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


because he was Catholic:
Byron, in q moment Of frenzy, cailed ior
a Miortv,narson power" to do something or
other. What it was we don't remember
and have not time to hunt up the passage,
bat we rather fancy it was to sing the pra1s-
es of the great goddess Hypocrisy: Wen,
va have at last very nearly reaiized the
cynical poets wish. The forty -pafson
mower has all but made it's first appearance
on the great American stage. 1t 10 at pres
eut only q thirty OF thereabouts parson
nower-pot quite the poets number, but
very nearly answering in the purpose 10
which it applies itself to the poets Object.
For this baud of black located brethren mas
stepped forward, being ministers of Pro-
testapt denominations, to dO-what Make
a united onslaught on sin, on immortality
on Sabbath breaking, on political corrup
ton, on the devil or any portion OF that
active personage's worksf on, dear, no
mot the least in the world. They unite ID
this comical ecclesiastical phalanx to re-
uliest the Executive to remove Roman
Catholic gentleman from the head OF the
Custom House of the city of New York.
The burlesquc aspects OF this proceeding
are so overpowering that we may be e3-
cused if we dwell almost exclusively upon
them. The thing has its serious, almost
tragical, aspect; but Divine Providence
and the congregations who pay these gen
tleman may be trusted to take care Of that.
Bat it is inexpressibly droll to observe the
total want of taste as well as of honor III
these guardians of the faith and pastors OF
the flock. Theologians have been in the
habit of talking of holy simplicity rs a
specific Christian attribute. Shall we be
thought very unkind if we characterize
this step as an illustration of profane sim
plisity? For, indeed, there ls something
little short of profane in combining such IA
mass of ecclesiastical responsibility for an
assault upon q single secular official OF a
different creed. And perfect simplicity it
is for these gentlemen to suppose that any
result can come from their eccentric
proceeding except discredit and ridicuie to
the ecclesiastical character, so far as they
represent it. 1t is curious, indeed, to see
with what animus ecclesiastics combine:
Once. and once only, did the Bishops OF
The Established Church of England COM
bine for a particular purpose in this centu-
rv. flour readers were to guess forever
tiev would never divine for what it was,
these prosperous and ponderous persr,
ages laid their heads together, and, prrai;es
by for the nonce bitter personal e. r;oh.
rious animosities, subscribed ta,,;t.sS,
reverend names to Il coming nf ra;iwar
Ii was to implore the direc,n, 90, ~ |
companies in Great Brit,on Sunaax T.at
run a single railway TIED object for which
was the n 9;s;s anu seopate blew its united
the total BRUSH All England laughed at |
and aosuIa ottss respectable way swore q
them, anu ITS breath at this amazing ex-
little uhY parsonic impracticability. But |
hl0itieas that was, it was respectable, aud |
absr digniGed and pious, compared with
SIS Illumination of a hole and corner coun- |
Gil of Protestant ministers against a par |
r e rdRisssTsaa6l ts Cd have g break but
s.rAies on the wheel but IL the butterflies
will get into the way of the wheel of bust
ness life they must thank themselves if |
they are crushed under it. We would like |
to know what the ministers Of religion have
to do with appointments to the Custom
House, and we should even more like to
know the processes of thought which in
dueed u group of these spiritual officers to
approach the Executive with such an ex-
traordinary attempt to influence his policy
and purposes. The ways of parsons are
dark, we know-too dark for us to under
Standard we generally give them up like
a riddle that cannot be guessed. But this
latest and lueerest phenomenon OF the &C.
clesiastical movement is one of which we
should very much like to have the key. Is
it case of pure spontaneous generation
Hardly there is no such thing in point of
fact. What fly was it that dropped the egg
that Matched this maggot in the respecta-
BILE brain ecclesastic7 Can it be that poll
teal eliQues know how to manipulate the
strings to which these puppets dances Can
it be that the churches are. being invaded
fghtq Can it be that the money changers
have got into the Temple and are raising
therein the seven devils of party strife 2
We shrink appalled, from such a hypothe-
sis. But what are we to think, and how
shall we explain this mysterious circum
stanceq We would give it up, like the
riddle, but we cannot. 1t will not give US
up. 1t haunts US. 1t clings like the recol-
lection of hideoas dream. 1t is q night
mare in broad daylight-an abomination of
desola,ion, and perplexity and absurdity.
And tho frightful question further arises
whether this is the first step in series of
such acts. For this sort of thing were
these gentlemen in reality, among the rest,
ordained Shall we see perpetually re-
curing series of little Protestant councils
pronouncipg infallibly upon the merits of
tax collectors and taxesf Will some little
group of tobacco-hating parsons unite in a
manifesto to the President no longer to
profane his position and the atmosphere by
the Havanas which just make his tortured
existence endurable to him9 Shall we
supplement our secular police by q reli-
Cians cansta hulnrY. which will keen q re0ia-