The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-04
LECTURE BY MR.. 0'G0RMAN
OfVIIIEhTJON SNORING MEN THE
BROTH BRHOOD or MAN.

/
Lave aud Great Armies net sure snfeRua rds
Against the Decline OF CiviIizatton-NIiIi.
tary Governments the Weakest of All.
Civilization, its nature, its dangers, and
| what kind OF allies and defcnces It NAV RELY
upon," was the theme OF n lecture delivered by
Richard OGorman In Steinway Hall last even
ing, for the benefit OF the poor, 1t ,enR under
stood that the money accrung therefrom should
be distrbu. ed by the Conference OF st. Vincent
de Paul, attached to the Church Of the Sacred
| Heart
At this moment. Mr.. O'Gorman said, Europe
Ii threatened with war; over all the nations
there Ia anxiety and alarm: her millions of
arm ed men are falling into hostile lines. Heie
we, thank God are still safe. standing like men
upon the shore when the storm ragcs far out to
sea and casts its pillows and their wrecks and
treasures at our feet. God grant that we may
still hold the vantage ground OF peace. They
will tell you that the Europeans have
strong governments, great armies TO pro-
| tect them from foes abroad. ind repress disor-
ders at home, that they have vigorous repressive
laws. Feeble defences ALL Armies melt away
and disappear In the hot breath OF peoples
anger. Governments of the cannon and the
| bayonet, the drum and the bugle. are the weak
est OF all governments not the strongest The
only strong and pc manent government "a that
! which depends on wise and kindly care for the
interests, the tendencies. almost the prcjudices
OF the people 2 government that deals out
, equal and exact Justice TO every ciass md every
religion In the land over which ite sway extends.
| IL NAV be said that diffusion of knowledge Is n
| safeguard OF imperllled civilization. 1 fear we
| cannot depend wholly upon that. Knowledge
IL the preiogative of man 70 know IL the Gift
| he received from the Almishty. and to shed
light on the dark places where Ignorance aud
| vice and reiudice lurk aud cOnspire, IA benen-
cent and great achievement nut what Govern.
| ment In all the history Of man has succeeded In
educating its people above the levsl OF preju-
| nj and ali hny fan
II were to be required to say what II the
| truest hope Of civilization, where 1t would best
| md its protectors In the hour Of need. should
| say In the hearts and homes OF happy people,
people knit together 10y ronR domestc ties,
| respecting the laws because under their laws
| they were cherished and protected. and loving
| their nation because from its power and honor
little thought Of rational amusement Tor the
| people. The lives Of the working classes have.
Tor ages. pen becoming more dull aud less
liehtened by enjoyment. ] remember IN Eng
land Hnd Ireland the f,irs OF long ago; remem-
Der the booths. the bespaneled circuses, the
plays and tragedies 40 deep and dismaiiy horrl-
| bic remember, and dOn't some OF YOU remem-
her, the dancing tents whore we used TO have
80 much funf Laughter and applause. Well,
we have reformed out OF all those things. EnR.
land was once called "Merrie England" and de.
served the name ere II became the workshop OF
the world. Now her many folk-sonRs-tbose
chants with which men used to tighten Dor In
their ruder, merTier day-are silent. How
used to listen to the songs OF the Southern ne
groes, those chants they used to sing IN ths
sugar plantations and the cotton nelds
They viii 60 soon, no doubt. Our negro
feliow-ctizens in the South are now OPP
pressed with tho heavy burden OF freedom,
they have got to bs TOO disnined to be happy,
and after "a while they will take their pleasure
just az sadly as the rest OF us. Even the one day
OF the week which Christianity from the
earliest ages devoted to Innocent recreation and
amusement, by an extraordinary perversion In
some countries, has been turned to "a dav OF pe-
culiar sadness and gloom. 1his IL n frigbtful
Oh, nee against nrun that nfty-two DAYS of every
year. that should bc days OF happiness, are
made occasions OF the reverse. IL IL an evil that
will. IN the course Of time, he corrected. and
sunday. the gre Z festival day Of the week, will
again be bright with Ito festal radiance. and men
will love IL as they used to long ago. Applause
Without religion there has never been, anu
there cannot TO any true civilization.
Civilization, | THINK, can best be protected
IN its hour OF need by the po pular recognition of
that sublime law. We are much moro near to
one another than inclined TO believe.
There are differences Of wealth. OF race OF relig-
Ion. of condition of life. and out OF these artin-
cial barriers have sometimes been raised ; but
nature knows none of these things; Christiaui-
", with Its myriad Of voices. protests against
them, and this charitable society, 10y its every
act OF benehcence and liberali'y TO men OF every
creed and cline doe all 1t can t. dissipate
these evil phantoms OF malevOlent imaginings
and show their folly. Al pilusel Charity IL
the the true philosophy, the true statesman-hip
the true social science, and la works of bench
oence such 10 these civilization huds lis highes
triumph and It's surest defenders.