The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-08-25
fhs Few Ysrk HsIss Of Refuge Question and the
i Rights u Catholics.

fhs Few Ysrk Hs1se, Of Refuge Question and the
i Rights Il cathelies.
z The Committee of Investigation into the
MANA cement Of the HOUSE, OF Refuge on
Ranasllss leland closed its labors on Satnr-
tendont Jones and the managers from the
other charges made against thens and, On
tho subject Of religious instruction IN the |
House, 1eserving decision until 2 repofs,
fully considered, can DO procured and sub.
mitted 30 the Legislature. The charges 81
treatment of tho prisoaers, having been
dispssed: of BIZ o verdict Of scqeittel, In
AeEanlt of criminating evidence, the issue
between the public and the House OF hea-
uge reaoeea itsslf tn, . question 0f religion.
Whethef shall Rnotastant managars and
Protestant chaplain elect . religion for the
Catholic children under theit CHARGE and
enrtails their'libertyo Of complying with the
pfecapfs and receiving tho Consultations of
their own religion, or shaal the full enjoy
naeht.nf that liberty he settled beyond con
troll npon them. This il the question which
the pablo has now right to enforce upon
she Attention of the Hohse Of Refuge mRe-
agers.I, In particular il is the daty and the
rfgist,oE Catholics To demand q settlemens
or this question: We are by no means
lsatisAea with the inveatigation made by,
ccmmission consisting Of the, Protestant ,
Couauaissiohers of Charities, and sonae aof
the, AIanszers of the institution under trial.
Watare not satisfied, although, in the latter
past Of the tsial, Catholi0swere represented
by two connseuors. We are anxipes to
know if 9msnagers of the House and the
chaplain thereof are adeq uate -witnesses In
their own behalf Or if inmates of the,
House, totally in the power Of: those Inter
Gated In the character and effect Of their
testimony, are to be considered free and
reliable Witnesses No! the charge made,
against the House OF Refuge, for we con-
Rne ourselves. now to the principal accusa-
ton, Of religious. intolerance can only be
proved or dsproyed by the; children and
the Catholic chaplain Of the Institution. 1t
is for the former to say whether or not
they have been subjected to the religious
interference charged against the MANAGE
| mentss bot to say this, with wholly unhan,-
pered regard to the truth, they must be In
I . position secure from the after effects OF
I speaking truth that may be unpalatable.
The Catholic chaplain sl0ne could say
whether or not he has been wholly free In
the exercise of his ministrations. The tes-
| timony taken ON this question Of religion
was principally from the chaplains, Both
| Catholic and Protestant, and from inmates
of the HOAse. . We can como to NO other
conclusion, after an attentive eonssdeFa-
| ton, than one which We are cory for many
reasons, IL the only one pessible,-na@ely,
that the vital charges affecting the re-
j iigious management Of the House have not
! been answered in the somewhat lengthy
testimony taken. Therefore, We must and
do hold the Houae Of Refuge auswera bic
for theee charges, as embodied in Father
Renaud's letter, published last week, and
which all the testimony that we have seen
ON the Catholic side goes to substantiate.
I'm letter Of Father Duranqaetis x-Chap-
lainl, Of January 6, 1871, to the Rev. Ar.
Pierce, Protestant Chaplain, he complains
of I" the blending together Of the same ser:
vice, tho action Of the Catholic priest and
that of the Protestant minister" and, tn q
letter Of January 18th, of the same year,
whilst thanking the Rev. Mr.. Pierce for
having conceded to him the privilege ol
giving inatrnctions to the children, he thus
sums up the grievances to which Catholis
. subjects of the Refuge are made the vic
tins. "But IL the action of the Catholic
priest upon Catholic children Is to be con-
fined to an instruction of general charac-
ter once every Two months, If that instruc
ton forms but part Of q Protestant ser
vice, If the children have no access to the
Sacramento of their Church except In time
of sickness, if, in his instruction, the priest
cannot exhort them to the reception O
those Sacramento, then the exercise of theil
religion continues to be practically exolud-
ed from the institution" IN Y. 1Snes
August 2d) Which detail practically
: amounts to the came thing as Father Ken
aud's charges, the sum of which 10 that the
inmates of the Refuge, and but limited ant
seriously restricted liberty to minister t.
Catholic, but it is undoubtedly the fact th9
Father Renaud's expression, on the stand
"The feeling among Catholics, generally
r In that all the minisLrations conducted IL
the House are Protestant" remains as true
now as it was before the Committee of In
vestigation began an inquiry which ma
ended in nothing more satisfactory to Co
i thoiics than report to the Legislatu II,
:. It=was, AuuouRceds by the President Of tn
. COMMITTEES, that 80 che Commission woRl,
I long consider before report was made T
the Legislature. and that should only b
a when the eleven State Commissioners
! should have fully considered it. Tn
q qaestton was one Of vast Importance an
deserved the most careful reflection" Gu
( estimate OF the "vast Importance Of thi
! question of the religious rights Of Catho
: lies in the House of Refugees fully as hig
! as can be that of the Chairman of the. In
, vestigating Committee; but We cannot con
ceive why the necessity of long consider der
q ing" in deciding in case which Is sim
u ,,ottar IF ri0ht Catholics demand TO