The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-29
A Protest.

|
sent and advocate the temporal interests
ofour Southern People and the spiritual
interests of our Catholic Church, we enter
our protest, at once and forever, with all
our energy of conviction, strength of will
and power of word, against the resolutions
, adopted at the Unification meeting held
week before last in New Orleans.
Our protest is personal. We have no
right to speak in the name of any one be
yond ourself. 1t would be an act savoripg
OF cowardice on our part, did we for any
reason, remain silent. 1t would be dere-
LECTION of duty towards our readers, from
many of whom we have already received
letters asking for an expression of BUR OPP
| inion.
But had We been asked by no one, we
would have, none the lees, said our word
upon subject SO grave.
The meeting, the new movement inaugu-
rated by 1.-THE resolutions emauating
from it and the consequences flowing from
these resolutions are. strictly political in
their character and their scope. AS such
they are the legitimate subject of freecriti-
cism and free discussion. Each man must
think for himself alone in this NATTER
and has the right to take his own side and
say his own word. We have thought our
thought-taken our sde-and here is our
word.
We protest against that meeting in so
far as it might pretend to represent sem
timent beyond that held by a very small |
fraction of Southern men.
We protest against the resolutions as a
complete surrender of everything into the
hands of those who have played upon the
ignorance of the colored people and have
preyed upon our rights.
We protest against it's Recommendations
as tending to make worse the very condi.
ton of affairs which they pretend to bet
ter. We protest against its policy as &C
cepting principles which are completely
anti southern. And were we the only ..
man in our beautiful but oppressed coun-
try to oppose the spirit and intentions of y
the now movement against all others,-and
were it our last word, we would bravely :.
record it in protest. But we are not alone.
The almost universal sentiment of the
South rc-echoes our protest. Voices rise y
all over the land, and, with no faltering J.,
accents, speak out against the new move
ment. And there are voices that come :,
from countless graves where they are resting
who died to defend principles now 80 easily =
and these voices speak with :,
IS. The motives of the men who have
'prung this law movement on the conn
ry we do not arraign. Their motives are -
pest known to themselves. They may be
lncere. They might be disinterested.
'ut the best of motives may lead to the
Iorst of consequences ;-snd the best of ee
len are liable to be mistaken. We care to
OF whose or what names may be appended nc
these resolutions. But there is a sigma 1t
ire attached that we are sorry to see OF
soldiers name ia there, in past daT va w
"thful and tried and true "a name that ~
ears the glory of many battle field. n 'A
anne that honors the man who bears it ~
'nors the country that breathes it,-hon- -,
cd the cause to whose invaded rights it -,
as 80 nobly consecrated,- the name of
eauregard. That single name gives an "
lportance to the resolutions of that meet. III
6 which they otherwise, could not claim. w
is the old story. The good soldier, as
lie, ID bad politician. He who leads on W.
o battle-fields of patriots is, too often. va
lsied on the inglorous plains of politics, 10
'auregard's signature but makes the re-. PIT
lntions of that meeting moro CALLING. s "o
9 cannot but remember now how Gener. MO
Beauregard, in conversation with our. 20"
Il blamed Longstreet for his action. Wbv W
3 change Has the brave soldier been v
trapped by the willy politicians Has iA'i
merely committed blunder9 Or bas ~"
gone into this new movement with eyes u~'
IN to its real spirit and certain conse- e g,
encesf Did he read these resolutions Au'
ore he affixed his signature3 1.-The did .r Au
:, we hope that he will withdraw his .ni'
ne. But if with full knowledge and DELHI oe''
te will he has Endorsed the policy set inei
tn in these resolutions, the Beaurepard VI
the Carondelet street meeting is not the emo
'uregard of Shiloh and the glory that tue
3 around his name on many a prond AN
tle-day has gone down forever.-Tbe plea