The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-03-06

Aho writer We know well as gentleman o1
the highest order Of talent, which he has i'm.
proved by long years of close observation
assiduous study, laborious research and deep
reflection. His opinions, on matters where
opinion 10 admissible, may sometimes diffe,
from our own yet we should long hesitate to
postpone to what is often but the dictate OF
local prejudice, or Partially, the conclusions
OF man of science, already known to litera-
ture, and thoroughly conversant with journal
Ism in Its highest grade-that of % reviewer
We thank the writer for his kind Wishes ex-
pressed in a private communication, for ourself
personally, and congratulate those who, long
before our time, established for the STAR its
present reputation, that they have merited the
commentator of one who is not more able as a
writer than severe and fastidious critic.
We are promised Ga series of letters, giving
the religious, social and political aspects-with
facts illustrative thereof-as presented in New
England" where our correspondent has his
from
New YORK, February 16, 1870.
Editors Morning Star and Catholic Messenger.
My short acquaintance with the STAR makes
me hope that it will continue long and steady
visitor. like the paper very much. 1t pre-
sents good appearance, gives good selection
of news, and grapples with the questions of
the dayin spirit of independent, impartial
For some time before receiving it had given
up reading or receiving Catholic Journals. My
old friend, the Freeaan's Journal, has of late
that was forced to abandon It. looked
around for a substitute, to keep me informed
on the current events of the Church, but could
find mono that could read without feeling
of discomfort at something in them, OF at their
general tone. One was either maudlin,
spooney sheet, with some imbecile attempt at
illustrating Catholic life by the most improba-
Die, silly stories; another was half Fenian,
half Catholic-what vile company for religion!
In all found more to offend than to please
more to depress than to encourage-more that
wished to see blotted out than written. To
to give up reading them, and did it. Perhaps
the task of making good Catholic paper is u
difficult one-more difficult than imagine
but think if keeping in view what is the
the world, who give of their own worldly
goods, of their tinle and cares and thoughts,
some moderate share to religion and it's tenn
poral interests, the journal would try to repre-
sent that life, commenting upon and discussing
the questions of the day that concern them as
citizens and as Catholics, it's task would be
performed.
Now, the duties of this life will not permit
the stirring, earnest man to waste his time in
reading sentimental, maudlin trash, and the
journal that is thrown aside fur the little girls
OF the family to read is an organ that the
health and integrity of the Catholic body can
well do without. Again, what affinity is there
between Catholicity and Fenianismf In read
ing the current history of the Church, I don't
wish to read, side by side with it, the doings
of Fenians. Yet 1 cannot read paper named
Catholic in this latitude without encountering
this abomination. The daily journals ignore
the vile thing, and if did not know better
would certainly be forced to infer that there
was some close relationship between Fenian-
ism and Catholicity, from their eompanionship
in journals called Catholic.
My reason for not reading Catholic journals
is one that prevails with many Catholics The
FTeeman's Journal was free from the faults
above given. 1t was vigorous, earnest, robust
in its tone; but of late it has fallen into worse
faults, which force the educated Catholics to
exclude it from their homes Censure of pub
lie men may he legitimate, but vituperation in
bawdy, obscene terms no Catholic wishes to be
read in his family. Stanton, Senators Sumner,
Morton, and others, may be bad men or good
men, for aught we know they are not to be
used as texts for conveying very obscene ideas
in most obscene and indecent language to our
is not what we seek in Catholic journal.
Slang, bawdy terms, vituperative abuse, we
can hear outside ad nduseam-we will not pay
to have them introduced into our homes. If
Catholic journalism and Catholic literature
cannot as yet take first rank in style and intel
lectual vigor, they can avoid vulgarity and
scurrility. The nasty, the scurrilous, the vul-
gar, were never the outgrowth of Catholic SEN
is keen, severe, caustic, but never vituperative.
Hecker is plain, direct, dexterous at placing
his opponent in awkward positions, much of
his language is to the manner born, yet he
never uses the weapons of slang and abuse.
But the Journal objurgates, raves, rants in
Brick Pomeroys style, dogmatizes, denounces
with fearful vengeance, has fallen into habit
of dire predicting, and into many other confu-
sions. Predicted greenbacks would be ped
died about in baskets-they % not; predicted
the South would triumph--it has not; predict
ed, how often it is hard to say, the total demo-
ltion of the Republican party-it is not de-
molished; predicts now collapse and ruin
What does it not PREDICT 1t promulgates
political doctrines that have been buried be-
meath the strata of ten years, in which not one
in ten thousand agrees with it. 1t might as well
promulgate the colonial system of George III.
If the country does not accept them, it threat
ems to preach reputation. What u dust this
fly on the chariot wheel is kicking up! am
afraid the country will treat the Nreemdn's
politics. predictions and threats as the world
did George Primrose's paradoxes.L (And what
did the world say to yonr paradoxes, George
Primrosef Why, the world said nothing to my
paradoxes.) Can it be that such rawlings find
acceptance in the still-abiding prejudices of
the South, and are therefore written for such
prejudicesf They are certainly not written
for the North, as not one in the North believes
In them Not on politics alone does the editor
rave, but on the question of ecclesiasticaH dis
cipline-and whose is not this point with
the Freeman and the clique it represents is a
schismatic and hereto Well, God help the
Church, At has much to endure from its friends.
a confident front, with victory on it's standard,
with the foe weakened, demoralized, yielding
before it, but it is retarded by having in its
train much that is noisome and noxious, that
clogs its limbs, that dims and begrimes it's
bright armor, and palsies the elasticity of it's