New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-12
EcCLEsIAsTIcAL. INTERVENTION.

fairer chance to reach those to whom they
were addressed without the interference Of
the government than in any other coun'
try. He might have 1dded that here ev-
cry professor of any faith, civil, social
or religious, has the privilege of publish
ing any exposition of his own opinions,
or any assault upon the opinions OF 9TH
ers, which he may choose to exercise. Ii
is well. We admire that feature OF free
dom. An American citizen escaping with
his life from China or Mexico for the
crime of dissent in religious opinion may
find the doctrines of the country from
which he has just been expelled taught
openly and without objection in his own
native Union.
We have here weekly paper devoted to
the pfopagandism Of the Catholic faith,
and called the Star. 1t is, in theory, just
like Methodist, Baptist or Presbyterian
papers. 1t upholds its own belief as
orthodox, and teaches the Inconsistency
of other doctrines, with the common
scriptural authority from which each
persuasion claims to deduce its faith.
In many other countries these several
phases Of faith would be compelled to
acknowledge some orthodoxy, and peo-
pie would be fried, roasted and stewed,
imprisoned or exiled, because they could
not conform their faith to the belief
of other mortals, perhaps no wiser nor
better than themselves. Usually, our
ecclesiastical papers confne their ser
mons to polemical points, or their strife
to Comparative construction of COM
mon text, or perhaps Of a disputed
To be sure there may be an
episode on which reverend divines may
have been implicated before their own
tribunals upon some allega-
ton Of human frailty, but as a general
thing the ecclesiastical press of America
keeps, or is kept, out Of party politics.
The reason of this may perhaps be that
The war Of politics in America must be
prosecuted with language and temper that
,an not be cramped by the words OF
peace and good will, nor can the deeds OF
politicians in oil cases be justified entirely
by the strict letter of the decalogue.
But the ecclesiastical Star and Messen-
yer does not confne itself to the conflict
With its Protestant compeers, who could,
10 doubt, defend themselves on their own
ground. 1t wades into the party politics
IF Louisiana, makes an ca parte represen-
alton of what it can not, as an organ Of
he the kingdom ''that is not of this world"
De supposed to understand, and actually
ntervenes to advise the politicians what
should properly be done in the pending
Here is the ecclesiastical history given
~ the Star:
While we are writing, the negroes who
nhabit this State are assembled in council
It the State House, through their represen-
ativep, to organize Systematically the
uture details of their war upon the whites.
They are determined to rule this State as a
class.
1t will occasion some surprise to our
subscribers in Rome to learn
hat this convention has nominated six
members Of Congress, of whom one is
,olored and five white. That the same
convention has renominated the present
,olored Treasurer who was last elected
)ver competitor nominated by the
7usionists. This, then, is ''war upon
he whites" in which five white men are
nominated to two colored men, by con-
,ention presided over by white man
elected against colored competitor by
,olored votes in great part.
Assuming, however, that this is
black government, the Star says:
The question then arises: Ought white
people to be ruled by black majority!
Ought any one State of this Union to be
lnder negro government!
And then proceeds to argue that such
government could not be maintained in
my State without the aid of federal bay
,nets. The Star evidently considers this
Is an Irish or Italian question, where the
people not being parties to the law may
wade OF resist it. 1t says without any at
empt to controvert such doctrine that
The white race in this State has, in the
opinion of many, an undoubted right to rise
n arms against the fearful despotism that
8 crushing it under irreparable ruin.
Yet this ecclesiastical adviser says:
Such course can not be counseIed by
my discreet person at this time.
Popular sentiment, it adds,
throughout the country at large is not
eady for that yet
By "the country at large is evidently
meant the United States, and the thing
hat the country at large is mot ready
or yet is ''the undoubted right that the
White men in this State have to rise in
rms against the fearful despotism that is
rushing it under irreparable ruin" This
S admirable doctrine for an apostle of
'eace and good will to men.
There are large number CT colored
'eople who have been liberated from
'ondage, and are making all the crops
nd performing much Of the mental
eryices Of society. 1t is true they
ave been taught great deal, be-
ieving in the Christian religion and
racticing the ordinary industrial arts.
hey did not come to Louisiana OF
heir own accord, nor is there any other
lace provided for them to go to. They
ave haen given the RIGHT of siltfracta and