The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-16
F,rniug Star and Catholic Messenger.
uEW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. NOvEMBHR 10 1873.

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PlbEie Duties Of Catholics.
|
VIEWS or AN ENGLISH BISHOP.
A meeting Of Roman Catholics Of Bolton,
England, wae held some time since IN the
II welcoming the Bishop Of Stafford, Or.
Herbert Vaughan, to the town. Inc ateen-
lance was large.
The Bishop, who was loudly cheered,
Aid that as they had asked him to speak to
hem q few vOrds of encouragement, and to
|eii them what appeared to him the most
Important of their public duties, he would
peak to them frankly the words which
lame to his lips. He was invited some
months ago to Bolton to meet the Catholic
Association; aud if the present meeting
eoD stituted the Catholic Association of
Bolton it gave indeed most noble promise |
for the future. The town was divided |
spirisually into several districts or parishe {,
hnd he rejoiced to think that all these
parishes and spiritual districts could meet
together In one bond of union where their
|pubiic duties were concerned. He consld-
|ered that organization was essential in the
present day to the Catholic body II 1t
would make itself heard aud felt through
ont the country. 1t was not they who had
begun it; they were entering into the epirit
| of the nation, which was organizing hse.t
according to the different opinions, politl-
cal or religious, which the people held. 1t
was impossible that each Individual could
make his voice heard separately, ana ID
order that all should be heard 1t was neces-
gary that each should fall inte that organi-
cation which truly and best represented INV. nas
ideas, whether political or religious, ana
that by means of such an organization his
opinions aud bis feelings should be MADE
known to the world and have tEeir weight,
whatever that might be. 1t was In this
way that the people of this country formed
Hlnhe
and into various categories of political and
religious opinion, and it was in this way
that associations, differing perhaps from
each other, made their voices heard. The
public opinion of the country was formed
iuet "a the instruments played in band
although varying in volume, strength, ant
tone, Yet when concentrated producing thu
harmony of a musical organization. Thu
IL was in accord with the spirit of the Eng
lish people that all her members shoul'
frankly meet together and openly expires
| their opinions, making them known, an
using whatever influence they possesses
towards having them carried if necessar
even into law. He must say that Catholic
enjoyed this fully as much as any OF the'
fellow subjects. There was in the mids
of the English heart, together with niue
preiudice against the old religion, and b
must add much ignorance, at the bottom
feeling of honesty and fairplay which
whatever alarms might pass over the Enc
lish heart, would assert itseF at last. d
would give them two instances only. Whs
was the ballot, which had now becom
laWf 1t was passed in the interests OF fai
DIay. Personally, he was not in favor
the ballot, for he liked every man to spes
ont, above board, to the whole world VIII
his opinions were, but the ballot was a
cessary on account Of the Glaze and una
infiuerc which was brought to bear upe
a great number of the voters OF the cou
try, so that they could not express the
true convictions. Consequently, while
believed that the system of the ballot W
contrary and alien to the English spirit a
character, yet he thought that the spirit
fairplay in the English character assert
itself, and that the natural Meditation
the people, which was the only test OF ia
play. said, If the people cannot W
with impunity, if they cannot vote fall
and according to their convictions, then
will give them the ballot, 30 that they M
which had come to hand only few ds
ago. They had heard-who had 1
heard? of the pilgrimage made
some 200 or ], 300 Catholics from Engla
to Paray-le- Monial. What was the OBJ
of this pilgrimage some one or TWO p
Dle endeavored to make the public belle
that it was political, but the public KIN
verv we'll that it had purely religious
iect and although it was a purely Cat
lie religious object, the pilgrims were
lowed by some nine or ten reporters
correspondents Of the London and prov
cial press, to report all their proceedi
to the British public. When some ten
twelve English newspapers-Protest
newspapers followed the Papists to Par
le-Monial, it must have accustomed v
sore temptation to John Bull to see moth
very good in what the Papists were dol
and yet what was the case These reps
ers who followed the pilgrims, and day
day reported what was done, did so on
whole with a fidelity and an accuracy al
good feeling which did honor to the Bri
press. They heard at Paray lie Monial
of the correspondents called upon to
spond to a few words of kindness wi
were said by one of the clergy to the
porters who were present. This gen
man said he was a Protestant, and he Ct
there with a prejudice. Some things
had understood, come he had not nn'
stood, and come he had disliked bul
considered the mission of the press to
sacred one, and he had determined to
aside all his prejudices and to give, so
as he could, an exact account of all he
because he believed that truth in the