The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-28
Political Bigotry.

Political Bigotry.
Boast we though we may of our liberal
ideas, our free institutions, our tolerance Of
all faiths, creeds, and opinions, the country
teens with bigots. Beside the largest
liberty stands the narrowest bigotry. In
politics, we have bigots to no end-men
who set mp their own notions of right, and
law, and government, as the absolute, in
fallible standard, and who hate, and de-
nounce, and pursue with bitter words, all
who differ from them. Both parties in the
country, Democrats and Radicals, have
their political tigots. They are those who
deal in abuse because they have not the
sense, or brains. to deal in argument;
they are those who disgrace their speeches
with personalities because they have not
the education to discuss principles; they
are those who substitute the power of the
lungs for the power of logic; men Of mar
row, shallow intellects, in whose heads
there is only room for one idea; men OF
superficial education, and yet, withal, pos
sessing a aippant tongue-endowed with
the gift of the CAB; men who mistake the
mouthings of stupidity and ignorance for
the utterances of eloquence and wisdom,
and who have never in their lives been
found guilty of proving anything, except
their OWE conceit and impudence. And
yet, singular to say, multitudes hang on the
words of these political bigots-fOllow them,
applaud them, and indorse their sayings,
with the Traditional Endorsement of the
rabble-an inane hwyrah. There is nothing
like hurrah in this country. 1t is a sort
of political act of faith made in speakers
and in speech. We have borrowed the
custom from the brute creation. To hur-
rah is sort of way Of proving things, and
of accepting conclusions. There is pic
introduced the barbaric hurrah into our
and of the civilization it has
become a very powerful element. And 80
the political bigots rant, and shout, and
regale the ears of the multitude, who love
such music, with senseless sound and the
papers glowingly describe such things as
eloquence, and wisdom, and logic and the
people, too languid to make the effort to
think, with mouths agape, swallow the
shoutings of nonsense and-hurrah! Thus,
ssdeep calleth unto Deep"
But the political bigotry that calmly and
deliberately sits down to write for the peo-
pie, is far worse, and more rancorous, than
the bigotry which stands up, all excite
ment, to speak face to face with the people.
Passing from political bigots who speak, to
those who write for the benefit of the very
enlightened people, and examine those
very noble ~ forms of literature and those
matchless vehicles of thought political
newspapers-we meet with the same exhi-
bition of ignorance. In the dearth of ar
gument, there is o feast of abuse. In many
of them the use of uicknames is taeiI
highest logic. Savage personalities form
their syllogisms. Fierce epithet, violent
| vituperation, low hung alluson, bald jest
and every other vile and dishonorabl'
means which bigotry can employ, ar
brought forward az elements of persuasion
Lying before us are many political news
papers-some of them the leading ones il
the country-and in the most of them Their
is a lack of that courtesy which should b
shown, at least by gentlemen, even to a
enemy there is very little discussion {
principle, and their words are brands {
passion rather than utterances of reason
There is q wild animalism about thel
nearly all and did we not know bette
we would be apt to think that the editori'
{ pen was in the paw of q bear, instead of
the hand of a gentleman. Hatred bege
3 hatred-bigotry begets bigotry. The PEI
t pie who applaud such things are not a VIII
better than the authors of such things.
A. j. r.
RIGHT AND DUTY.-This age; with vol
arrogant and loud, is constantly speakiI
of Rights. 1t seldom has q word to say
Duties. In speeches, books, pamphlet