The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-01-01
Religion and Chivalry.

When the late King of Naples had some
drawings of armor submitted to him for
approval, he CURLY jotted down in the mar
gin, Breast and back-plates to be worn
behind-it is there my brave 1n ma aeaas;nt
IDLY reminded of the singing reproach.
implied in few, very few, regiments OF
French regulars in their late encounters
with the Germans. The conduct of these
regiments at Sedan, the panic which seized
demoralization-have forced people to ask,
what has become of French valorf Where
is that noble spirit of chivalry to which |
Sallust and Caesar awarded the palm OF ex-
cellence? How is it that, nowadays,
any Frenchman can be found SO far forget
full of the glorious traditions OF the past as
to turn his back upon an enemyf
These questions, we think, have been
well answered, by an able special CORE
spondent in one of our contemporaries, the
Sunday Observer Nobody will accuse any
writer in that paper of a bias towards Ca
tholicity. Yet here we have an evidently
| impartial man giving it as his opinion that
| if France is to be saved, it must be saved,
not by the brawling patriots of the Bouie-
wards, but by the stout arms and brave
hearts of the good pious peasantry OF Bre-
taCne, Picardy and La Vendee. he more
over reveals the remark able fact, which he
has from a man high ia military circles,
that those regiments which disgraced them
selves wefe for long time quartered at
Marseilles, Lyons, Toulon, and such places,
and were on that account deeply impreg-
mated with the poison of communism and
ipticelity so rife in those cities. 1t need
hardly be stated how powerful an lnstru-
ment in the securing of success Is the spirit
of piety. History clearly establishes the
fact.
In pleasing contrast to these we have on
the German side the Bavarians, no
less distin guished for their piety than their
valor; and on the French, the hsrolG sbre'
tons. whom Gen. Treehu, binl3ef 1Steton
and a devout Christian, has Under his com
, maud. Fifty thousand soldiers corfessiug
. and receiving the Holy CommunionTon the
f eve of battle, is a spectacle new, we fancy
y, TO the frivolous Parisians, aud at winch
g perhaps, very many among tuelh W1u ~.
, have sneered two months ago, just as II an
. act of homage to ones Creator were an IN,
pardonable piece OF weakness. Such, now
4 ever, is what was witnessed in Paris no
:. many days ago, and what is more we arr
~ assured those men fought like lions, while
% the corrupt Zouaves threw down thel
20 chassepots, belts, knapsacks, shakoes, II
. fact everything that might clog the FREE
10 action of their legs in running away.
at Nothing, however, surprised US NOR
H. than the Papal Zouaves in the late actor
"a near Orleans. We had been SO accustomed
to hear applied to them such epithets a
he "merceuaries," Towards" hirelinss,' b.
en the lying Italian press and its aoettors
IL that we are fairly lost III wonder ut the ne'
at turn things have taken. What, for ez
1t ample, will be said of the following pas
sc sages which appeared in the war CORES
Id pondence of the Standard, one of the MOS
lai persistent revilers of the brave men
le The volunteer ZoaaUes Ponfifcaur We're COZ
e9 stantly in front during the fight, and nnfoLt
10 uately those brave young soldiers, most
IT them belonging to the French noDliity, ma
Ter been slauyh tered. Few of them are renialnai
lie to share the empty benefits OF glory, the on
nat advantage won by the French volunteers
Ter this last affair.
I'VE These are the mercenaries" of t
,ir- Times and its satellites; these are the fh'
her who were treated to the "honors OF wal
rec after q very novel, and we should hope,
ons peculiarly Italian fashion that is to sa
err stripped of necessary garments, piifered
of their pocket money, cuffed, spit upon, II
tier prisoned and fed upon bread anu wat
leel And these indignities were received at
ght hands of an army with whom-bear wltnt
itch Custozza and LISA IAN army of old WON
Fa- night compare most favorabiy. r.,
in or course at the close of the war the ~
VIC roes.u we mean the boulevard hero
wall will indulge in their habitual amount
rms ss tall talk" AS suffers ana hangers
five are proverbially the loudest oraSgarts,
tied too NAV we expect that. the most arri
ents towards will be first to trumpet their o
as q yalorous deeds. Indeed, we should not
eff at all surprised if, in consideration OF tn
valuable services, they asked for since
was their neighbors' property. we III
"a at France will not allow her destlnies TO
tber in the hands of such mountebanks.-t
Jex- CerSc. =
cling M, T
10 it THE LATE MIR. CORDIALLY M
nth lin Evening Post furnishes the following SKI