The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-30


Felix, ss is we'll known, is o Jesuit priel
and is generally considered one of th
greatest orators that the French pulpit ha
produced. No one after carefully readin
the article referred to can misunderstan
the issue, and that is' very important
Every body should know under what ban
ner he enlists.
Father Felix in his fascinating style set
forth tho history of this movement. H,
shows that Socialism at 6rst proclaime, Q,
itself to be reform; after getting some
growth and strength IL set mp for tota
transform alton ; then 1t threw OFF the mash
and the Devils horns were plainly showr
blazoned over with the word I'D sstruction. ,
That is, as God is q creator, and his trutt
is ccnservator, 80 the Devil is destroy.
or and his false doctrine lie destruction
The truth of God is called Christianity
the error of Satan, called by a Thousand
names according to the changing folly OF
the age, is just BOW styled Communism.
At fret Socialism spoke and sang and
dreamed of "harmony "a grand, all per
vading harmony. It was not satisfied to
wait for the perfect harmony of Heaven,
but must needs rival it here on earth
There was to be no more clashipg of hu
man interests, affections or prejudices, no
more war among nations or estrangement
among races. Bat, alas for poetical uto.
pias these theorizers have now concluded
that it will be necessary to reach this
peaceful Arcadia through sea of blood.
They are 30 enamored of brotherly love
and general harmony that they are going
to insure it by tearing down, burning and
slaying every thing and everybody that is
in the slightest degree inbarnonious with
their ideas. There is to be NO more pri-
vate property, and whosoever shall pretend
to claim what has been his, let him die +;
there shall be no more family in the old
exclusive sense, and every man who may
deny TO his wife the perfect right to change
husbands at discretion, let his blood
expiate his stupidity there shall be no
more religion, and should any fanatic,
bigot or clericalist harbor the pernicious
dream of Immortality after this life or of
delusive communication between man
and So called God, let him perish as
dog.
Would one believe that these madmen
were the poets of former days who so gen.
tly piped of peace and plenty and universal
"harmony 7" But such is error; 60 once
astray, into never so flowery path, and
you know not to what an abyss of horror
it may lead.
But ia there anv comu,nn eansa Of oil ~
Communism Of course there is, for it il
not all diabolism. There is human as well
as satanic agency in it's compromising, and
wherever the human miLd d acts energet-
icaly and continuously there must be
something Ingenious, something profound,
something wise evolved from it's labors ;
Com mmun ism la too great a fact to be all
error. Bad men lead it, but they could
not lead it far, did not the human heart
reach out along the direction in which il
points with certain aspirations not all
evil. Human society, as it has been from
the beginning of the world, is too naturally
built upon human character to be capable
| of destruction while mans nature remaine
the same it is too logical a deduction
from the law which nature has imprinted
on the heart to be ever transformed into
something organically different from what
it has always been but there is room for
reform, in other words, of progress, and
what there is of good in the aspirations
| of Communism, is for progress.
Progress Is there no room for it7 IL
there not something wrong in that civili-
cation where one mans children are crying
for bread while another's are scattering
wealth in all the profusion of luxury and
recklessnessf
On the other hand we must ask: Are
men:not to be responsible for their deeds
If man will not work, shall he eat 2 II
he wastes his earnings in the ale house,
must he not see his children pale with
hunger If he has filthy, vicious habits,
must he not suffer from disease Whom
can he blame in all these cases but himselfl
How will you ever force men to do RIGHT