The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-11-05
THE EASTERN QUESTION.

THE LIBERTY OF EUROPE AND THE PAPACY.
The Toce della Verita, in leader entitled
"The Eastern Qnestion and the Liberty sof
Europe and the Papscy," says:
The Liberal party. the anti-Christian sects
and all who in Europe profess themselves ene-
mics of the Church and of the Papacy, are agi-
tating continually, through meetings, relief
committees, and by means of the PRESS for the
cause of the Sclsvs, which is the cause of the
Revolution and of Russia, Would to God that
this holy zea al for the we'll being of Christians
of whatever Orient tai communion was the real
aim of all this agitation But it is evidently
not. This organized movement 10 sectarian
affair, and it's religious side is the immense hR-
tired of Liberalism and Freemasonry against
Catholicism. 1t is singular thing that
throughout the whole of Europe not Catholic
is to be found who takes the pant of the Sclavs.
Liberals of the worst kind and the most en-
venomed Protestsnts are the sole promoters of
this agitaton, which may rightly be called
" ibertioide" for this miserable Europe. To
the exaggerated outcries of execraGion against
the atrocities committed to day by the Turkish
irregulars in Bulgaria, like those perpetrated
yesterday by the most civilized English army
in India, and by the Liberal italian troops in
Sicily and Naples, are constantly added at the
meetings and in the journ ais exscr ntons against
the Pope because, contradictipg the ancient
spirit of the Crusaders he does not exercise his
moral power in favor OF the Christians in the
East It would be easy to prove TO these criers
of anathema against the Pope as a partizan of
the Turks, that it is only want of knowledge of
past and contemporary history which makes
them use such language, but we will not do
the leaders of the movement the injustice to
suppose them SO basely ignorant. They know
better than we do for what high and just rea-
eons the Pope, if he docs not side for the weak
Turk, cannot in the holy interests of the
Church, aid the powerful, despotic and schis-
matte Russian, of whom Servis aud Montenegro
are the dead sentinels. The PApacy, in not
placing its powerful word at the service of the
Sclavs, protects the independence and the
liberty-the trueet, the highest, the dearest
liberty of Latin Europe, as it erewhile pro-
tected them by the splendid epic Of the Crusade.
The Vooe della VeTita then goes on to narrate
that when Islamism became q danger to Chris
opposing Q barrier to barbaric invasion.
Sketching the events from Sylvester II. to Plus
V. and LepantO, it continues:
To-day things are changed from bead to
foot, as all things change here below. No one
can ssy that the Turkey of 1876 is danger to
the Independence of Europe and liberty of
conscience. But this peril removed from the
East by the work Of the Pope, has sprung up
on another side. On the North. as in other
centuries We were threatened by the despot-
Ism OF the Turk, so now to-day the threats of
Muscovite despotism hang over our heads.
Inc one 10 as bad the other. The Russian
atroclties in POLAND were infinitely more bor-
ripe than those committed in Bulgaria,
whereas il the hard hacessity of war and an
prehensive desire TO luauch a tbreatenin0 in
surrection forced the Turks to stain them
selves with the blood of tbs Bulearians, ard
warm themselves ny tie flames of their
villages, Turkey left, ard still leaves, to tie
different peoples subject to her, their own lar
guage, a thing dear TO u people which feels its
own dignity and the love of it's iudepen dence,
their own religions, supreme comfort in this
miserable vale of tears, and to certain ex-
tent their distinct nationalties. Nothing of
all this in Russia, and yet it has dared to re-
prove the Pope for not smoothing the way to
Constautinopls for the despotism of the Gear.
from whence he would proceed to invade
Europe and dominate the world. What i'm
mense blindness in those who prefer to become
the slaves of a Cesar rather than the affec-
Honate children of q great father who en-
Oraces all the sister nations in the amplitude
tI common charity, in the aspiration of a
tF3e and holy liberty-the bene 6oent liberty
which Christ came to bring us on earth.