The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-05-26

on the Republican side have already bee
trying the temper Of the people on thi
point, and it is not at all impossible tina
organizations may be made 80 unconpro
m!s'ngiy hostile to us that we shall have {,
raise our own standard and define GU
| iihes' frotestants see all this more clearl
than Catholics, and hence the instinctivs
gatherlng together of the sects, the re-
| neWed bitterness of some of their leadinr
Journals, suoh as the New York Times and
Aa1pcrs Weekly, the attempt to exclude
our charities from the State aid to which
they are fairly entitled, the attacks upon
our schools, aud the plans for an anti. Ca
Thoiic crusade by the establishment of no.
'aopgry organs. A paper of the class indi
Gated in the extract at the head of this
article wonid not, indeed, be formidable
enemy. The people at least have no taste
ior the violent, old fashioned style Of con-
.roversy but, as one indication among
many OF the drift of Protestant sentiment,
the establishment of a professedly and dis
tinctl'ely anti -Catholic paper as q political
engine would be significant.
II evil times are coming, how are we
prepared to meet themf If our schools
are TO be attacked, our asylums and hos
pltals starved ont, our children led away
from the church and the parish school by
t Ea... strong arm Of the government, our
y
oy hostile literature, the newspapers given
up to falsehood and Misrepresentation
ABOUT our faith and practices, we who are
seven millions strong are surely not to sit
Idle and strike no blow in our own defence.
The pulpit cannot be our only guardian.
before tie altar we listen to instruction in
our religious duties, We learn Of the mys-
terles OF our creed, We are reused to peni-
tence, to charity, to the love of God and
man we do not look there for guidance in
our duty as citizens, or for the answer to
the ISLANDERS of our enemies. Our priests
have more sacred function to perform
there is still work which, from the nature
of the case, they cannot do. The Catholic
cause must be upheld not only in the
shadow of the sanctuary, but in the very
midst Of the hostile camp. The most elo.
qnent sermon cannot reach a man who will
not go to church. The most complete re-
futation OF SANDER will do no good if the
never hear the answer. But newspapers
60 everywhere. Their readers are not
confined to any one sect or any one party
and when disputes arise which affect the
relationa Of Catholics to the secular gov
eminent and to their Protestant brethren,
the heaviest of the fighting must always
be done by the daily, weekly and monthly
press. -..5
In an article published over a year ago,
We touched upon this subject in connection
with the duty of American Catholics to-
wards Catholic literature. Our rcmarks
were generally approved, we believe, but
they called forth, some little criticism of
an unfavorable character which, upon the
whole, we Were not sorry to see. 1t is an
encouraging sign of development when the
religious press shows vitality enough to
discuss something else than the common
places of controversy which have formed
the staple of Catholic and Protestant
polemics for generations. 1t is high time
for US to apply to our own publications
little of that free examination which We
have bestowed upon, others, and to let ar
gumeut among Catholic writer's be some
thing more than, the, foolish wraugling of
ambitious rivals. In the, article to which
we have alluded, We said that few Of the
Catholic papers bad aIcircuiatiou Of more
than 10 900 cad come people found fault
with US for that We .wislI we could give
not mend matters to say that all Catholic
papers are powerful organs Of. public
opinion, when we know, that they are
nothing Of the, sort. % Most of them are
doing excellent aeFvice within their ogn
sphere; but Why affect to deny that Their
sphere is a harlow ono and their means are
small Webaye tried TO impress upon the
Catholic public the duty Of supporting the
Catholic press to the utmost of their ability.
We have shown that where PrOtestants
attack US in . million printed sheets, we
give feeble answer in perhaps ten thous-
aud. We number 6, 100000 souls, yet our
pewspapers, with very few exceptions Ian
guish for want Of resders, and our colleges
are not creating IitaFaFy class among the
laity. THE IL ono aide Of tho picture, hHt
there is another. \ ~ She pablo is deipg
little for tlse papefes are The papeEs 9plne
mech nose for eh9 nnk1i : 4Rr ldaF8 ueFl
they are ..ess1 s1ey cas5 - ls.lls