The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-01-28

of high order whose lung power is limited
should endeav0r to cultivate-it was DELHI
crate, and distinctly mOdulated in Tone
Baltimore Mirror, Jan. 20.
An Irish Protestant Minister on the Women Of
Rev. Mr.. Carmichael, a graduate Of
Trinity College, Dublin, now minister of
the Anglican Church in Montreal, recently
delivered lecture in that place, from
which. We make the following extracts: -
'Midst the changing age in which we live
midst the storm of wild social theories,
which have invaded even the sanctity of
womanhood midst the garrish glare of
fashionable or worldly life,-I want you to
preserve those traits Of character which
have ever been associated with Irish We
manhood, and which, next to the Gospel
of our blessed God, have done most to form
and mould the morality of the Irish people.
1t is pleasant thing sometimes to listen to
the good things that peoENe have to say
about us. II is pleasant, therefore, to re-
member that Ireland's greatest enemies
have been forced again and again to ack-
nowledge that, whatever our national
faults and failings are, no great national
blot rests on our social and domestic lives.
The voice of Ireland has never called for a
divorce court. The voice of Ireland has
never cast contempt on. the marriage tie.
Not from Ireland has come that scorn for
the Old-that irreverance for years-that
hatred of all religious influences SO charac-
teristic of the present day. Not from Ire
land has come that degraded idea of wo-
manhood, which would sacrifice the dig
nifty of the mother and the spotless inn0-
cence of the maid on the altar of wild
recklessness, the sure and awful forerun-
ner of a wilder RIGHTEOUSNESS. Not from
Ireland have come these fashionable
- 81
fashionable wives, who talk of their third
and fourth husband whilst the first is
living. No, we have many faults and our
parents before us to answer for, but, as a
rule, Irish homes are pure. Our wives are
wives, our mothers are indeed mothers, our
national morality is q real thing, and
we owe all our blessings in this respect
first, to that reverence for religion, which
as people we have ever cherished, and,
secondly, to the spotless. purity, the queen
ly dignity of Irish womanhood, transmit
ted from age to age, and resting in the
heart, hope, of every Irisllwoman here
tonight. Now want you to strive and
preserve unsullied these characteristics.
You say: All, Mr.. Carmichael, we have
them and we are not in danger of losing
them. Well, I don't know that. These
wild, reckless ideas are very common,
and very catching. There is hardly a
modern novel published, in which the
heroine does not show her freedom by her
disrespect for her parents, her loose views
on all social ties, and her utter disregard
for everything relating to religion. Then |
you must remember that we have not to !
cross the water in order to look for even |
young women who address large audiences |
on what they are pleased to call their |
rights. The right to crush out the old God |
given idea of woman, the right to ridicule |
parental control and advice, and the right |
TO love with what they call q holy love who |
they like, and as long or as short time as |
they like. You may shudder at such strong |
meat as this You may look on such peo-
pie as selfbanished from the domain of |
able novels would not dress up such senti-
womanhood; but I can tell you that fashion
not swallow the gilded pill which is found
without the gold on the lips of those, who.
claiming the rights of mep, should be |
treated by men rs hardly worthy of the |
name of woman. Let US hold fast, then.
to our old fashioned Irish views of woman's |
life. We have almost lost our old Irish
tongue, but there were three words in that
language which 1rishmen uttered with n
holy reverence, and which they have trans
ferred to the English language with sa-
cred care. Those three words are God
mother, pife. Midst the wreck and ruin
of their nationality under penal laws that
Christian men now shudder to read
through years of famine and mournfui
poverty; midst years of success as a
strange people IN new land, we have
loved our God, and respected our parents
and cherished our wives. OF course there
have been exceptions; but the Irish heart
Is sound, and sound because the Irish Awo-
manhood is pure, and chaste, and faithful.
Of course you all remember the we'll worn
laying, let me make the songs of the
people, and 1 care not who makes the
avs" The poet elaine to rule the people. I
know not whether his claim be just; but q
know this, that woman is born to rule, i
md to rule even man himself, not by the G
orce of strong arm, not by the debasing v
assumption of masculine prerogatives, bnt '
~ the beauties of her womanly virtues, 8
nd by the sympathies and affection of her '
yomaply heart. Let the women of a land
70 ld1se and careless and Indifferent to
riticism, and the men will be low, debased n
nd british. Let young women forget the b
ignity of womanly character, and young t.
nen Will SINK below the touch of reforma- a
ion; but let the reverse be the case, as it 4
J, thank God, with us let mother be in il
eed mother, wife indeed wife, and g