The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-02-25
The Grand Duke.

This young gentlemen having gone, ii
may not be amiss to say a word or two OF
the subject of his visit. AS for himself
there are two things in his favor; first he il
young, and, therefore, not as bad rs he
may yet be; secondly, he is a sailor, and
therefore, probably has some of the gen
| erous, manly traits of that profession
Besides, the fact of his youth and the
probability that lie is as yet innocent OF par
ticipating in the more fragrant wickednesa
of his race, the hospitality of our people
forbade any allusion during his presence
that would savor Of hostility. But now
that he has gone, the same consideration is
not applicable, and it would be hardly
right to let our silence imply anything like
neutrality towards his family.
The Car of Russia is the Apostate
Julian of the modern Church. AS fright
fully jealous as was the Roman Emperor
to destroy Christianity, root and branch,
SO untiring is this modern Casar to exter-
inmate every germ of Catholicity within
his dominions. Eminent prelates, vener-
able alike for their age and their sanctity,
are seized as felons and hurried off to-
wards Siberia with such rigor that death
releases them from his tyranny on the
route; priests are hunted, starved and i'm
prisoned, men and women are slaughtered
for fidelity to their faith, and even their
little babes are murdered before their eyes,
their brains dashed out with the bntt of a
musket. Extirpation of CathoIicity, and
nothing less, is the fixed purpose of this
human monster, carried out with heart
less ferocity that entities him to be called
human fiend.
His persecution Of the Church, especially
enlightened, polish ed, most elegant and
most adva need nineteenth century quietly
ignores the fact in its telegraph and its
press, and courteously shuts alike its eyes
to the atrocity of a great monarch, and it's
ears to the groans of perishing people.
Let, however, a colony of Jews get into a
squabble with their neighbors 10 some re-
mote Danubian principality, and the world
is stunned with the din of an imaginary
persecution.
The Car of Russia is not only blood
thirsty prosecutor but he is despot. His
system of government is of all within the
limits of Christendom the most remote
from any approach to self-government and
the most Indifferent to the wishes of the
population. Such q govsrnmentm may be good
in it's place and time, but it is disgrace to
a civilization founded on Christian ideas.
Yet third son of this wretch comes to
our great republic and the people of a
large section of it run wild over him. He
comes, not as individual, for in that capa-
city no one pretends tflat he has ever as
yet attracted any attention, but as a repre-
sentative of his father, as representative
of q vile despotism and malignant, wick
ed fan atheism.
1t would be wrong to insult young
man who, for all we know, may be quite
innocent personally, but it is also wrong to
overwhelm him with hospitabe attentions
By way of comp!imenting a dynasty which
is not worthy or compliment but rather OF
unqualified Reproduction. 1t was, therefore,
with great pleasure that we observed, the
very quiet reception winch the Grand
Duke met with here. His presence excited
some little curiosity but not spark of en-
thuslasm, in fact as a sensation it was q
failure. We think that prolonged stay
in our latitude and longitude would prove
as advantageous to the members Of Russian
| royalty as was Peter the Greats stay in
England. They might not learn trade
but they would be obliged to learn some
common sense views Of human nature.
The Poor CLAREs.-Mr. Bernard Hughes
who has been soliciting donations for the Con
| vent under the charge of the Nuns of the