The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-07-18
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influence Of the Church il peaceful, but po-
tent. 1t is in antagonism with the spirit of
the world, and the world knows it. The
world knows, also, the power of the
Church in her truth and purity, and while
scofing derisiyely at her weaponless hui
milfty tremb1es at the solemn rebuke which
its insoience, It's tyranny, its ambition, its
selfishness, are about to receive.
Many of the most wicked men have sutfi-
eient ambition and pride to make them
keep up appearances and maintain a re-
spectacle position in public estimation.
Society inageneral, however dissolute, pro-
fesses respect for virtue, and all who aspire
to place in such society must cover their
yillainy, if they have any, under a veil of
hypocrisy. If true principles would con-
denim them, they must audaciously main
tain the truth Of false principles. Treason
assumes the name of patriotism, usurpation
pleads public necessity, ambition pretends
that national glory is its motive. If these
DISCUSSES were merely subterfuge to
shield their inventors from disgrace, the
harm would not be SO great, but they also
by deluding them into error. Many ardent
youths are deceived by the fimsy sophisms
of Red Republicanism many are cajoled
by the simulated fraternity of Free Mason
ry and respectable citizens, in their ex-
aggerated ideas of national. glory, are be-
guiled into Il certain antagonism with Rome.
As all these evils are baseFon principles
mi i 4 H.
they could not prevail to any extent with
out the respectable standing of those prin-
ciples, it behooves the Church on occasion
to speak to her children and point the fin
ger of reprobatioh at such false doctrines.
This may have no influence on the deceiv-
ers, but it saves the deceived. Hence the
terror of the leading spirits on such occa-
isions, knowing full well that the veil of
their -prophetship is about to be torn
from them, and their empire over mems
minds annihilated.
There are, during our present era two
principal classes of error which have grown
in magnitude until they have become so for
midable as to demand the peremptory ac
ton of the Church. These classes repre-
sent the two extremes of theory in civil
nt--individualism and civism,
the radical and the Centralizing, the Red
which tends to revolution and
the ultra Conservative which tends to des-
truth, at war with the Church, and indus
triously engaged in sowing the seeds of
anarchy and ruin. @
Revolution is rearing its terrible front
and emitting its whitening breath among
the nations. 1t aims at a theoretical per-
lection and points to an imaginary Ell Do
RADIO very alluring to the unwary. The
Church must speak here to her children
and remind them of the, sacrifices which
liberty must make to social order, and of
the mutual obligations beyond which it
cannot go. The individual must be taught
that there are rational limits to the asser-
ton of his natural rights, and the fine
spun theories of of ultra Republication or
Iudividuahsm wills be condemned beyond
their recognition by honest men! -
ss Cixism, too, or the absorption of all
rights by the State, has gone so far that it
must, receive a lesson. This heresy, al
though Iess neisy,=is far mere dangerous
than Revolution. 1t not only absorbs the
civil rights of citizens, families, and con
stituent States, as in this cshntry, but it
assumes control over the conscience and
invades the prerogatives of the Church.
Unscrupul0us politicians in Europe con-
stantly strive to place the State in posi-
ton of supremacy as regards the Church.
They hamper its movements, limit It's con-
troll, and materially derange the working
of its organization. They assume charge
of education, and approach the pagan
national theory, where State government
was not only civil but religious and domes-
tic in its domain.
'ft'htGse assumptions on the part of the
State must be met by II plain statement of
principles on all these points. The Church
will say to it, thus far. shalt thou go and mo
farther. Then all the misguided multi