The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-09-12
.99Ig sCalumnles. 4 ay2gII


some country remote from the point where
they are circulated, and where, of course,
it is difficult to examine into their claims
to credence. Thus Spain, italy and Aus
tria are the fayorite theatres for these tales
of horror, while France, with which we
have intimate commercial relations, Ire
land, which has millions of Witnesses in
our midst, whose testimony on doubtful
points can be had at any moment, and the
United States itself, in which we live, are
not SO popularity selected for the location of
these supposed events.
The people and countries of which we
know but little are painted in the darkest
colors. They are chiefly populated by
banditti, the stilletto and the cup ST poison
are as it We're play things from childhood,
while infidelity to the marriage VOW and
ilIegitimacy of birth are the rule. In vain
YOU recall the calumniator to figures and
authentic statistics. You show him that
ilIegitimate births, for instance, amount to
nearly ten per cent in Scotland, while they
are less than four per cent IN Ireland; that
they are six per cent in Catholic Prussia
and nine and third per cent in Protestant
Prussia two per cent in Sardinia, and
nine and n half per cent in Sweden nine
per cent in Austria, and sixteen per cent in
Protestant Saxony and Wurtemburg. He
quietly ignores all this, and dwells with
great gusto on local statistics, where dis
turbing causes prevent the statistician's
figures from being any indication of the
moral condition.
Thus he will compare Paris with Lon
don-Paris, which has founding hospitals
that attract the unfortunate results of vice
from all parts of France. while London is
full of institutions that treat and practice
the art of putting such evidences of i'm
morality out of the way. Statistics give
the proportion of iliegitimate children in
Paris much greater than in this country.
This is natural. They give the proportion
in London less than in the rural portions Of
/ the country. This is most unnatural. The
moral workings of system are not estab-
lished by proof which shows evidently that
the marks of it's impurity are hidden under
the worse crimes of foetieide and infanti-
eide
No, the only fair way to arrive at any
conclusion frona such figures is by survey
ing the whole field it will not do to COM
pare the two systems by placing brothel
of fallen Catholics side by side with Pro-
testant prayer meeting. And even with
the most liberal and general survey. it is
easy to make mistakes and come to false
conclusions. The Jews of old, who I'M
doubtedly had the inheritance of the faith,
sometimes fell into the grossest idolatry
and immortality, while the Roman people of
the early ages, though Pagans, were re-
markabie for purity, honesty and many Of
the most heroic virtues. Circumstances
made them so, in spite of their Paganism,
while the Jews fell into all wickedness in
! spite of their faith. Must we say, there
! fore, that Judaism had a much worse effect
on its adherents than Paganism The
! Spanish Empire of several centuries ago
was the most prosperous and splendid OF
| the world shall we say that the same Ca
| thelicity made it mighty and powerful
| then, but now drags it down into supine-
ness and degradation :
/ There are then two kinds of calumnies3-
/ these which fhisrepresent facts as they
exist, and those which attribute them to
wrong causes. The only reliable way oil
ascertaining the true working of 1t system
among people is by investigating among
a people only which is faithful to that sys-
TEN. If YOU want to know the real results
of Catholicity, seek it among practical Ca
tholics, not nominal ones.
The Catholic, World and tho Ne,o Eng
| lander have recently been at issue on the
| question of moral statistics in European
/ countries, and the result OF it is n tri-
umphant announcement on the part of the
latter paper that the book of ealumuies
/ which gave rise to the controversy is to be
| Immediately republished as a consequence
of that controversy. 1t is an old work OF
Rev. Mr.. Seymour, giving garbled
statistics, local comparisons, and totally
unfair conclusions.
But we are not alarmed. Though such
works always do harm in Individual cases,
their general effect is good. The more
the yaOra oh l,o r,,ra