The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-25
THE MOLLY-MAGUIRRS AND nIBERNIAN
nRuER

this subject have been widely circulated |
An Ohio Priest, in q letter to the Boston |
Pilot, makes the following statement, to
which we call the attention of our readers
ST.. AuaUsTINEs CHURCH. New Straits |
vile, Perry Co., o., Jan. 7. 1876. |
DEAR SIR 1T was truly strange thing
to see in your issue of the LIST inst, the Most
Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia, and Father
O'Connor of Mahanoy Plains, mixing up
and condemning the powerful and respect
able body of the Ancient Order of Hibern-
ians with that infamous clan called Molly
Maguires, and in the same column, Father
O'Hara of Pittsburg, with the appreciation
of his Rt. Rev. Brother, asserting that there
was no connexion whatsoever between the
aforesaid societies. Now, / do confess, that
as priest and an Irishman, | am grieved
to the core seeing such state of things in
existence. How can / rest content while |
consider that in my parish a large body of
the A. o. III. exists, in which are the best
and purest of my flock ? If the society is
guilty of the crime attributed to them by
the Archbishop of Philadelphia, why not
condemn ut once the entire Order? The A.
O. II. is the same in all places, therefore
lift be condemned in part the whole must
also be condemned. fit is secret society,
it is ipso Jdcto condemned, and in this case
the half of my poor congregation is estrang-
ed from their holy Church and deprived of
sacramental and sacrificial grace, unless
their ignorance of such condemnation ex-
cuse them. O God, forbid that my little
vineyard should be so afflicted But | am
convinced that, so far, the Hibernians are
free from censure Not long since | was
present at general meeting which they
held in this village. In the short speech
/ delivered there | took occasion to congrat-
ulate them on the many good things they
had accomplished in my parish. They had
strictly adhered to their motto-"Friend-
ship, Unity, and True Christian Charity"
They had drawn into their ranks many who
were wandering for years outside the bound
aries of their holy religion and losing all
sight both of their faith and nationality.
They had compelled them, under penalty
of expulsion or fines, to act as become good
citizens, and, by forcing them to comply
with Article XXI oftheir constitution, they
made them throw aside the accursed vice of
indifference which is so common in our day,
| and become good practical Catholics. Thus
they made themselves instrumental in saw
ing souls Knowing all these assertions to
be facts, how can I feel otherwise than con-
fused when | read charges made against
them, which they explicitly deny and stig-
| matize Backed by Bishop OHara and his
clergy, will continue to encourage the A.
| o. III. 50 long rs it continues to do what it
| is doing, and until higher tribunal than
Archbishop Wood and his fiery and uncau-
| tious subject Father O'Connor condemn it,
l shall uphold it, All the members assured
me at their last meeting that they would at
once abandon it if it were condemned. Their
! constitution admits none into their society
hv the chnrch The sMolIiesD are esnecial.
10 batefnj in tbe;r avos hocaI,so we ali tnoy
| tIounh Eotbar O,Son,or ar;U rot i,non n
tbot 7hosa r,tf;ons ora ,,ot ali Tr;sh ,or Nor,
bars balf Ir;Sh II 10 cainmnv thereforo
70 y pp,hra;d tha A n II rr;th ~ ~ its con,
| st;t,,tion ,rob;h;ts ond ali tLa n,an,hors on,-
nhot;collr denv ''i' '''''-''''' vim
pHTs ~ coroo TO ihe most objectionable mort of
Father 0,Connor,s comn,cnts 7 sboll yenture
to saw that he smoke w;thont taste or iudg.
| mani VIXEN reod such words 90 These
1r'' hoh io@u :"|u "oi"o 40 'n0'0
II feel that murder Is done every DAY Dy
the Irish, and when considered the sa-
tered contess that NV verv heart felt
crushed and wounded let him remember,
when he shall have read this. that he has
cast dagger into tbe bosom of a brother
| nr;est bv i9sulting NV pat;onalitv and that
no less than n retraction of this malignant
! and fa;se sentence ouoted above sboll f,ilv
repair the injury He must he very weak.
| minded man when he is ashamed of the
name of Trisbman because same unfortlnate
| individuals like Delanv committed homi
eide. He closes his ewes to the mountains
of crime perpetr rated bv all other nations.
and sees wickedness in frishmen aIone Yes
| Trishmen must he. what he il moi angelic
| immaculate Rut thonk God their record