The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-03-02

proving inferior to bis predecessor.
81 confess, therefore, thouglAmy interest
in my country and countrymen is as great
as ever, do not consider it a high compile
ment to be credited with an intense Amer
icanism. Whore the people are Catholic
and submissive to the law of God, as de-
clared and applied by the Vicar OF Christ
and supreme pastor of the Church, Demo-
cracy may be good form of government;
but combined with Professionalism and in
fidelity in the people, its inevitable ten
dency is to lower the standard of morality,
to enfeeble intellect, to debase character,
and to retard civilization, as even our short
American experience amply proves. Our
republic may have had a material expan-
sion and growth but every observing and
back. as mine does, over fifty years, sees
that in all else it is tending downward, and
is on the declivity to utter barbarianism.
No: am by no means welded to Amer
icanism as understood and practiced by my
non Catholic countrymen. 1t may be des.
tined to "make the tour of the globe"
but do not look to it or to any other pos
sible political system for the regeneration
of modern society, or the salvation even of
my own country. God may override evil
for good, but no political constitutions,
changes, revolutions, arrangements, or ad-
justments whatever, if taken alone, can do
anything for the progress of man and of
w
they are, to use threadbare illustration,
the play of Hamlet with the part of the
Prince of Denmark left out they lack
the light, the warmth, and the life giving
power of the sun, and are what our mate
rial world would be were there no sun in
the heavens.
MODERN PROGRESS.
al place little value on what is called
material progress, and regard the boast
ed progress of modern civilization, in all
other respects, as deterioration. Modern
civilization is substantially that of the
Gentle world before it's conversion to
Christianity. The glorious Reform alton"
of the sixteenth century was an apostasy
from Christ, as was Gentilism from the pa
triarchial religion, and in principle a re-
turn to pure heathenisn. The sects have
they have NO just title, as but few of their
members are even baptized. They are as
much in the dark as to the origin and end
of man as were the heathens themselves,
and just as uncertain and anxious about
the future. They are as unsettled about the
principles and duty of moral obligation !;
they are equally welded to the earth and
equally with them worship might and
adore success. Indeed Christendom has
become heathenized, and Professionalism is
only carnal Judaism revived. Hence can
have no disposition to concede anything to
it, OR sympathy with those who demand an
alliance of the Church with modern civili-
cation. The Syllabus tells us what we are
to think of these who advise the Church
to sanction and bless it and seek strength
in calling to her aid the spirit of the age,
or, rather the "prince of this world.''
" There is, and always will be, enmity
between Christ and Satan, and consequent
~ between the Church and the world. The
Christian cannot follow or conform to the
n n ~kf no
tray ing his Lord aBd going over to the en-
envy. They who object to the Church, be-
cause she resists the spirit of the age or
the popular tendency of the times, prove
the spirit of Satan, not by any means the
spirit of Christ the Lord. The damnipg
error of Gioberti, was not in his specula
tive philosophy OF theology, but in his eff
fort to effect union or concord between
Christian civilization and Gentilism !;
which is like seeking to establish concord
between Christ and Belal. Hence the
Jesuits, though perhaps not always justi-
fed in their criticisms on his speculative
philosophy, felt instinctively the anti
| christian tendency of his writings, and OPP
posed him q la outrance; for, whatever
may be said of tho children of st. Ignatius
it must be conceded that they have truly
Catholic instincts, and a remarkable gift
of almost anerringly detecting through any
and every disguise, the real enemies of the
SuuASu VI Uou. AHcy may uo OSCuTuNLtSH,
but only in relation to the false lights of
the age or modern liberalism, to which the
Holy Father has justly attributed the Gala
mites of modern society, especially in
France.
"For myself, accept the statement of
the anti-Catholic, sectarian, and secular
press that the Syllabus condemns all the
distinctive features of what is called "mOd-
ern civilization )" and draws the line be-
tween Catholicity and the world in bond
age to Satan SO clearly and distinctly, that
there is no installing it. 1t presents the
true issue and those who are not with
the Pope are against God, and therefore
against the rights and in terests of men and
nations. The Review, as long as I am
able to continue it, will to the best of my
knowledge and ability, defend the issue
which the Holy Father has made, without
| seeking it's favor, or shrinking from its
wrath. The age as 1 have said, needs
Catholicity in its strength, not in its weak
ness in the sense that it condemns its
errors, exposes it's false principles and
maxims, and offers barrier to it's destruc-
tive tendencies. Nobody must expect
from the Review any soothing words for
the enemies of the Church, any effort to
COuCiliAta the 6eanOi7ara and ravilaro of