The New York herald., 1875-02-07
FATHER NEWMAN At HOME.
A Special Herald Visit to the Ora
tory at Birmingham.
A. Genial Reception by the
Great Tractarian.
His Anathema Of the Apos-
tate Achilli.
How the OratOrian Fathers
Live.

with snow and the snow In this city Is deeper and
the weather colder than has been known for
many years. The ground In IN excellent condition
for sleghing, but am told that there are no
selgns. Still Birmingham has an air that Is more
American than English. This is observable In the
shops (the goods are not all in the windows), the
thronged streets, the well-dressed people, and
even the cabmen who, while quite as independent
as their confreres Of New York. far less insoent.
saw an instance OF this In the respectful refusal
OF cabby to drive two ladies through the streets
on q mere sightseeing excursion, he intmating
that tho heaviness OF the ground gave the horses
SO much labor that he would only drive those per-
sons whose errands were OF business nature.
VISIT TO THE ORATORY.
Ny cabman did net object TO the two miles
drive to the 'Oratory." evidently thinking that
my visit was one Of NECESSITY" and not "mere
pleasure" After riding through very long and
handsome street, composed Of spacious villas IN
beautiful grounds, we arrived at the "Oratory,"
great pile Of buildings with an architecture OF Sc
we're and even ugly simplicity.
HOW THE FATHERS LIVE.
Ny call at the door is answered by lay brother,
to whom l handed my card for TRANSMISSION to
Father Newman. am conducted by him through
q long hall to little room with cheerful fire. In
this room is the plainest confessional / ever saw,
consisting OF screen, with piece Of lattice work
in the cenrre, and having on one side straw has
SOCK for the penitent and on the other
q chair for the cOnfessor. On two tables
lie several stoles. and few pictures adorn the
walls. In q glass frame is an illuminated letter,
addressed to Father Newman by the Provost and
Chapter of the Cathedral Of Birmingham after the
trial and conviction Of the former for publishing
libel upon the spostate priest Achin who after
being unfrocked and degraded from the priest
hood in consequence OF having been detected In
the commission of long series OF outrageous
crimes, was welcomed In England as "a great
Protestant reformer' and began to deliver dis
courses against Roman Catholicism. Father New
man denounced him in burst OF the most terrible
invective ever written in the English language.
This was about twenty years ago. and SO splendid
Is this philipptc In its rhetoric, and so admirable
q specimen Of Father Newman's style, that tram
scribe portion OF 1t for you.
NEwMAN's ANATHkMA OF ACHILLL
Ali DR.. Achalli, l might have spoken Of him
last week had time admitted OF It, The Protcs-
| something to tell OF the Catholic Churcn. He has
a something TO tell. 1t Is true; he has a scandal to
| reveal, he has an argument to exhibit. 1t is q
| simple one and powerful one. as far as 1t goes,
anditi one. That one argument is himself; 1t Is
1t Is the sight Of MIN which Is a CaInoic's con-
fusion. 1t Is, indeed. our great confusion that our
,ees es the force Of the argumea and he shows him.
self to the multitude that is gazing on him.
"MOtnerS or famlllcS," he seems to say ''gente
maidens innocent children, LOOK at me, for am
worth LOOKING at You do not see such sight
every day. Can any Church live over the imputa-
Catholic and an in1dcl; have been q Roman
priest and a nypocrlte; have been q pronigate
wfS,' wno as early as 1876. was deprived OF my
faculty to lecture for an offence which my
who in 1877 had already earned the reputa-
tion Of scandalous frlar. am that Achilli, VINO,
hed nf nar n
who in September. 1888, was found guilty OF .
second sucn crime IN the case OF person Of
july 1884, IN the OF another aged twenty -four.
l am he who afterwards was found guilty of sins
hood. am that son OF St. Dominic who is known
| TO have repeated the offence at Capua In 1884 or
child OF fifteen. am he wno chose the sacristv
OF the church for one OF these crimes and Good
Erda or anone LOOK on me- ys mothers the
'ne'er may look upon my like again." am that
veritable priest who, after ali this, began TO speak
| against not only the Catholic faith but the moral
law, and perverted Others by my teaching. am
the Cavalere Achilll VINO then went to Corfu,
made the wife OF a tailor laithless to ner husband,
and lived publicly and travelled about with the
vile OF chorus singer am tnat professor IN
| the Protestant College at Malta, who. with two
others, was dismissed from my post for offences
| which the authorities cannot get themselves to
describe. And, now. attend to me, such as | am,
| aud you shall see what you shall see about the
Darbarty and prohlgacy OF the inqusitors OF
| Rome."
swer you word You are priest; you nave
| been frar; you are 1t is undenable, the scandal
| OF Catholicism and the paimary argument OF Prot
estants BY your extraordinary depravity. You
have been 1t is true proligate, an unbeliever
conventual lie. and you were never in cnoir always
In private houses, so that the laity observed you
You were deprived OF your proiessorshlp, we own
It +; you were prohibited rom preaching and hear
! ing confession; you were obliged TO give hush
money TO the latner OF one OF your victims, a. we
learn from the Official report OF the police OF
ViterbO. You are reported in an official docu-
ment OF the Nespolitan police TO be ''known for
the civil tribunal at Corfu Tor your crime OF adul-
terry. You have put the crown on your offences by
progressed to seek after truth when you were ra-
vening alter sin. Yes. you are an incontroverti-
bic proof that priests may fall ana friars break
their vows. You are your own witness. But
whiie you need not 90 out OF yourself for your ar
Gument neither are you able. With YOU the argu-
! ment begins with you, too, II ends. The beginning
aud the ending you are both. When you have
shown yourself you have done your worst and
sole. Your witness against others is utterly in
| validated by your witness against yourself. You
the golden eggs. for you are already dead.
! DR.. Newmans Lectures on the Present Position
OF Catholics In England" (ondon, 1851, p ls'-l99
DIR. NEwMAN's POPULARITY.
For publishing these burning words Father New
man was indicted and condemned TO pay very
heavy fine, or the fact OF the libel being true made
1t more bellous. The amount OF the fine was at
once raised by his friends. and the letter above
referred to was sent TO him by all the Catholic
priests IN the diocese Of Birmingham, as testi-
mony OF their appreciation OF his Doldncss and OF
their sorrow Tor the persecution he had suffered.
KIND RECEPTION by THE VENERABLE PRIEST.
Father Newman soon appeared, and welcomed
me with great Kindness He is now seventy-three
years old, but his eyes are rot dimned nor mis-
natural strength much abated. lie was dressed IN
PLAIN black gown reaching to his feet, and
around his throat was that indescrtbabe and
wonderful collar with which those VINO have seen
his photographs are familiar My business with
him was soon despatched, but he begged me to re-
main longer, which was glad enough to do. lie
SAID tnat his health was good, although he was
not very strong and, IN addition TO his numerous
and heavy labors, he mad been writing
HIS REPLY TO MR.. GLADsToNE's "fxP0STULATI0N,"
whicn was already at his publishers, Mr.. Pickering
OF LONDON, volume OF one hundred pages. He mad
resolved at first not TO attempt this work. ior he