The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-21
The Picayune's Rights.


Sunday we took occasion to expostulate
with that journal on, the fact of permitting
it's columns to be made the vehicle for DIS
seminating such scurrility, though not en-
dorsed by itself editorially. So far from
implying any such endorsement we attrio'
uted the event to ''carelessness."
The Picayune, however, flares up at our
expostulation and takes high ground as to
journalistic rights. 1t says:
We never contemplated adopting the NOR
S,SG star as a mentor. We have hung none
of our homes or ambitions on its smiles. Inc
public is the tribunal before which we stand,
and in its confidence and appreciation we hho
all the support necessary.
The Picayune is generally thought old
enough to be out OF tutelage, but not quite
old enough to have dropped into imbecility.
Hence 70 had not thought it above or be-
yopd the sphere where it can be reasoned
with. We never constituted ourseif either
it's mentor or its judge; we did not even
cite it before the tribunal of the public to
the Jurisdiction of which it submits we
merely appealed to it's own sense OF pro
priety. Even though we had, however,
arraigned it uuequivocally and vehem-
emily before the tribunal of public opinion,
we should still not have been play ing the
role of mentor or judge, but of advocate.
The Picayune, refers to it's oft rendered
scrvices to religious and charitable estab'
lishments of this city. We cheerfuly en-
dorse the claim, but while this makes
strong presumption that it would not will
ingly do religion an injustice, 1t does not
shut the door against indiscretons.
But our neighbor is inclined to deny any
indiscretion in this case. 1t insists on de-
Tending not only itself but its correspoR-
dent also 1t says:
1t must have been obvious to every one who
read the correspondence in question that
neither a charge nor q wi tticism was intended.
Our correspondent simply stated as matter
of fact that the Indians OF Merida were
scourged by the small pox, and that, owing to
their ignorance or superstition, or both, they
neg lect cd the remedies of science in favor OF
such devices as their instinct might recon-
mend. There appears to be no other issue in
, volved. If our correspondents statement turns
. out to be inaccurate, it will follow that the
Indians of Merida have been misrepresented-
, which affair we shall settle with the Indians.
II the statement turns out to be correct, as We
have every reason to believe it is, then nobody
. has been misrepresented, and we shall feel
t justified viewing as lmpertinent any in
reference with our unquestionable right te
publish facts according to our taste and JUG
ment.
n Now, we are sorry to differ with the Plea
D. yune in it's Interpretation of language, bu
!. we are afraid the tribunal of the public
. will have to differ with it also. Here fol
lows the very language upon which it com
ments 80 mildly:
d The smallpox is making fearful ravage
20 among the Indians of Iucatan.
n In the city of Merida the death-roll mark
" twenty daily. The epidemic is NOR
fatal in it's results from the fact that the poo
1t Indians rely more upon the efficacy of pieces G
blessed and applications OF holy watt
than the solid truth of vaccination. The pIie.
~ is consulted Instead of the ply sician, he de-
o, pository of relics instead of the apoi hecar
VI store, and piece of the (supposed) true cros
u. II is deemed to possess by far more medicine
o. virtue than drugs, combined with the di.
" covery of the Immortal Jenner.
til The Picayune says there is ono othe
OF issue involved" than the fact that the In
he diaus neglected the remedies of scienC
NJ: through ignorance or superstition. Is tn,
", so7 ave see very clearly two oth'
of issues" "The priest is consulted instead
,is the physician" Now here the issue is Mt
an with the Indians but with the priest
tss the priest is consulted, the superstition
he practices adopted are chargeable to hir
ed 2nd. The issue of contempt for thin
rv held sacred among all other Catholics
nut we'll az indians is clearly made. 1t is il
; ni possible to be ingenious aud Disguise t
conclusion that n tone of levity pervad
the the smartuess with which ''blessed wa
the and holy water" are made to contrast W!
is "vacciAation," the depository OF relic
ign with the "apothecary store" and
0. piece of the (supposed) true cross" "
drugs"
, =, The mere fact, then, if it is fact II
.elv those Indians are superstitious, could ha
an been conveyed without such a free and et
ate, allusion to things never mentioned by {
rise tholics but with reverence, and never
nes- luded to by any gentleman without respt
eau This, then, is a very different thing fir
'neu ''simply stating a matter of fact" II
nan also very different thing from a rep
sentation, false or true, concerning the