The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-01-29
The Anti-Catholic Meeting at the Academy o
Music, N. Y.

The meeting at the Academy of Music to
exuit over the recent misfortunes Of the
Roman Pontiff, and the downfall Of his tenn
poral power, was large in point of numbers,
and respectable in the character of it's pro-
motors and attendants. But it was, never
theless, an ill-judged and inconsiderate
movement. In the first place, it was pur-
poseless, except as a mere ebullition of
feeling and a vent Of Protestant joy.
Even if the cause of Italian unity needed
any moral support from this country, O
meeting composed like that of the Academy
of Music would not be the right vehicle for
conveying it. All the officers and all the
speakers were Protestants. If there were
any possibility (Which there is not) of re-
storing the lost temporal authority, it would
be through Catholic influence, and the force
of Catholic public opinion. The whole
Protestant world is, and always has been,
opposed to the whole Papal establishment.
both as an ecclesiastical hierarchy and as a
civil government. There has been NO time
within the last three hundred years when
testant views and wishes had been poten-
tial. A new demonstration of Protestant
hostility at this coDjuncture only tends to
restrain Catholics from signifying acquies-
cence in accomplished facts. They will be
slow to believe that what causes SO much
exultation to the foes of their Church is
not blow to its influence. The most
noted speakers at the late meeting were OF
only not Catholics, but dangerous heretics,
even in the estimation of Evangelical Pro-
testants. DR.. Bellows il unitarian that
is, he denies the Trinity, the Atonement,
and the Divinity of Christ, doctrines which,
in the opinion OF majority of Protestants,
dogmas of the Christian faith. Mr.. Greeley
is Universalist, denying, besides the
Trinity, Atonement, the Godhead of Christ,
the existence Of afuture hell for the pun
ishment of the wicked. Mr.. Beecher is q
latitudinarian in theology. Two or three
months ago he preached several striking
sermons bordering close upon Universal
ism. When the refractory Father Hya-
cinthe was in this country, Mr.. Beecher
took pains to lavish upon him every pos
sible attention and courtesy. When men
like these exult and shout poems over the
misfortunes of the Pope, liberal Catholics
are efectually precluded from expressing
things at Rome. It is repugnant to their
feelings to be classed with ultra Protest.
ants and heretics by publicly taking sides
with the enemies of their Church. The
meeting at the Academy of Music has rem
dered it impossible for American Catholics
to avow open acquiescence in the move
ment which has perfected the Unifcation of
Italy. Such is the self defeating effect of
superserviceable, ultra Protestant zeal 1!
While it can reader no service to the cause
it espouses, it is calculated to retard the
growth and block the expression of liberal
views among American Catholics. Why
could not these zealots have the decency
and manliness to leave the Pope and his
clergy to swallow their chagrin, and con-
sole themselves during the process with q
little impotent bluster 2 At any rate, Pro-
testant exultation and congratulations have
no perceptible tendency to make Catholics
think that their Church is not q loser by q
revolution which occasions such obtrusive
outbursts of joy in the ranks of its deadly
enemy.-M Y. World.