The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-07
Missionaries and Opium.

Missionaries and Opium.
From recent speech of Lord Granville
in the House of Lords, it seems to be
fixed idea in the Chinese mind that religion
aud the opium trade 60 together, and, a
the two do not always square the one will
the other, it is clear that John Chinamal
has got it into his head that those VIII
profess the first are very often much to-
sharp in their trading practices to be com
Portable parties to get on with. For which
reason the outer barbarian, especially if b.
is a missionary, is opposed in every way
and when practicable, got rid Of VIII!
Lord Granville should oppose the cause o
missions In general, is clear enough. But
says the Weekly Register:
Why he should turn upon tho Catholi,
missionaries, and indulge himself in such &
quite SO evident. The Protestant mission.
airy is sent out for the same end as the Ca.
tholic, to raise up the Banner of the Cross
and to preach in every town and village
the glad tidipgs of the Gospel. As such lie
is bound to spare no pains, to spend him
self and to be spent in the cause, to keep
himself unspotted from the world, free
cares. AS such he is expected not to fol-
low the example of Demas, in loving and
following after the things of this life rather
than those of that which is to come, and,
above all, to throw no obstacle in the way
of the advance of religion by even SEEM
ing to be attracted by the sight of filthy
lucre.
But, if Lord Granville is to be trusted,
this is the fate which the Catholic mission
airy alone meets, the Protestant being al
lowed to live on quietly in his own home.
Are we, then, to conclude that he is less
jealous than his Catholic brother, or must
we deem the other tricky trader, who,
whilst he goes among the people, crucifix
in hand, employs his time in cheating the
natives in the matter of opium and easing
them of their superfluous cashf The
greatest enemy of the Catholic mission
aries have never laid this sin to their
charge, though they have not spared to
accuse them Of proselytism, or ipjudicious-
ness, and of an indiscreet zeal in the exer-
else of their holy calling. We, therefore,
cannot join Lord Granville in the censure
which he has passed upon our CO. religion
lists in China.
Failing that conclusion, we are driven to
adopt the other, namely, that the Protest.
ant missionary has earned the praise of the
zeal and an utter disregard of the sacred
object for the promotion of which be has
oeen sent out at a vast expense to some
'eligious society at home. And this view
The statistics and particulars supplied us
~ non-Catholic, as we'll as by Catholic
writer's, amply bear out. True tue mission
lries in question send home hourishing ac-
counts of their work, and crafty the hearts
If the subscribers to the various missionary
societies by the recapitulation of their sue
,esses among the heathens. But the fact
'emains the same that their successes exist
out on paper, OF, when analy zed, prove to
consist solely in the distribution of Bibles
he banks as they paddle up the river or
lawdle along the streets in their luxurious
,alanquins. But they are careful to con-
zeal the tact that these very books come
back to them sometimes serving as wrap
'ers for the smuggfed opium, and, not I'M
frequently, in the shape of wadding
ahmed down round the ball in the match
ock or gin-gal. Another fact remains, to
which We would advert, fact which may
It times at once prejudice the Chinese
against all missionaries, or incline them
Turing their outbreaks to spare the Pro-
There is no doubt that many of
hese Protestant missionaries have extern
i've dealings with the natives in the mat
er of opium. Retaining their title of min
sters as a cloak, they 60 in as keenly for
'uying and selling the forbidden drug as
he veriest Jew merchant in the country.
thus it may be that by the unscrupulous-
less of some, aud their neglect of the rules
# common honesty, they have gained
,ad name for themselves, and brought dis |
redit on their cause. This, by a reflex
principle of Chinese metaphy sicians, is ap-
,lied to all missionaries, and for the mis-
leeds of the few the great body suffers
Dr. it may be that by thus doing to the
Chinese as they on their part, do to the
utter barbarian, the Protestant missionaries
make friends with the Mammon of I'm
righteousness, and are thus saved in the
lour of peril, when their Catholic brethren,
o whom such practices are utterly foreign,
ire being cut off for the only reason that
hey will not be both in the world and oil
he world.
THE GREAT BEAUTY OF IRELAND.-We |
know, of course, that Ireland is called the |
Emerald Iaie " and that the crt.,r tho |