Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-17

thodoxy itself TO impugn. Such men
as Lammenais, I4acOrdaire and Monta-
lembert fancied that they could bridge
over the chasm between the theOlOgi-
cal creed Of the fifteenth century and
the political creed OF the nineteenth.
In the encounter LammeDais was so
utterly overthrown by the members of
his own church, that ne cut loose the
ties which bound him, not only to
Rome, but TO revealed religion itself.
Lacordaire died while the struggle
was yet at its hottest; and MOntalem-
bert's record has yet to be written.
To the same band OF enthusiasts, al
though he occupies a less exalted
place, belongs the present Archbishop
of Paris, Monseigneur Darboy. An
ardent Liberal as well as an ardent
Catholic, Monseigneur Darboy has
more than once been the object of Pa
pal suspicion, and has been forced to
reaffirm his devotion to the Holy See.
But his chief offense was the admis-
sion of Pere Hyacinthe to the Cathe-
dral of NOtre Dame. To that historic
church the intellect and the religious
fervor of Paris fiocked when attracted
by such eloquence as that of the bare
footed CarmeIite. And the eager
crowd was not disappointed. Lettered
and unlettered, academiclans and epi-
ciers, felt the fascination of the brill
liant preacher. After the great church
had been filed in every part, a man
OF short stature, and singularly
bright, prepOssessing face, would
ascend the pulpit and address
the expectant multitude. His
OratOry was strikingly natural. 1t was
very much ike the best speaking Of
the forum transferred to the sanctuary
cred themes. 1t was the reverse of
ecclesiasticsl. About the Church the
Father did not say much; about doc
trines he said less; and about the cler-
go he said little that was not a rebuke.
On the other hand, he made the aisles
OF NOtre Dame reSOund with the
most UncOmprOmising Liberalism. In
words OF burning eloquence he taught
men that they owed duties to each
other a. citizens, and that as fathers
OF families they We're lowered with
rights which even the Church could
not take away. The claim of the cler-
gy to "direct the conscience of the
wife, and to set aside the authority of
the husband, was pretension which
Pere Hyacinthe denounced with that
peculiarly cutting, because personal,
eloquence which man can WELD when
assailing the members of their own
order. He asserted the right of the
husband to be supreme in his own
household, and the duty of the citizen
to obey the laws of his own country.
UnmOVed by the threats of Rome, he
raised up that old banner of French
Liberalism on which was inscribed
devotion to the family and to the ma
tiOn. Without directly assailing the
prieStly pretensiOns of the UltramOn-
tame party, he set forth doctrines
which made those pretensions nulland |
void. Hence the men of France
listened to the French preacher
with undisguised rapture. A re-
ligious creed which did not COM |
pei them TO break of all Visi- |
BILE connection with Rome, and yet !
left them masters in their own house |
holds and citizens of their own cOun- |
try, was the very thing for which they |
pined. On the other hand, the Ultra |
mOntane party of Paris were furious |
against the disceurses of the Carmelite. |
All his eloquent denunciations OF the |
vices which are preying on the life of |
France were pOWerleSs TO still the |
fierce cry OF heresy. The preacher |
was assailed with that cry; and at |
last, even the courageous Archbishop |
Of Paris so far bent before the storm |
that be put an end to the series OF |
Carmeiite discOurses, and invited the |
chief rival of Pere Hyacinthe to fill
the pulpit Of NOtTe Dame. The new
preacher Pere Felix, strOYe hard to
undo the mischief wrought by his
gifted predecessor. A Jesuit, and
lowered with the graces of his own
most accomplished order, he lent all
The riches of his rhetoric to yilify
Professionalism, and TO preach the duty
Of uncOmprOmising submission to
Holy Church, as represented by its
,hief bishop. But the effort was in
vain. The echoes of Hyacinthe's elO- Z
Iuence still fingered on mems ears.
At last, however, the words of calum-
ny won over 10 the side Of his foese
he CHIEF Eisglitary of his order, who
lad beiore encouraged the great
preacher with loving words. In a
etter to Hyacinthe the FatheT-Gene-
raj of tlls bareiOoted CaTmelites
blamed him for doing the very things
which he had previously encouraged
him to perform, and commanded him
70 use a language, or to preserve a
expression Of conscience.