The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-12
Morning Star ard Catholic Messenger.
Death-Bed o, 3arfagut.
AY.rFEBRUARY u. 1871 .

NEW ORLEANS. sUNDAH.FEBRUARY 49, 1871
Ds.sh-sed OF 3.nasut
The following we ale from the New
York World: x
We cut from one of IN leading Republi.
can exchanges the 6llDwing remarkable
story, headed "Anecdats Of the late ADM
raj Farragut," and vesscopy it with the
clear conviction that ID respectable Jour-
nal from which we taS it had no consci-
BUSINESS of the painfulsiknificance of what
it was giving currencyt{:
"a prominent gentlenss, of New York. who
was familiar with the ltS Admiral Parragut.
and who think was wihz him in his last m 10
ments, has told me the f02iowing< characteris-
tic story OF the great salee few hours be-
fore farragut. died he aNed his wife to his
side and said he would LII to see aslergyman.
Before Mrs Farragut had time to a5ltd for one,
an IRISH servant girl wbs vas in the room, and
who heard the Admrals fequest, startled out
and secured the attendsn&e of Roman Catho-
lie priest who happened y be in the neiehbor-
hood. The Admiral VS. drawing near the
~ o4e OF his journey, ard the priest entered
without being recognized by him. The good
father was soon engase4 in performing the
service OF the Catholic Church peculiar to the
occasion at the bedside a the dying man. Ali
of sudden Farragui Opened his eyes and
seemed to comprehend Enot only what was
going on but the chandler of the clergyman
Waving his hand toward the priest he said in
a clear distinct voice, % away, sir: you are
not my pilOtP whenqlpon the priest with
drew, and the Admiral lied as he had lived, a
believer in the Protesting faith"
Let us for mome1t pause on this. beg
ging our readers to understand that we
have not the most rtn<Dte idea of launch
ing them or ourselves Oh the yesty waves of
sectarian contIOvers7. In the first place
we do not believe one word of the story.
We do not believe that the few, for they
were few, who stOoddS knelt by the dying
sailors bed ould maxi the sacred scene the
theme OF gossip, and ND h out into the streets
and tell the curious woIld without, of the last
agonies or the last vprds-be they cohe-
fent OF fncoherent, s)ff mn In their revela-
ton of the thought vithin, or iocular in
delirium-of him wlDawill speak no more.
The thing is in itsdE incredible. But do
they who tell 1T, wh.the it be true or not, !
think that they are doia q honor to the dead9 |
We are bound to stppose they do; and !
here we pause again. "A Christian man is !
dying. he has been accustomed reso!ute- |
ly, in tho din of battly,i to look death in the |
face as 1T comes in he form of violence. |
There was no chaplaih, Papist or Protes-
tant, by his side then, though if there had |
been and the Admiral and some poor Ca
tholic sailor had been MORALLY wounded
and carried to the cock bit together, wounds
like death knowing no. distinction, and the
priest had held aloft the emblem of a COM
mon faith, or gone further and administer
ID to both the peculiar last rites of his
,hurch, he would not have been repealed
md lnsulted with a coarse nautical Joke
But Admiral Farragut did not die in bat
lie. He died in peace, literally and in
very respect. He died in full conscious
less, and, perhaps, death came more SOL
'mnly to him, thus dying, than if it had
)me amongst the accidents of human
.rife. 1t came with awe and, as it were.
m IRA nIn md
ID to believe that the last flicker of his
pirit was one of sectarian animosity, and
with vulgar giee, he drove from his
100 the mlnlsteripg priest whose only
d IL Was to believe more than he did.
Go away, Sir" as if he was Iepellipo I
um boat from ships side.
"GO away, sir, you are not my pilot"
nd we are given to understand "the good
ather" quietly withdrew, and, 10 one
oming in his place he died alone, unless the
oor servant girl, who had SO atrociousiy
Introduced her clergyman, knelt and with
rs for the passing spirit of her master. 1t I
GEMS to us that the good Admiral would ,
ave been mono the worse (perhaps now :
he better) if the priest had fulfilled his
junction.. But why, we ask again, tell r
uch story, true or false7 Does it do I
ny good Does it reflect any credit? If r
Te were to say or hint that such mischiev- /
pirit of sectarian hatred which underlies E
he decorons upper crust of "Repubiican- y
,m," and is constantly shooting itself up t
rom chinks and crevices, we do not think 4
re- should be very far from the mark. We i
My intercede for the honored dead. Let d
IL, Catholic and Protestant, continue to r
hink well and kindly of him, as he, we e
loubt not, did of them. i
D.,1y LIFE or TEE PoPE,-His Holiness t
continues the same mode of life as that 8