Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-01-24
CONVERTING THE AFRICAN.
What Father Burke Tells OF the
Catholic Mission TO IA Enamel
pa1ed SKaves.

P1ACA 6A4NCH
The advent of four missionary priests
of the Catholic faith on American shores,
with the svowed and single purpose of
preaching tbs gospel to the recently lib
ersted slaves OF the South, has excited no
little speculation In the minds Of many
people. Inquiry in regard to the matter
runs into various channels. What is the
meaning of the movement What - its
extent? What will be likely to result?
What effect viii it have on b besotted
Africsnsf
The result OF the movement viii
| certainly benefit the "colored broth
en-" If the labors OF those single-minded
Fathers should prove fruitful, then the
other lsborers in the general vineyard
| will step in also, striving to garner some
of the harvest. It is probable that the
emsnctpatad blacks will become the OBJ
iect of the tendsrest solicitude on the part
of all the northern religious organize
tions, so that the dull ears of Sambo viii
be vexed with endless snd conflicting
bRrsngues upon the momeutOUs question
of h hereafter.
With the view of ascertaining some
facts in @ injection with this recent move
msnt from London, an APPEAL reporter
called on the distinguished Father Burke
yesterday at the Presbytery of st. Peters
I gAAAGA0 A ISL 6GAQLas Tx ACNA4 A4G
learned padre in the library, robed in the
| picturesque white of the Dominican order,
end had on a closely fitting cap of what
appeared to be black besr-sktn. Our re-
porter managed without much cere-
mony to engage the very sffsbls priest in
a conversation upon the question of con-
verting the colored race. Father Burke
was IS outspoken IS his broad Irish fScs.
| He said the church strongly desired the
conversion of the colOred people to the
true faith of ~Christ-thas nothing else
could save them. There was no nation nor
people on earth that had not been offered
| the faith by the church. The divine COM
! mand, $50 re, therefore, unto all Ms
/ TONS" had been fulfilled, but the church
is tireless in her efforts to convert souls.
This mission to the colored people OF the
South is but another expression Of her So
licitude for the welfare of souls.
The reporter asked the psdre what was
the extsnt Of the movement, or did 1t orig
mate In Rome2
Father Burke said that the effort was a
purely English one. For some years, ne
said, q number of people In England had
been working to estsbllEh a missionary
young ecclesissties, TO 60 forth TO the
English. speaking people OF ths world TO
preach the faith. Owing to the fact that
vast hunters of the educated and the
wealthy people of England had recently
returned to the bosom of the Churchfccm
which they had been 50 loug separated, a
missionary spirit was developed that
sought fields of labor. The projected col
lsge proved to be a failure, owing to
some cause or other, snd It appears
that the energy and mesns which were
employed upon It were turned, perhaps
| providsntislly, to the service OF the COL
Orea people in the Unitsd States.
The principal people IN the movement
were an old and a-istocrstic English
family Of the name of Vaughn, and OF
this family q member called Herbert
| Vaughn is the hesd Of the mission. The
| bishop of Plymouth is uncle of this young
priest His father wss q colonel il tbs
| English army, who served with great dis
tinction during the Crimsan war. This
brsve old soldier has q large family Of
sons, most of whom have been ordsinsd.
The whole movement proceeds IRON and
Is supported by thigh" English families.
| Those who engsge in the mission mske q
vow that they will devote their lives to
the service OF the emsEcip1tSd slaves.
Many others are now In course of prePar-
alton for tne gigantic work. When they
srrive here they go to h headquarters
of the mission, which will be established
in Maryland, and remain there till they
receive orders. They viii be under the
AAAO1 " NA0 GAoA0RAA1 IL &AT 0AlSGlS -
which they may be called 20 preach.
In reply to 8 query put by the re-
porter SIS to what effect the mission
would be likely to produce on the
negroes, the father said that it would
have tbs hsppiest effect. The church, ne
continued, Is the greatest of all Jewellers.
She levels down barriers that ought not
to exist, while she Strengthens these that
ought to continue. Within her sanctuary
every one is equal because IL is the house
| of God, and before Him all mankind must
appear equally humble and meek, The
church, therefore, would do away with
all prejudice and i'll feeling; but as she
is the great advocate of order, and the up
holder Of evsry just right, snd teaching
to all men their proper duties, she gives
power and permsnenca 20 those social
distinctions that are too often and disss-
trously broken down.
As the APPEAL representative did not
wish to 60 into a philosophical discussion
upon things in general snd church
matters in particular, be turned the con-
versation to the interesting topic Of the
lecture which is TO be delivered in the
theater Monday night.