The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-09-07
m,rning Star and Catholic Messenger.
new oRLEAKs. SUNDAY. sEpTEMBER =. 1873.
APPEAL TO W0RKINGMEN.
DIscoURsE PRONOUNCED JANUARY 10, 1873,
TO xNAUGURATE THE LECTURES INTENDED
FOR THE WORKING CLASSES.

D1scoURsE PRONOUNCED JANUARY 10, 1873,
TO INAUGURATE THE LECTURES INTENDED
FOR THE WORKING CLASSES.
From tho French Monde OF ssssr in tho R''"0 d'
tconoludsdI
II.
What do we wish, however In other
words, what can we promise you.
First Of ali. there are twenty promises
We cannot make you, and it is, our duty
here to warn yon Of our non a,ossMn,us.
We cannot promise you ever to consider
armed revolt as duty or q right. We
cling with all the strength of our under
injustice the protest should be martyrdom,
heroicaliy accepted, heroically submitted.
Thus did the first Christians they al
lowed themselves to be slaughtered like
beautiful sheep, covered with generous
blood. This sublimely passive resistance
will not take from us, as it never did from
them, the liberty of speech they died de-
claring their belief in God, the supreme
Principal, and in the Son of God the SOW
ereign Expiator. And when fifteen or
eighteen millions had been killed, the
from the catacombs, and to her was given
the mission to enlighten the world.
We do not promise you the liberty of
doing evil, and it would be false if we even
appeared to make such an engagement.
At this instant, there are FIVE hundred
trefy France among these are four hun
dred and ninety writers and ten caricatu-
rists according to our idea, it is depiora-
bic that they can freely exercise their trade,
and destroy with impunity/ 80 many mil
lions of souls among young girls, young
men, and workmen.
We cannot with sincerity promise you
absolute equality on this earth. What we
can promise you hereafter is that beautiful
equality of Christians who are sprung from
the same God Creator, saved by the same
God-Redeemer, enlightened by the same
profound equality, of baptism and the
eucharist !; the equality of souls in trials
and reward; it is, in fine, equality in heaven.
As for the other, we will exhaust ourselves
in the effort to obtain it; but we have two
obstacles before us, over which we do not
equality ispossible with these two scourges,
and they are ineradicable. We cannot
promise you either illegitimate pleasure or
. even the end of suffering. In taking suf.
fering from man-which is impossible
they would take from him his resemblance
and his titles to heaven. The more we
suffer, the more we resemble our Father,
the more we merit eternal joy. In suffering
will be found the Christian principle, which
we cannot efface from the Gospel, and
which 10 even the essence of the Christian
and, rs the church has done for eighteen
hundred years, to alleviate your sorrows,
to heal your wounds, to satisfy your ma
terial and moral hunger, and to quench
your thirst for truth. The fathers of the
church invite US only to consider ourselves
but q deposit in our hands-a deposit
which we are strictly obliged to communi-
cate to you, and for which we must render
an account to the Master.
We promise you also faith, which gives
to the soul noble attribute and happy
what has been well called intelligence of
he-the intelligence thanks to which the
workman knows how TO accept inequality,
because he sees in the horizon the beauti-
full perspective of eternity. We promise
you calmness in certainty, the consolation
that every workman can feel in regarding
his divine type; and, in giving you this
type, you will possess rare treasure, for
which your souls are justly eager.
We promise you the sweetness of work
Christianly accepted. Says great Chris
tian "What matters work when Jesus
Christ is there 7" 1t is here that we
must recall those. spsen did verses of the
we would wishSso see WIZ, on the walls
OF all our GnanSh saH" ""rkshops God,
look you-let the sax s. reject-causes
to be born of labor L" daughters Virtue
which makes cbeei .rss sweet, and
Cheerfulness which MI. $&irtue charming"
And with work, you will conquer also the
Courage of life 5" for you will be convinced
that all beings are subject to this great
law, and that the blows of your hammers
are the notes of a universal chant. " All
work, each one is at his post; he who gov
erns the etate !; the servant, who extends
the limits of human explorations the
sculptor, who makes the statue spring
from his chisel; the poet, who sings be-
tween his tears and his signs; the priest,
who Furnishes and pardons-all, down to
you, poor work man, in your smoky work.
shop. We are all living stones Of that ca
thedral formed of souls and of centuries
for the glory of God" With such
assumes an exquisite character. What
joy to say, 'I work with the entire uni
verse work as God himself has set me
the example,"
Still further, we promise you honor and
pride. The Christian workman, he whom
we hope to see multiplied in Paris, loves
his trade he is proud of it, and would
hluHh If ha did not rraRar 70 eli otbaro