The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-08-18
u TsT.,--I Il!I--.r - DE
10 ausaOur Literature

is the Human Scripture of human inspira- :
tion. 'Tis the human Bible wherein man
is constantly revealing himself. It changes
with the centuries. 1t is modified by races
nationality, individuality. tits subject to
a thousand eyer.varying influences. The
inner.life of nation or.san age is fairly
Judged by the, literature which expresses I
that life in outer forms. -.
~ What most impresses any age will be
certain to nd1expression. Whatever an
age feels. the deepest it will be sure to
reveal. As the stream seeks the sea the
law Of thoughts to flow into words. ~
man passions cannot keep silent. They
elamor for lips to speak them and for pens
to write them. nat Z; -~ s-,f.. 'e.gs -
The hearts emotions will not remaip J
unspoken In the heart. In tie garb OF
words they win wander into language. ~
| And TINA humanity In every. age, express.
es its impressions ;-portrays its own char
actert and creates a literature strictly in ac-
cordance with its own image and likeness.
NAM like God in creation, goes out of him.
self and creates his own image. In no way
so much SO as in literature,i;to I'D, - ses
4 tTGiyen then the literature ofeany age We
can 3udge,of the spirit Of that age ;-or,'
given the spirit Of any age we can snfaliibly
cSnclude to the literature which that age
shall produce. An age whose spiritis mas
tered by religion will produce q religious
literature. 90. =. ;'.t.,j
An irreligious generation viii express.
a An :hgs Which worshipsS Parity, = whose
inner-life is regulated By high standards Of
morality, will, if It write at alh write
! purely. An age which loves the truth and
! is true to the truth will create no lying
Seaiterature.. For each age is bound to speak
the thoughts which master it,-.and. in
a doing 90, is bound to reveal itself. What
81 does our age utter I In what speech does
i It speak and wfite7 What are its accents7
"a Has it passions 1t has. Does it reveal
: them7 1t does. What are they Has it
= emotions7 It has, for it has hearts.
!, Does it manifest them . 1t does,-for it
0 has millions of.lips and thousands of pens
o What are these emotions Has it ideas
}, 1t has,-for it has minds. Does it utter
4 them9 1t 'does,-for the Press ia never
9 weary.-What are these ideasfl~ Has il
:. aspirations 1t has,-for it has souls
t Does it manifest themf 1t does,-for as
piratiops, like ,springs. that break uE
i through the rocks, rush passionatety ints
: speech. And where find' We these az
~ pirations,- ideas, -ennoti ons,- passions
.fiFinding them we find the, spirit of the age
i Wbere7 >'s sf-'eF s;g'i"esef
8 In it's literature. For as the great MA
h9rial monuments of lineage are the sigr
d ksnd symbol and proof, of its vest msteFia
t. siren 9Th; SO its literature is the index Q
it's spirit,-the expression of its impress
f siions,4the image of its sou1-its mind
o lits heart.
all. And that Literaturese- What tdoes il
i express THE Hight The Holy The
8. Pure T., The Beautiful The Grand : ,aTh
u Heroic 2 30 -.sos e.. s--." ".''"' M q '''r
e r. Have YOU read it as we have read it
II FHave you studied it as we have studied
l.; TT What found you in it f--Now ant
i then, like few, fair, scattered flowers in
y. dismal desert, pure, fresh thoaghts. Nov
IA and then the breath Of heaven in its words
ytNow and then, but very rarely, the shadoy
at of a lofty thought. Now and Chen. tn
d. faint and far-coming perfume CT purifie
re emotions. .. .s. r.. ......-,4 o.. 10. d
I'd its forms ;-judge of it in its entirety
3D. what is. TT Earthly, of tie earth ;-- .
n sual,-immoral. What does it talk about
~ Lovef.b But what is it's love7 Inane sen
e. timent,- polished sensualism.
ty Does it tell of, historyH What is, it
al historyf Truth, and the whole truth =
be. BY no means. 1t bends facts to it's fallacie
e, and prejudices. .... .... *
he Does it speak of Philosophy And it
Philosophy,-whatis it7 Vagaries. o.. iii
of Docs it speak of Religions Howl Re
g. ligion ia refined naturalism. ...-.
I'd Its passions are low its ideas; dark an
SO wild its emotions, physical sensations )
he its aspirations, earthwards. And thi
ed literature is. the written confession of til
r. bins of the soul and the mind and the hear
%, of our age.
is 1t tells a sad,-sad tale of the presen