The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-19
Parsonism.

nroscriptiop on the part OF religious pigoSs
ia found in the recent petition of the thirty
parsons of Brooklyn, wherein they asR ior
the removal of one Murphy from the once
of Collector for the port of New YORK; Cd
the ground of his being Catholic. Thirty
venerable D. D., of so fashionable vicin-
age as Brooklyn, ought to get quite favor
able reception for any document at the
White House. 1t is we'll known that the
Northern Methodists boast of having elect
ed Gen. Grant to the Presidency. He was
their candidate they consider him their
President, and it is but natural that they
should expect, in such q case, some CO.
operation in their schemes on his part.
The Constitution prohibits the enactment
of laws making any distinction among citi-
zens on the ground of religion, therefore
these gentlemen are cut off from urging their
views before Congress, and they fall back
upon the lesser degree of aid and comfort
that can be rendered them by the fanati-
cism of Methodist President. That gen.
t'eman, we have no doubt, would crafty
them in this instance with the greatest
pleasure, but from the fact that, though the
Methodists may have elected him, they
could not do it by themselves.
Elsewhere our readers will find In these
columns several articles on this subject,
quoted from leading New York journals
The Herald approaches to suspicion that
these men were insane. Such downright,
open imbecility and folly could not be e1-
pected of practical, sensible men, consider
ing the present complexion of public
opinion. 1t is, indeed, almost impossible
to believe that thirty intelligent men of
high position in society could be found,
who would publicly petition to exclude a
person from office simply on the ground of
his being Catholic. Still such is undoubt
eddy the fact.
We certainly hope that they will succeed
in their petition, not on the ground of Mr.
Murphy's Catholicity-which we suppose to
be of a very neutral character-but on &C
count of his being Radical. Cathoicity
does not, it is true, make q partisan of
itself, and condemn one political organiza-
ton for the benefit of another, but we do
not consider Radicalism the principle of a
party we look upon it as disease. We
| NAV be mistaken in our estimate of that
| principle in this country, but we regard it
as of a piece with radcalism in European
countries; as identical with the spirit OF
agrarianism, revolution, popular despotism
but consider Catnont rs da fe't III f tssaepn9t
connecting his name prominently with sucl
an organization.
Still, though we do not wish Mr.. Murphy
any luck in such an issue, we cannot sup
press our amazement at the effrontery will
which his religion is invoked as good cause
of persecution and exclusion. The univer-
sal Yankee Nation, though boastful by
habit, boasts of nothing SO much as it's
religious liberty. Mrs. Hemans sings: 4
They have left unstained what there they found
Freedom TO worship God"
And every Yankee poet and every Puritan
orator grows enthusiastic over his "free-
dom to worship Cod"
This freedom, after all, then, appears to
be merely on one side. just as the Pilgrim
fathers themselves worried the Quakers
and put old women to death in pursuit of
religious liberty, so the Pilgrim sons, at
this day, regard religious liberty as the
liberty to prosecute. The ancient virus is
there yet, and the chips of the old block
are of the same cross grained quality of
wood as ever, only grown little more
rotten by time.
But the devil is not without certain
plausiblity, on occasion, and even persecu-
ton always tries to trump up some kind of
an apology for its wickedness. Professionals,
of the prosecuting genus, always proclaim
their Iliberality of federation. They are
willing to grant all rights of citizenship,
Office holding and franchise, to Infidel, Jew
and Gentle. Tom Payne and his follow
ers, are highly respected. Judas Iscariot,
if he were alive, would not be elected from
any Office on religious grounds, and even
the "heathen Chinee" is as good as any
body else. The followers of Mahomet and
| Confucius, the Mormon and the Free Lover,
the Vou-dou and the Cannibal of Africa,