The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-11-26
Help for the Tlue native americans.

com mercial disasters aud fiuancial trou bies,
We are apt to neglect interests not less i'm
portsnt. In the effort to secure our rights
We sometimes forget our duties Oar own
present sutfsrings obliterate the memory OF
those we have inflicted upon others.
But, by happy providence, we have q
| ,ew watchful sentinels who, from time to
time, remind MS of our neglected duty and
point out means of retrieving our derelic-
| ton.
One of the most vigilant of these is Mr..
McMaster of the FreemsGn's Journal, whose
voice has sounded the note of help for our
p ,or Indian brethren and whose hands are
actively engaged in making bis suggestions
practical. His plan is at once simple and
sublime, two characteristics of every thing
undertaken in q true spirit of faith and
charity. The payment of three cents o
month towards the support of the Indian
missions in the West, and the daily recisa
ton of one Ave MarSa for their spiritual
wants, are the two weapons which Mr..
McMaster invites US to take up in defence of
our poor Catholic Indiana. Who can refuse
his appeslf His purse strings and heart
| strings too must be lax indeed it the nsits
required OF either of them causes any
Inconvenience Whatsoever.
We see in the columns of the Freeman
the names of many persons from all the
States, answering his appeal-amongst
others, Father Jouan, who was once in
our city, opening his true Catholic heart
to this cry of charity; but we would rejoice
if every reader Of ours would come forward
with his aims of money and of prayer, and
he p to swell into thousands the hundreds
of dollars already collected and forwarded
to the InGian Missions.
Out in that Western Vicariate, there are
not sufficient means to support even a sim
gle priest, and yet the noble Bishop WHOM:
our Holy Father has placed at that distant
post, is working there for souls, without
any help from human power. We all know
what Grants peace policy has done for the
country if it could, but with Mscaulay
when we think of the assaults which the
Catholic Church has survived we do not"
imagine U. 8. Grant can device ways and
means to destroy her. However, he has
done great wrong to the Indian-and we,
as part of the American people, mnst share
in the odium before men and the crime be-
fore God of this most iniQuituous proceed
ing. But as Catholics We can atone for the
wrong that has been done, and endeavor to
avert some of the evil in store. If the In
dian is a victim of the American Govern
ment to day, it is because Catholics 6ave
innucently been the cause of his suhjection.
We discovered this New World, sCe we're
the first white men who stood upon its
shores or sailed upon its waters. We
brought "tidings of great joy" to the in
habitants of this land long before Granite
fore fathers, finding themselves oppressed
in Europe, woke to the possibility of op
pressing others in America. We settled
happy Indian reserv ations broadcast over
the country, and taught the truths of God
from the Atlantic to the Pacific shores
Aud now We are thrust aside from fields
that we had planted, from harvest we baC
almost gathered, from q vineyard blooming
with the fruits of pety and grace, anC
told that there is "none to hire u.s."
Mr.. McMaster shows Us a way in whicl
to commence our work anew, way whicl
will cost us neither time nor money, ant
yet which will give US an assurance tha
there are busy hands and jealous hearts a
their posts of duty among our far-oi
Indian brethren.
Our dole of cents and prayers will bull
up schools and churches, will strengthe
faith among the Indians and zeal anon
f the Black gowns, will reclaim the wander
ing tribes and compensate for wrong a
ready done and evil yet to be perpetrate'
The plan suggested by Mr.. McMast'
4 is for one person to form band of fifteen
: guin decade as be calls teach one to pa
i three cents a month and to say dali
Hail Mary for the success of the cause. I'll
a prayers can be said, and the aims offere'
/ in the name of dead friends, thus combinir
"a in one charity three grand objects, viz