The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-06
Marianne" and Her worshipers.

,,;a me statement often made by Catholic di
vines and authors, that European society il
IN; IN imminent danger of relapsing into pagan
rhetoro but il is %e stpoig snd
literally true. For example, the Paris CORE.
spondent of the Manchester Guardian affords
Worship os s%Pss f tss bs
ter, evidently q well-informed man, tells us
that the French Radicals, though enemies to
a. al stihssing forms OF worship, have religion,
worshlped is called Marianne-in English,
Mary Anne; The worship of Mary Anne
Di nsn Dy me ne way is obseu,ely referred to
some twenty years ago in the slate quarries of
Angelo, and has since spread all through the
south Of France; Mary Ann herself is a small
gian cap. The idol is sold clandestinely by
most earthenware dealers and village grocers
The bel prefsots. like modern Neros, have got up
worshipers 1t is illegal for p1blicans to ex-
pose her statuette in the rooms to W hich their
customers have access. In the Radical club,
n howe Mary Ann is enthronned in al! her
On great occasions she is carried in procession
to the strains OF the " Marseillaise." In places
where the Phllestines" are in majority, the
ceremony takes place indoors. The red flag
usually waves over her and her devotees, but
where the oppressor is strong and persecution
RACES, the tricolor, with a sprig of thyme,
takes the place of the Radical banner. The
sweet-smelling thyme is the symbol of the
Radical Republic, and is as sacred to the par
tisans of that form of government as was the
mistletoe to the Druids.
Mary Ann is net, however, ALWAYS ga block |
stone, worse than senseless thing :" she is |
sometimes represented by a buxom maid, of
the great feasts of the goddess, and was pub
licly celebrated with great pomp at the small |
town of Bollene. the mayor of which place is |
a publican and exc a worshiper of Mary
Ann On the great day, the worshipers
took possession of a servant-girl, free from
all reactionary prejudices. and raised her
to the high rank of living Mary Ann.
cap upon her head and carried her in triumph
about the streets of the town, bawling out the
" Marseiilaise" all the while, and ve1erating,
the Radical Republic. The solemnity, which
had been accompanied in the grand old pagan
style with numerous potatiops, ended with
complimentary address from the citizen mayor.
Inc upshot OF the affair was, that this worthy
was suspended by the project from his civil
but soon afterwar he got elected
rs member Of the Conseil General Of his de-
partment. His fraternal constituents have
since endowned him with civil list. which
has permitted him to give up his pot-house in
order to devote himself entirely to the "grand
Some simple souls may think that this wor-
ship of Mary Ann is, after all, only O piece of
harmless tomfoolery. Is it The Radical Re-
advance from one extreme to another, until
they hnd themselves landed in the programme
Of the Carbonari of the Drome and Ardeche,
which runs thus THE Commune egalitaire
no no more armies; no more clergy, the people is
pie is its own judge; SOLITARY restitution of
The wealth stolen from the people suppress
sion of inheritances; no more fatherfand."
This new era is to be ushered in by tho death
Of the last bourgeois an undesirable result,
which is to be brought about in the following
manner, as pointed out in q proclamation
issued by the Carbonari Friends, our duty
lies plain before us; we must prepare our
'tatfs and our alliances before all things Our
,dversaries are judged they are neither our
'ountrymen nor Frenchmen they are our enc
MES, since they are the enemies of liberty.
We ought to show them no pity. They are :
doomed to death. We oughs to slay them Z
without hesitation. To rid ourselves of the
enemies of liberty every means is good-sword,
ire, poisonl The end justities the means.
Death to the chassepots!'
These black-souled gentry wage pitiless 3
var against the Holy Church. and long to wit
'ess her destruction but it is a consolation ,
o know that the mystical city which is built
lpon the rock of Peter will successfully resist
Ill their diabolical attacks. She will triumph
'ver the pagans of modern France even as she
over the pagans of ancient Rome
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