The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-08-31
Death OF Col James F. Moline, the Distinguished
Catholic Author and Antagonist of Mr.. Froude.

Death OF Col. James P. Moline, the Distinguished
Catholic Author and Antagonist Of Mr.. Froude.
From the Buffalo Catholic union]
On Thursday last, August I4th, Col.
James F. Meline, of BROOKLYN. died at bis
residence in that city. Few Catholic Law
| men have been called hence whose depart-
nre Is more deeply regretted than is that of
Col. Meline. He was an ardent, earnest,
sincere, practical Catholic-one whose daily
walk ana conversation were In every way
commendaoie-one whose example may
well DC initiated, and who, both by word
and by practice, was an honor to the
Church. Col. Meline was q most patriotic
citizen, and proved his fidelity to the ma
ton by risking the dangers of the battle
heid during the late rebellion. He was
brought more prominently into public no
tee OF late years as an author and historian.
His work entitled Mary Queen of Scots.
and her latest English Historian" il ad.
mittedly the best and most authentic his.
tory OF the times in which that unfortunate
princess lived; and his life of Pope Six
tus ls work that should be in eyery
Catholic family. When Froude, the falsi-
fer, came to America, Col. Me,ine was
among the first to enter the lists against
him; being particularly urged to do SO by
reason of Froude's attempt to blacken the
character OF Mary Queen of Scots, in
work of which Col. Meline's book, lust
mentioned, was a review. In comm uujca-
tons to the press, during Froude's stay to
America, Col. Meline's pen was frequently
employed. He convicted that 90. called
historian of Justification Of the records, in
terpolation, and wiilful suppression of the
truth. The result was 10 ost damaging to
Froude, and did much to bring about the
noted failure of that individuals self-ap-
pointed, anti-Cathoic and anti Irish mis-
sion to America. The American press gen
orally admitted that Col. Metine was the
victor in his historical tilt with the Eng.
glishman. The prevailing opinion as to
the contest between the two may DO judged
| from the following comments thereon, ia
ken from three noted anti-Cathoiic
sources
The Christian Union, Henry Ward Bee
cher's paper, says of it
"For ourselves, the result of our examina-
ton of Mr.. Meline's terrible exposition of the
great historian's INSCRIPTIONS inaccuracies are
too fresh in memory to permit us to rely with
confidence on any statement Of facts he might
| mako on the platform. So tho lectures, for
any purpose of sound historical criticism, are
spoiled for u.s."
GoIdwin Smith, formerly Regius PROBES
BOT of History in Oxford University, says
it is
"The duty of those who have surrendered
their Judgments to Mr.. Froude, and who have
formed their opinions of historical characters
nder the influence of his seductive rhetoric,
to read this book
Unless Dir. Meline can be answered, he has
convicted Mr. Froudo not only of inaccuracy,
not only of carelessness, not only of prejudice.
but of tampering with documents, perverting
evidence, practising dsingenuous articles and,
habituulfy disregarding truth.
And the Edinburgh Scotsman declares
that
"In almost every one of the instances in
which au ACQUISITION is brouSh of playing fast
aud loose with his (Eroudes) authorities, with
the view of blackeniug the Queen of Scots,
are constrained to admit that MIR. Meline had
made out his case"
1t was in one of his letters to the New
York Tribune, after Froude's arrival in
America, that Col. Meline, in speaking of
that authors falsifcations, coined the ex
preston 'intrepidity of statement" Ia very
neat way of utteriDg n more terse and
homely SaXonism to which Froude was
fully amenable,) which he applied to
Froude's general course of procedure. This
phrase went the rounds of the press of the
time.
The following brief sketch summarizes
the principal events in the life of this dis
tingoished gentleman
Col. James L. Incline was born in the United
States fort at Sackett's Harbor about sixty
years ago, his father having been AN officer in
the federal army. IIc graduated at Mt.
st. Mary's College at Enmettsburg, and after
wards studied law, and was admitted to the
bar. He was for some years engaged in the
connected for q time with the Catholic Tele.
graph For short period before the breaking
out of the war of the rebellion he was French
consul in Cincinnati but early in the var he
entered the army and served on Gen. Popes
staff. In 1905 and 1866 he made the Rocky
Mountain trip, the events of which he recorded
in the volume entitled 1.-TWO Thousand Miles
| on Horseback" He was afterwards employed
by the Government in connection with the
IL eedman's bureau in Georgia, during which
| time he was a correspondent of the New York
Tribune. His latter years have been devoted
entirely to literature, and he bias been II regular
contributor to The Catholic World, in which his
vindcaton of Mary Queen of Scots, in answer
! 70 Mr.. Froude, first appeared. He wrote also
for The GGlary and The Nation, and was the
anthor of Il life of Sxtus V, and many other
smaller works. At the time of his death re
vas completing a series of articles on Savan.
ar0ls, three of which have already been pub
lished in tho Catholic Uorld magazine. He
dIed of heart disease, from which he had suffer
c fov several months. Req"icsedt in pace