The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-03-26
TIE NEW PRESIDENT OF ECUADOR
[London Tablet /

1t may tend to reassure despondina
Conservatives ia France to reflect that the
one government perhaps now existing that
can be called truly and Loyalty Catholic ia
also Republican. The new President OF
Ecuador, Don Antonio Borrero, has dis
ciaimed In the most solemn manner any
design OF s1bverting the free institutions
of that State, or of establishing Monarchy.
he mas on the contrary, in his reply to the
address OF the national representatives,
expressed bis determination to uphold Re-
publican Institutions, such as popular suf-
trage, press liberty, and respect for public
opinion he has also declared himself op.
posed to "paternal government" His words
are regard the guardianehip or state
OF minority of q nation as incompatible
with the dignity of man and without dig
nifty man lie mere machine" And he add
ed 3" Two public liberties chiefly const:-
tute the essence Of the Republican system,
and contribute more than anything else to
a nations culture and greatness. They
are the freedom of the suffrage, and the
freedom of the press. Without the frat
the Republic has no solid basis on which
TO found the social and political ediice;
government originating from any other
source is not a government in harmony
with the laws of God or with the nature of
man, and 1s q government devoid of real
authority. Without the second there ia NO
check on the excesses of power, no facility
VI SeSoA ''ihi"s Suo puollc sentiment, no
ready means of enlightenipg government
when it is called on to deal with grave and
difficult questions; nothing in short, to en-
able 1T to guide the nation in the path of
true progress, whether political, scientific,
or literary. Under my administration
these liberties will be amply secured to
the Republic of Ecuador" 1t is hardly ne
cesssry to say that we do not quote these
words as the profession of our own political
creed. They were, however, spoken be-
tore the high altar of the Cathedral of
= otto, and in presence of the rchbishop,
VINO had just administered the oaths Of |
office to the new President. But we allude |
to his Inauguration principally for the pur-
pose OF pointing out that the exultation of |
the anti Catholic Liberals at his election |
seems to have been rather premature. IHl
vas perhaps scarcely worth while to cut
PRESIDENT Garcia Moreno's throat in order |!
20 make room for successor who speaks
as follows:-" am sincere Catholic.
and as such shall support the RELIGION
Of our fathers. 1t civilized the world. and
its enemies are, in my belief, also the
enemies of Ecuador. To attack that re-
ilglon is TO commit high treason against
'his country, for IL we are Q civilized and
enlightened people we owe it to our hav-
ng received the light of the Gospel. The
Church of this country must be truly inde-
pendent, and the Government must uphold
ts independence. An enslaved Church ia
lot the Church that Christ founded. It
has no power to promote civilization or
ociai progress it is an instrument of op-
PRESTON and tyranny" Such language as
his seems to justify the hope that the
Mantle of Garcia Moreno has to a certain
xtent fallen upon the new President and
ne y election of such man by popular vote
srlklngly dlsproves the theory that the
murder of the late Catholic President was
ooked upon by the Ecuadorians as q de-
Iverance from a hateful tyranny.