The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-07
The Mexican Sisters of Charity.
Isan Fran cisco Monitor, Feb. 20.

the Mexican Government, In the course of
it's persecution of Cathoiicity, has thought
proper to pass law the effect of which is
to drive the Sisters of Charity out of the
country. This brutal and intolerant con-
duct, as might be expected, has provoked a
storm of indi gnatior throughout all Mexico.
Indeed, it might be said that it has put the
climax upon the iniquities of the Tejada
administration and rendered another revo-
luton inevitable. The first symptoms of
discomfort are the protests which are being
presented to Congress. Among these one
of the most spirited and eloquent is that
forwarded by the ladies of Guanajuato,
which We have had specially translated for
the Monitor and give below. We may add
that forty of these exiled Sisters are ex-
pected to arrive in San Francisco by the
Panama steamer due on February 10Th,
and that preparations are being made to
give them proper reception, and to assure
them of the warm sympathy of the Catho
lies of San Francisco:
PROTEST OF THE LADIES OF GUANAJUATA TO THE
CONGRESS OF THE UNION AGAINST THE Or
GANIC LAW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL ADD
TONS.
Gentlenaen Deputies Of the General Congress of
the Republic-We, the undersigned Catholic
ladies, raise our voices to your most august
Assembly, using the privilege which your
worthy predecessors conceded in our Magma
Charta, by which they engaged to hear, with
liberal condesoension, the complaints of the
oppressed, but reserved to themselves the
privilege of either turning deaf ear to such
complaints or of taking revenge on those who
should dare to utter u palatable truths.
We speak, then, with the intimat conviction
that our voices will be disregarded by you, for
they who are blinded by the spirit of party can
see neither truth nor justice; and the oath
bound slaves of q secret order cannot recede q
single step in the path marked out for them,
even though they should set the universe on
fire. Nevertheless, we speak in order to pro
test against.your tyrannicSl ordinances. We
speak, that the true sentiments OF the people
may DO known and the world, indignant at
your barbarity, may not attribute to our snf-
fering nation the infamous follies You have
perpetrated. We speak, that we may make
solemn prOtestatioA of our faith, now 90 rudely
attacked, and that we may give vent to the
feelings of indignation which your iniquitous
proceedings have aroused within our breasts
Bv what right, gentlemen do you persecute
Catholicism BY what right do you seize upon
her consecrated temples, organize espionage in
her sanctuaries and ruthlessly demolish her
most beautiful institutional Not even the
miserable farago which Won call Constitution
authorizes your proceedings. At every step
you are obliged to render it absurd and con-
Trajectory when seeking to make of it shield
for the cover of your oppressive decrees. In
the name of liberty you persecute the priest
with envenomed rancoT; while Wanting in
tividual guarantees you despoil him even of
his garments. Crying out Independence, you
place odious chains upon the Church; pro-
claiming liberty of association, you have
driven into exile four hundred daughters OF
Mexico for the enormous crime of associating
themselves to do good; and while displaying
the banner of universal federation you com
mence of 5he most ur.jnst persecution of
Catholicism. In truth, gentlemen, you have
merted well of those Grand Masters of whom
you are the sworn slaves, and Masonry may
we'll be proud of the efforts of her new adopts
But, on the other hand, you have incHrred the
anathemas of the Church. and though yon may
affect to despise them, yet know that all up
right minds execrate you, and society bushes
for shame that she has not q en tficieDt vator to
banlsh you from her bosom. You have driven
from our soil those angels of charity, deed at
which the civilized world stands astounded;
you have left without bread innumerable
families; without a mother, thousands of
orphaned children; without the means OF
instruction, many towns and cities; without
assistance, hundreds of helpless sick, without
consolation AN immense multitude of uDfortu-
mates. You have broken the hearts of the
good you have sown sorrow and de6olation in
families, and have caused more bitter tears to
flow than would exceed n quantity the liquors
you drink so freely at your oauquets But not
content even with these iniQuIties, you keep
suspended over the heads of all Catholics the
sword of Damocles; for by these two articles
of your ordinance-in which absurdity goes
hand in hand with injustice, the ridiculous
with the impiOus-you declare to be- q AoRdStIc
Order every association that has peculiar rules
and is subject to one or more superiors. Why,
according TO this, the family proceeding from
Christian mRtrimony and subject to the ruler
necessary fer it's order and conservation, is q
MOndstic Order; the clergy, governed by
ecclesiastical laws and subject to their
their pastors and Obeying the laws of the
Gospel, are all so many Monastic Orders, and
liable to the effects of the preceding article
that is to say, liable to undergo the penalty of
persecution or exile. Thus, in these two
clauses of your fsnaticSl edict you render
legal, and prepare beforehand general pro
scription against all citizens who would seek
to impede your march towards Communism or
place barrier to your iniquitous designs.
And this, which you call law, you have en-
before the masses against whom you turned
the mouths of your cannon from the corners
of the streets, you have declared yourselves
Congress of jackals and tigers when you an,
nounoed that all sentiment should be excluded
from your deliberations; you insulted our sex
when you replied with buffoonery in your as
sembly to our former protest, saying that we
did not know what We signed-as If we, like
you, speak and write with a head turned with
the vapors of gluttony and drunkenness; you
covered with affronts the few noble souls
among you who undertook the defence of our
sex and, fnRllys when you sought renpse from