by their sanctity that for n thou
sand years Catholic Ireland was the glory of
ChristendOm, and received amongst the nations
the singular title of the Island of Saints"
Our national history begins with faith,
and is so interviewer with our holy religion
that If you separate these our country's name
disappears from the worlds annals; whilst, on
the other hand, Ireland Christian and Catholic,
which means Ireland holy; Ireland evange-
izing, ireland teaching the nations of Europe,
Ireland unfolding in every land the cross and
the crown, Ireland suffering for her faith as
people never suffered, has her name written in
letters of gold upon the proadest page of his
tory. ireland and her religion were SO sim
gularly bound together that in days of pros
perity and peace they shone together in days
of sorrow and shame they sustained one an
other. When the ancient religion was driven
from her sanctuaries, she still found temple
in every cabin in the land, an altar and a home
in the heart of every 1rishnan. When the
war of conquest degenerated into O war ofGAE-
the faith, and the faith alone, be-
came to the Irish race the principle of their
msss 81 fs ss ed ssy remained faith
ie religion became the strongest passion of
heir lives, and in their love for their great
suffering mother, they said to her
Through grief and through danger thy smile hath
Till hope seemed bud from each thorn that round me
rhe darker our fortune the brighter pure love
yes slave as was thy arms my spirit felt fee,
nd blessed even the sorrows that made more dear
All this o'Connell felt and knew. He was
Irish of the Irish and Catholic of the Catholic.
His love for religion and country was as the
breath of his nostrtls, the blood of his veins
and when he brought to the service of both
the strength of his faith and the power of his
genius, with tho instinct of true 1rishman
his first thought was to lift up the nation 10y
striking the chains off the National Church.
And here, again, my brethren, two ways opened
DelonS OuS was q way IN WHICH many
had trodden in former times, many pure and
high minded, noble and patriotic men it was
a way of danger and of blood, and the history
of his country told him that it ever ended in
defeat and greater evil The sad events which
he himself sxitnessed,- aRa=SxA ieh=teek= place
around him, warned him off that way !; for he
saw that the effort to rftk-1r 1T iIud swept
away the last *estigey of Irelsnds national ie-
gislature and Independence. But another path
was still open TO bin, and wisdom pointed it
out as !. the right way Another battle field
lay before him on which he could !" fight the
good fight, and yindicate ali the rights of his
religion and of his country. The aEmOry was
furnished him by the inspired Apostle when he
said, " Brethren, our wrestling is not against
the flesh and blood, hat against municipalities
aud powers therefore take unto you
the armor of God p" having your loiIls
GRIT about with truth, and having on the breast
plate of Justice, and your feet ,shOd with tho
of the Gospel of Peace, in all
things taking the shield of faith -
And take unto you the sword of the spirit,
which is the word.1 O'Connell knew we'll that
such weapons in such . hand as his were ire
giYt round with the truth and
Justice of his cause, he was clad in the armor
of the Eternal God, that with words of peace
and order on his lips. with the strong shield of
faith before him, and the sword of eloquent
qneech in hand with fhe nf oba