The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-04-06
sorning Star and Catholic messenger.
NsW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. APRIL 9. is.a.
Tho American Interest in St. Pasrick's Day Pro-
cessions

Tho American Interest in st. Patriek's Day Pro
cessions.
Upon this subject, the Catholic Rerieao
Of Brooklyn, in its issue of the goth ult.,
has an excellent article, the concluding
paragraphs of which we give below. We
are sorry to see in one of the preSeus par
agraphs of the same article, that the Edi-
tor Of the Reuie,o commits an error but too
common with our northern contemporaries,
and which was deservedly rebuked in our
issue Of Feb, ID, In the case of tho " Cath
lilo Annual " as follows:
"Thero is one very serious blemish-in it.
self most insulting to the Catholics OF the
South not, of course, intended to DO so by the
excellent compilers of the Almanac, yet high
ly culpabe in book of the kind. In q list of
dates, on page &, the late war between the
Southern States and the United States Gov
eminent, has no other name given 1t but The
Southern Rebellion"
Though the terms rebel" and " rebellion Z"
have beeu used, even in tho South, in loose
sense, yet every Catholic ought to know that
real rebellion 10 q grievous crime before Coo
and man. We entered the war not ms rebels
against o lawful government but as citizens
obeying our State Governments which the
Constitution of the United States declared TO
be sovereign in all things not delegated TO the
IL jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
III some Oh our opponents III Tue NOTlu Lulhh
the case was O rebe lion, we do not care to quar-
rel with their opinions. But that q CatkolIc
book which is supposed to use terms of NOR
aIty in their true meaning, should give the
word " rebellion as the ono proper name by
which to record the war is unaccountable to
Especially when we consider that thors-
ands of Catholics took devoted part in it,
and they were never censured therefor by their
Pastors, neither Priests nor Bishops, and these
same priests and bishops were never ccnsured
for negligence by the Holy See. If it was
rebellion, then, no priest coul give association
to any one engaged in it without sanctioning
and committing sacri1ise."
The Rerieiu is one of the best papers in
the country, and will prove very acGcpta-
BILE to the people 10 the South if is Editor
will only be more careful in tic use OF such
words as " rebellion" when speaking of
the civil war in this country. We now
give the extract with regard to st. Pat
riek's day professions, above alluded to:
Were there nothing more in those long
lines Of processionists on ST. Patr:ck's day
than O public celebration of Ireland's fes-
tival thcre 10 in that alone a deep and
touching pathos, that busy industry may
we'll pause for awhile to recognise with
sympathy and respect. The scene of these
thousands marching-and those other
thousands gazing and applauding-to
whom the land of their birth was but one
Of poverty, oppression nud drspair-who
have been separated from her bosom by |
tho broad ocean and long decades of years
and she, their Erin, having nausht t"
call forth their passionate love hit the
claim that she is their natisc land, yet
finding that one spell all pntont to keep
taelr heart of hearts. Al this, in this |
hard and practical aye, teaches lesson Of |
pure devotion aud nubie faith, tina. renders !
the spectator OF Whatsoever nationality, |
all the purer and III ,uiier for tho sight.
But St. PatricN'a day has become in
America something more than the festival |
day of Erin. hr procession has, of late |
years, been assuming n character more |
definite and unmistakable at each success
siVe anniversary, which commands for it
not merely respect and tolerntion but uni
versal sy mpathy and aid.
In fact, the 18th of March is now the |
great Festival of Temperance. Ire Var
ade is an actual pageant, and an ever any
menting triumph of that sacred cause. O.,
the last anniversary, the Total Abstinence
Societies actually constituted the process
sion. Other organizations were but Incl
dents. From end to end of the long line.
the Temperance banner constantly met
the view. The pictured form of the great
Apostle of Temperance led and closed the
parade.
And surely, for few hours in the year.
commerce may stay her busy hand, and
ahauuldctulS cease lleT mum ana CHATTER to |
sympathize with the noble cause that pre-
serves TO both their very life and sinew.
whatsoever prizes tho dignity of human
nature, values the cssinSs of domestic
happiness, and has at heart che purity and
welfare of his fellow man, can iIlcarp at
these proccssIonists leaving for n day the
ONCE 'r ;he shop, to participate in tho tri-
omph o. that great cause whose advance
ment is ,he ennob!ing of humanity.
Tint lrishmen have interviewer with their
love for Erin the honor of the glorious vir-
tue of sobriety, we hail with hopo aud de-
light. To this end it was that the Irish
Dominican year ago, before 5000 peo-
PIE in the great rink at Newark, preached
% his fellow couutrymen the grandest tenn
'erance sermon in the fewest words, that
las eyer been heard in this land. "When,"
aid Father Burke, 81 behold in tho streets
u your cities irishman reetiug in
drunkenness befnrc meas n priest of God,
could pity and weep for him-but as an
IrdshH;GH proud and Jealous of tho honor
IT my native land, could Sci,o that man
y the throat and Stran0lc him I"
We clip the following from late number of
he NatChez Courier.