The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-13

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sions,--to persuade your safnd without rsf
ding yong temper--in. then treatment Of
the vexed political questions Of the hour
From first to last mistatements spripgipg
from mental ign0rance or malice,-and
those mistatements bending under the
weight Of abusive words which fall from
pens which are not guided by the charity
Of q Christian Or the cliivalry of a gentle
man. They pass from the question they
oppose to the man who holds it;-they
abuse him,z-malign his. motives,-asperse
his character,-falsify his position and mis-
represent his principles. And when they
have exhausted Walls Of black ink and
blacker SANDER upon the devoted head of
an adversary they imagine thate they
have triumphantly disposed of the ques-
ton which they have not even touched !!
Now this is not reasoning at all. 1t is
the loud, frcnzied bluster of violent Pas
sion and Passion mover had, and never
will have but one argument,-abose,w which
proves nothing against any question or any
body,-but proves everything against the
mind and manners of those who use it
And Abuse,-true to it's base nature
uses falsehood as one of its strongest weap-
ons. The sword of Truth ia too heavy for
its hand. But the light lance of a lie it
knows full we'll how to hold and when to
fling. But o lie proves nothing save against
the lips that utter it.
Why cannot men strike hard and strong
against opinion-and fairly too,-whle
they know how to be courteous towards
the one who holds an adver opinion g
<" Strike the argument-but spare the ad-
versary,"-such is and ought to be the
motto of the Christian and the gentleman.
. Strike the adversary and do not touch the
question "-such is the motto of those who
try to bear the name,-but do not wear the
virtues of the Christian gentleman
In this country-in theory,-every one
has the right to have and to hold his own
opinion. Beautiful Theory! But in this
country,-everybody seems to have the
right to abuse every body else who holds a
different opinion beautiful Practice -
Are we forgetting how to argue fairly 3
Arc we smart $50 we think. Are we
intelligentf-so we boast. And do We
prove our smartness and demonstrate our
intelligence by our argument, which is no
argument, at al, abuse g.
The tongue of fishwoman inherits q
special distinction but the pen of many
who write for the Press share in that dis
tinction.
Wish you proof in the religious order ?
Well,-almost any week take up almost
any of our religions papers. Confessedly
they are devoted to truth and to the argu-
ments by which truth IS to be maintained.
They are Christiau,-or claim to be. Char
ity is the sister OF trath. VIA. is their
course f-Are they fair f-Yes-ia the
sense of the false adage,-" every hing is
fair in war; How do they treat the Cath
lie Church its truths Z it's ministersi Its
Historyf Again-abuse instead II argu-
ment. Their MOTTO" everything is fair
against the Catholic Church even false
hood. And true to the principle or want
Of principle in the political Press,-they
pass by the doctrines which they cannot
disprove in order to assail the Church by
slanders.--
Hard accusation this,--and sweeping p
So it is,-but it is true.
Why is the present position eff the Cath
Ollie Church 80 universally misunderstood 7
Simply and singly because the political
Press and the religious opposed to the
church will not fairly state it. Why this
Because the hand of prejudice holds the
pen of that press and unites with it,-and
Prejudice never writes fairly or truly
The MORNING STAR is conducted. by
Christians and gentlemen. 1t will argue,-
it will not abuse. 1t will notice logic
against itself,-but not, libel.-We write
for gentlemen and ladies and their children.
We never will lower ourselves or our read
ers by noticing ything that does not come
from gentlemen. And this is an answer
sufficient to several attacks made against
the STAR for its opposition to the Unifca-
lion Movement. -
We are receiving so many letters every
roaLr from, those who orn not of cur