The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-28
Why Not Nartyrdon7
THE JEsUITs OF PRUSSIA.


] s ~ Philadelphia Catholic Recordl
~ 5&fSssipg this question of divided allie
|&4saes &c obedience the citizen owes to the
2Ess SEasl to his own conscience. we would
[SIa5< II 2<n ton of both Protestants and Cath
IA extremely interesting fact in Ger
+ Il cution, and to a striking consi1era-
III ~ &6nnection with that fact.
<szct is, the banishnIent of the Jesuits
1is3 FSsssia. The consideration is, Why did
E.r -1z5k resist the edct, and suffer martyr
1sof The relevance of this to the discussion
ed alleg lance is very near, and no less
a5&<tye, as we shall see.
9<<z43 one who has read the history of the
148*f al st. Ignatius knows that no glory
|4&l& 10 arouse the holy greed of the Jesuit
b ssnartyr's crown. He is man unaccus-
fts earthly regrets. He made all his
1z5 f>r143 at the foot of the altar when he be-
Slia1 ii Jesuit. He has no more sacrifices to
IL. - Earth has pleasures which dstil
e&8&<ss for him, and grief, in the human
Ea1&E 20 longer darkens the threshold of his
81 the world, and participating in its
Il a&nts, he is not of it. The barrier of his
rounds him unbrokenly, and there is
ssfsS &Sagle motive for all his acts, ad mdjoren,
~ He rejoices, he works, he grieves,
3 @nnzles, he prays, he studies he, exhorts, he
|rktpH& The hesitating like guardian angel
4 R8Res the eyes of misery and covers
saseff9s nakedness, but in all he is a little
4uman. for his motive is always Gd ma
ts Llei glorians. He is in capable of compro-
lone can reward, only God can punish
fioes he care for earthly penalties ? He
4 1ts& familiar of suffering in its squalid and
hfdeous FORMS He walks into the pesti-
~ rs prince to tcte. He nurses the
81 sick as faith er "a lovely child. He plays
tn hangers as n boy with toys He would
NN1HGch the gaping cannon mouth as serenely
gzltiEe " b ite- robed baptismal font. He has
o>,4 8st0 captivity as "A ransom for the cap
iye,f Nnd while the Ratchet of the savage
oTered on his head, his last words have been
= 1nattnction in the faith to his eNecutioners
tAefebe anything which he knows best of
6ntAKs, it is to die. The history of the
4f f9ekes death the apotheosis of the life of
sezE xa1mber. There is not a Jesuit living to-
rs Whowould not walk gleefully to martyr
.S.zss asnd thank those who would thus afford
i'm what he esteems the highest attain able
lkeSneftpn. The martyrs are to the Jesuit the
f2R24 ri excellence. To be ranked with the
~ 1tHH of shining names that have gone to
ia crimson robes is a reward, a renown,
e1 HHtch he hardly dares to hope.
q ~ AE4cf the opportunity
they have been justified in resisting
,'elaAkE Was the process of their expulsion
gfal $50 co Institutional, so that in resisting
eHF vpnld not have committed sin For, let
~ 24nafly understood, the German govern
s&E it, Notwithstanding that Bismarck is at its
s1f, f3 the legitimate government of. Ger
1suys and in civil affairs the Jesuit is bound
2 pseey Its ordinances, under penalty of
eEepAtspn! But 1t is also a constitutional
'aEHrAnaent, and the constitution guarantees
R3atentInily the same primary civil rights to
Kes9 eitizen as are declared in Magma Charter
.SS tbs Constitution of the United States
ilEaRays 10 would be unconstitutional for Presi-
~ f41Eont to issue proclamation of Danish
SeEe against the Methodist ministers, confis
3< e5aetZs BemiDaries, houses, and churches,
~ selEe shem across our borders by military
orc2s III such a proclamation were issHed, all
laeeee 81 stizens, Catholic, Protestant, jewish,
nd tnfdt6 would unite in applaudipg the
hyatcal Feaistance of the Methodist ministers
0 It's entercement If q minister stood at his
oOf, and Fesisted the forcible entrance of an
ficer without warrant, resisted at the xpepse
& the invaders life, no jury would indict, no
ourt would punish him for the deed. If, on
be contrary, he declined forcibly to defend
il house end his liberty, but accepted death
imealf ra&her than abandon the one and sur
ender the other the comm unity would mourn
be- Chriatian man, and exalt the martyr in a
inh1 Of civil celebrity, while it would eXecrate
III tear from his place of power the President
ss4aid attempt thus to aunul the constitu-
tHsghts of the citizen.
exRulsion of the Jesuits frora Germany
Q5aeely parallel to this. No crime was
ftaiGst them as q society no member
tder summoned before legal
LisItl answer an accusation submitted by
AZ gro tnssS Unchallenged, untried, unaccused,
~ edtee - issued driving them from their
attye landg and coufiscating the property of
ne p11ierto the state. We say, an Ameri
en- that every Jesuit would have been justi-
e IN assisting by arms, or through the courts,
tA4tf 4AHfSG pIoulSeu any SSnDlaD OF justice,
be- Application of this unconstitutional edict
nitnsalE., The government could not con-
,ifutionAlly touch him except through the
w. Iha highest legislative body could not
ke from him what the constitution gave him.
LAW has its plainly defined methods of
9nre, and to these he was entitled. The
ont with it's bayonets pierced through
son and laws, and the Jesuit would
justified in meeting force by resist
~ he preferred, as a disciple of a
who never resisted, to accept the
~ his body, and thus suatch the mar
sh and the hero's fame, mankind
aou bt prove that they esteem heroiam
q pie as highly as in the days of Nero,
3 Henry viii, or Cromwell. And no argu-
aent which human ingenuity can frame
s-despotism, no invectiye which the
ea1ence OF Inspired genius could pour upon
Ipqe persecution, would so soon rot the
lion under Bismarkism as the forciLle
of q few of these joyfu victims. Man
ould have recoiled aghast from the
of blood for conscience sake; q cry of
about of frenzied indignation would
pc up from every German hamlet, and
ism would have tottered and fallen in
q fn0nuIH