The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-12-21
The Catholic Union and the Farcchial
ta, m Schools, Ia s~ -.


Militant Union 10 organised 10 thas Of do
Tending che Church againss all persecution.
NotonIy 10 this principle perfectly good, but
organization under it 10 earnestly recon-
meudsd by the Holy Father himself. It 10
not sufficient to stand mp bravely against
persecution individually, but 1t must be
done collectively. Opposition to It in all
ito shapes must be organised. Il must not
only DO resisted passively. The enemies
Of truth and justice combine in order to
give force and efficacy to their efforts and
their combinations are marked by great
skili and wisdom. They adapt their means
to their ends with consammate ability.
Should the friends Of truth show less ability
and energy on hoir. sidef Ooght the love
Of God and His justice to be less power
full incentive to ,watchfulness and labor
than the vile passions " lust, ambition,
.avarice and bigotry that nerve wordlings
| up to such we'll sustained efforts
This principle Is we'll understood. Ca
tholics know as well as infdels that COM
bination and union are absolutely neces-
sary to strength and efficiency, and, to do
them justice, they have shown great ala
Gritty in responding to the calls made on
them to that effect. The formation of the
Catholic Militant Union of this city, for
instance, was marked by q Spontaneous
| response on the part of our Catholic popu-
| lation highly creditsble to them. Sections
were formed promptly and universally, and
they were filed to overfowing with earn
est, willing members.
Gradually, however, the spirit which
marked that beginning has died away.
Sections are lapguishing and dying. A
few under special guidance have maintain
ed an earnest, hopeful front, exhibiting
great life and activity, but these are ex
captions. Some are extinct and others
keep up merely peace footing with barely
a corporal's guard to show that the post ia
not abandoned.
The inquiry naturally presents itself
why this Premature decay has manifested
it's presence. Every thing seemed favora-
ble,-the desires of the Pope, the impulse
of our people, the sanction of their prelates
and the necessities of the age. Why then
the comparative failure of our attemptf
The only reason that we have heard as
signed is that no practical direction has
| been given to the impulses of the people.
1t is all, so far, words. Vor, ct preterea
mihil There is much talk, a great deal of
meeting together, considerable speech
making by the gifted and corresponding
amount of fervent attention from tho rank
and file. After that comes the adjourn
ment, and after the adjournment members
| ask themselves with surprise If that is all.
They had evidently thought that there was
something to do. There being nothing to
do, they feel disappointed and forget all
about the next meeting.
If this lie the real cause of the present
want ofinterest in the work, that is to say ,
that there 10 actually no work about it,
may it not be remedied9 Is there not
some active measure that can be adopted
by the Union and which will come legiti-
mately within the scope of its constitution
Let US see. Its object is to defend the
Church against persecution in every shape.
What is the shape in which persecution
shows itself most persistently and dan
gerously in this agef There can be no
diversity of opinion. about this. The OBJ
jective point Of all persecution is mani
festly the education of youth. The spirit
of the age does not favor the massacre of
grown Catholics, therefore a more iDgen
ious plan for destroying the Church has
been hit upon. Take possession of all
Catholic children, do not hurt a hair of
their heads, but educate them all to he
iufidels. Teach them to scoR at the
Church of their fathers. In Europe, break
up all Catholic schools by force and expel
all Catholic teachers from the country. In
America, where there is q pretense of re-
ligious freedom, you can hardly do that
by force, but you must break up Catholic
education by making Catholic citizens pay
over to infidel public schools all the money
they can we'll epare for education.
Here, then, is the persecution. How can
the Catholic Union war against that -
We are told that there ought to be CO.
operation at the polls. True enough, but