The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-07-05
The Crisis in Belgium.
Correspondence London Tablet. /


LouvAIN, Wednesday, June 10, 1874.
Within the last few days Catholic Belgium
has passed through an all-important crisis.
The agitation here has been intense, and
very much doubt whether the Importance of
the in erests at stake has been as yet. appre-
ciated by our Catholic brethren in England
According to the Belgian Constitution. one
half of the Parliament had to offer itself for
re. election this year. and on the result OF this
election depended the fate of the present Ca
thoic Ministry, and therefore, of the welfare
of the Catholic body of Belgium. Within the
last few years the Liberal party have been
making Herculean efforts in many ways they
had vastly improved their forces and their po
stions and there was the great est fear in many
minds of their ultimate success. The Catho.
lies of course, could not be behindhand, and
every nerve has been strained, every human
means that seemed possible has been developed
in order to secure the victory. The excite
ment has been steadily growing for the last
few months. Not only the scenes in the Cham
Der, but still more, perhaps, the exertons of
the newspapers on both sides have borne wit
ness to this. To the Bien Public of Client every
Catholic electors. Indeed, the press, IN one
shape or another, plays the chief part in these
contests. Newspapers, placards, letters, are
constantly being issued and on the eve of an
election all available hands are set to work,
even on the mechanical part of the business.
am told, for instance, that at Client the
Catholic students devote themselves at such
time to turning the rollers, cutting, folding.
and whatever other duties are connected with
the mysteries of printing.
Indeed the Client election has been the CEN
trail point of the whole campaign, and on
Client depended in the long run the whole
chain of results. The city itself would de-
cidedly be thoroughly un-Catholic constitu-
ency, but it is the Catholic peasantry of the
surrounding district who alter the face of
affairs. This makes the struggle difficult for
u.s. because the poor Catholic peasantry have
to be instructed, drilled, and protected, not
only from sophistry but even FROM open vio-
lence. For the sturdy burghers have lost none
of the warlike and turbulent spirit which
made them famous for several centuries, since
England with his $4,000 men in the 18th cen.
tury, and held their own against the Counts of
Flanders and the French King under the Van
| Arteveldes in the 14th. In fact. the elections
of great rioting, and the Catholics even when
victorious, often come off badly in the matter
of broken windows, or even more serious dam
age On this present occasion almost anything
was anticipated. On Saturday, the Bien Public
strove to fortify its readers by the example of
the Irish Catholics under OConnell, and occu-
pied it's first page with vivid sketches of the
the "Veni Creator" was ordered to be sung in
all the churches for the success of the Catholic
cause. The same day happening to be the
the grand annual procession of the Blessed
| Sacrament took place through the town. The
procession was q marvellous success, attended
| by the cavalry and infantry, as we'll as by q
gether making procession, it is said, of some
| 10000 people. Strange to say, no disturbance
| took place, though grave fears were enter
tanned. I, myself, was in Client that day, and
| found the town strangely quiet. On Monday,
| the Catholic organ made its final appeal to the
| Catholic voters. Vote for the Liberals, and
| you will have Liberal Ministry. With Lib
| eral Ministry, Bismarck is already at the gates
of Brusselsw Yesterday (Tuesday) the differ
emit elections took place of course the various
| results are auxiously received here in Louvain.
large body of the University students and
others assembled at the station in the after
noon, waiting for the Geographic announce
ments, and all the favorable dispatches
| were welcomed with cries of applause. Atlast
! the telegram came from Client. The tdcteur
| read out: Gdnd; rictOre complete des Cdtho-
| Hques" The enthusiasm of the students knew
no bounds; with loud cries of Fire les Cdtho-
Hques! and even Fire les Culottes "a nickname
of the priests and clerics, who wear the eccles-
| iastical knee breeches) they rushed forward,
seized the facteur, hoisted him on their
shoulders, aud carried him about 10 triumph.
Thus the Catholic cause has been successful,
for ali the members returned by Client are
Catholic and, AS before remarked, the Client
election decides the whole campaign. In
antci patton Of serious IiotiDg large forces of
both cavalry and infantry had been sent from
various parts to the turbulent city but
fortunately, though there were some commo-
tons aud certain amount of rough work, no
very grave disturbance occurred result
probably owing to the precautions taken.
A Parisiau's view of Loudon Sunday is
given through the Rdppel, rather amusingly, as