The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-12-04
Sectional conceit.

Sectional Concelt.
81 am better than thou, = Is the tacit.as-
sertion Of most nations in their attitude to-
wards another. The Spanisrd is proyerbial-
Nv naughty and proud Of bis blood. The
German believes that his pertinacity and
persistency must make him master of the
world. The Englishman is taught to look
with positive contempt upon all foreign
ers," and our own people OF the South
make it an article Of pious belief that we
are FAR superior to the Yankee, not only in
war and Craftsmanship, but in intelligence
also, and'social breeding.
The strangest part of all this is that this
conceit is not, by any means, who'll. irb q
and native, but itsis, to . great exte T.
tivated. The people are sedulousay edaca;;
ted to it. They are taught il from child
hood; they find it embodied in their
school histories, and consecrated in their
home traditions. In fact this self
Wanting in the guisa of ones country is
called patriotism. The same vice which,
limited to the individual, would be recog-
nized as low vanity and egotism, becomes
virtue when extended in it's operation, to
his family and neighbors.
But, in teaching the little ones this "pa-
triotism, !" we are making them the worst
enemies Of their country. We are making
them agents to call down upon it the dis
pleasure of the Almighty. Pride is sin
which he cannot fail to punish with the ut
most rigor it is the sin for which the an
gels were expelled from heaven, and which
is at the root of all rebellion and disobedi-
ence. ~
The beet way to propitiate divine favor for
any individual or . community is through
humility and the surest way to draw down
his chastisement is through pride and
boastfolness.
blessed are the meek" and equally
blessed are le humble. This is what all
Christians profess to believe, but where is
the evidence of their belief Do they show
it in their works Blessed are the humble;
that is, the nation which is humble shall be
blessed-blessed with security and peace,
with strength and prosperity and progress,
with all those real advantages which as
nation it might properly desire. But if it
is proud and self conceited it shall be pun
ished shall fall into wars and conten-
tionss ITO defeat and humiliation it shall
be deprived of it's possessions and reduced
to psSerty. If it is humble, it will not be
constantly saying and singing, preaching
and publishing, 81 am better than thou"
am ofths shixelry 4 theR art Of the ca
naille 4 IN and sfFSe, thou art sly
and skeahine am .hd0strious and rich,
thou aIt laxy and poor; am moral and
IL enes th6u dealest with the stiletto and
inthnest to the bull-fght.
Now itswould appear that the Christian
who really believes that humility will
bring blessings on his country, and that
pride will aattract malsdictions and misfos-s
tunes upon it, must d7ead boasting and self
Wanting among his country man ash fsar-
xul national evil He would naturally en-
solrsge all publications and teachings by
.4Ehach the greatness and excellence of other
d5untries weuld be extolled and the mod
6asM. of his own people secured. By all
pfs{ser means he would desire to promote
natioual humility. Where do we see any
thing Of this kind, however, What ma
OxOu puISc6 AOo SCAOOIC-OA UOdhSeAAS AAoooAACo1
what community discourages the news
paper that abuses the neighboring commu-
nitiesf
No doubt the proper practice in this
natter may be found in certain schools
and colleges under Catholic control. No
doubt the principles of Christianity are
understood by many of. those who profess
them, and its beautiful truths are believed
by some persons with that vital faith which
does not hesitate to apply them in the prac-
tical affairs of life, but SO far as the leaders in
politics, and many of the leaders in litera
ture, are concerned, their faith is confined
to the sound of words. They say, chow
beautiful is humility % while they teach
pride and consecrate national vanity under
the name of patriotism.
Aristocracy.
This very old institution appears to be
dying out at last, after having existed
among Christian nations from the earliest