Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-08-09
FATHER riNNEGAN's LECTURE.
lie Thinks Roman Cathoiicis,n tile Hope
of Liberty. 10 ~ HtH

y
of Liberty.
Father Finnegan delivered his lecture last |
evening on The Catholic Church the Hope of
Republican Institutions"
The Reverend Father spoke without notes, |
and was evidently warmed up TO the subject |
1t is not our purpose tonight to do more than
notice his points.
He began by relating an anecdote of good
woman entertaining unawarcs Catholic |
priest and alarmed on learning the nature Of
her guest to find he had no horns. The nppi-
cation of the anecdote was that people knew
but little of the Catholic Church, and through
this ignorance were led to believe many bad
things of IT, The Father said the question was
not now did Christ found the church, were
there seven sacraments or two? &c; but THE
Republic is in danger
The Father then went on to answer
certain imaginary charges against lrishman.
One would have supposedlrom his zeal and elab-
Grafton Of the point that some one had been
wagngu war upon Irishmcn, accusing them of
dishonesty, cowardce, ignorance and general
mcanness. His effort evidently was directed to
answering all these charges In reply TO them
he thought that Catholics had given the world
about everything useful and valuable. Catholics
invented gunpowdcr newspapers, the compass,
clocks, watches, &c. lrishmen always fought
bravcly always loved and favored freedom,
was the cradle Of free governments the Catho-
lies abolished slavery, proclaimed all men equal
before God, and under their protection the Re
publics ofSouth America ilourishcd. Free gov
long before the hyena freedom of the
Reformation, Protest nts prosecuted Catholics
and the freedom of which they boosted was that
every man must think as they do In reply to
the charge that Catholics were opposed to re-
publican institutions, he cited how noby Irish
and French Catholics helped us in the Amer-
can Revolution, and how bravely Irishmen
fought both for the North and the South for
what they believed to be right. On all these
points the Father was very full, very eloquent
md " Qati sfn UyA N
that doubts the bravery, among other good
qualities, of very large class of our Irish citl-
Zens.
Certain ignorant newspaper men, who knew
nothing of the Catholic Church, and be-
cause of their ignorance thought every
body else ignorant, received full attention.
Their war upon Catholics was the old Know
nothing war. The Catholic Church was
charged with trying to get control of this coun-
try Did any one ever see him seeking office
He never took part in politics but once, and
that was when he wanted II Catholic school here.
The Catholics had right to that school, and he
hoped God would spare his life to vet get their
school money or school. If Catholics did get
office, it would be better for the public money,
for if a Catholic officer took five cents he would
have to confess it once year to his priest, and
when he did, The church would get the money
and refund it. He had often got back money
from Catholics in this city and returned it to
Gay street merchants Catholics would steal no
more than is now stolen, and what they did take
the church made them all confess and that
would protect the public money.
| If the Pope was President of the United
| States he would protect the public money bet
| ter than our present pretty good President We
| shall forward n copy of the CHRONICLE with
| this cheering news to the robbed and plundered
| taxpayers of New York, for we know they will
| be glad to hear Dick Connolly and Tweed and
| Sweeney, &c, must disgorgG to their priests.
They have been stealing for some years, but
we have never yet heard of their confessing it.
| The Times is proving it on them now, however
| and perhaps it may come back. Father Finne
| gan said the Catholic Church was blamed fol
the riot in New York, because Il few eXcommu
nicated Catholics, in violation of their church
teachings and advice, took part in the mob
They acted in violation of the advice of theiI
priests lie quoted the Archbishops advice to
stay away, but didn't quote the part where he
| said the Orangemen had no right to parade and
they ought not to be allowed by the authoritic'
to parade. Catholic Irishmen voted straight
and drank straight" the voting part was prin
cipdlly the objection against them.
The Father touched very hastily and very
briefly the great point made against his church
and that is that its teaching and theory is tina
the Pope is the head of the church in Temporal
rs well rs spiritual affairs, and that IFS children
being obliged to obey the church in all things
must, in case of conflict, obey the Pope AM
the church before the civil authorities of tn
land. This is the only question the Father ha
need to answer, for ii is the only charge made
and yet he touched it but incidentally and bu
n moment. He said that those who made thi
charge did not understand the doctrine of thei
church This is in substance the only answe
, made. He counseled his people to obey tn
laws" it is true, but he said First listen {
your church and Priests'-wo quote his yer
words.
The argument he dwelt upon almost entirel
no one disputes save that they viii not go so ia
MS he did and claim everything for the Catholi
Church 1t has done some good and has man
-. good people and good citizens in its fold. n
one doubts that but that is not the objection
it. ms we have shown. His charge that th
! Protestants had not Bible of authority
that their Bible was not the true one and the
! learned men admitted it needed correction an
! was not literally translated, and had no claims
be the true church &c, &c, are all very old an
need no answer. The point of the Fathers lectuI
WAS that the Catholic church has been a friend
liberty but what it is ao,e with the infallibilit
dogma, or what it 'eiH be he had nothing to sa.
Notice.
4 To tie Baptist Churches Composing the Ie,
D nessee association:
D Because the Tennessee Association and II
: General Association WILL if held on the day I
= which they adjourned, meet on the same da,
D | and because there is a nrOVisiOn in the COnst