The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-10-17
SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER II, 1875.

the stage, the faithful who thronged the stair
way and halls crowding around him to kiss hi
ring and receive his blessing. The Bishop
having at length taken his seat, the
President of the State Union announced the
order of exercises and presented his LordshiP
to the audience, which applauded him enthu-
siastically he stepped to the front of the
platform In Il voice remarkably po werful aud
clear, enabling those in the farthest corners of
the immense hall to hear every word he utter
ed was then delivered the following
LECTURE BY RI. REV. WIN. II. ELDER. BISHOP OF
sATcHEz
Gentlemen Of the Total Abstinence Union of Louisiana
ard you Young Gentlemen Cadets of the Catholic
Union and all Of you, my Dear Friends
/ must express my great pleasure in having
an opportunity to meet you at this celebration
of the birthday of Father Mathew, the great
man who gave the first mighty impulse to the
practice OF Total Abstinence. 1t is an indie
scribable pleasure to meet you in this magnif-
cent hall dedicated in honor of st. Patrick, the
patron Saint of Father Matthew's own beloved
seen in your early days the venerable Apostle
of Temperance, or have heard your PARENTS
describe the beautiful flowers of peace and
prosperity which sprang. mp in his footsteps
before him, over ali its length and breadth
with Gods words upon his lips, and Gods
grace in his priestly heart. CApplanssl. am
W6eTs, t. twenty S i've years ago, Father Mathew
SO much rejoiced in the triumphant and noble
welcome he received, and where, in three
weeks, he gained more than $4,000 persons to
pledge themselves members to Total Absti-
hence. [Applausel. Some of you had the hap
piness of taking the pledge from him and re-
ceiving his fatherly blessing, 1t it that bless
pledge faithfully through all this time or has
preserved in your hearts the memory OF that
blessed day as to induce you to renew it
and to sanctify 1t in tho holy Associat that
is celebrating now his memory. [Applausel
felt, when 1 received the invitation from
your honorable body, that it was due to me,
and to this day, and to the memory of him We
celebrate, that should write ont in full the
thoughts purposed to lay before you. Unex-
pected occupations and embarrassments have
hindered ne from doing so.
If then this evening give you disappoint-
ment it will not. at least, be for the want o!
goo6 will. | can only beg of you in the words
gift of the lover, but the love of the giver.
Applausel III do not express my love aud ad-
IMITATION Tor your good work iu7such words as
it deserves, can present at least fact which
carries some evidence with it. 1t is, that l
myself have the pleasure of being actively en-
listed in your cause, since am myself mem
Der of St. Joseph's Catholic Total Abstinence
Society of Natchez. Two years ago it was es-
tablished by some, and it, perhaps, it would
not be in good taste for me to praise its MEM
bers particularly, can say in general terms
that what / have seen of them, added to VII lat
l have observed elsewhere, satisfies me that
the establishment of well-conducted Catholic
Total Abstinence Society brings an immense
blessing upon the community were it exists.
Now, ny dear friends, it would be well ii
could depict to yon this evening some OF the
horrors of that dreadful vice which you are
enrolled to fight against. 1t is good for you,
when the occasion offers, to listen to accounts
others give of the dreadful desotation, the
miseries of body and soul, the ruin of house
and country, that follows the course of drunk
enne 8. But feel disposed to use the occasion
for another purpose. 1t is one thing to place
before you the evils of intemperance and its
70 srful ravages, and it is another thing to con-
slider the remedies that are used for staying its
progress.
Gus opponents and various means are used to
fight against it. You have adopted one direct
and eficacious means. Total Abstinence from
all use of liquors that can intoxicate is the
method you have chosen, and it ls OF this
particularly that desire to speak this evening.
Not, indeed, would l say one word against
any other methods that may be used on the
contrary, it is the part of q true friend of tenn
perance to encourage every just and practicable
means that men may devise for lessening in
any degree the sin of intempaS0nce. If others
then extol the excellence of other means, you
can unite in extolling them. And the higher
we eXalt them, the more glorious it will be for
you if still above them all you raise Father
Matthew's banner of Total Abstinence. APP.
plause1. You have taken up the same work
that Father Mathew began some forty years
ago, and it is no injury to what he accom-
plished if we say you have advanced it to
higher and more efficient stage of its existence
by uniting it more closely with your holy
life and vigor in the Sacramento, the channels
of Gods grace. Father Mathew has sometimes
been criticised for not having made his pledge
of Total Abstinence moro entirely religious
work. But think, my dear friends, that We
will be more modest and more correct in our
Judgment, il we say that Father Mathew did
the work which divine providence marked out
Al -, hf,t 81 vvhf oh hat he
should prepare the way and make it practicable
for us to carry that work to higher perfection
to meet the greater necessities of our day. APP
plause.l