The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-05
GREAT DISTRESS IN CALIFORNIA ANL
COMM fUNISTIC RUMBLLNGS.
San Francisco Monitor.

For some time back there has been a se
rious feeling of insecurity among the
people Of this city. We are in period of
general DEPRESSION, stagnation of business
and dearth of employment, produced in q
great measure by the same causes which
affect the rest of the United States. This
has been accompanied here by a season of
unusual drought and great influx of
Chinese labor. This general depression
has been aggravated Glso by the conduct of
self-appointed demagogues, who claimed
to show the people bow all these evils
could be at once removed, and wealth and
prosperity tie within the reach of all. The
means were communistic and revolution
ary. Organizations of armed men openly
expressed their determination to carry out
their programme by force, if necessary, in
defiance of the constitutional authority of
the United States and the State of Califor
MIA. To oppose these, it was said that
other organizations were secretly formed
which, under whatever name, were to be
but q repetition of the famous Vigilance
Committee. Now, we have no absola te
certainty that these statements are facts,
but every one knows that such is the com :
mon belief, and any overt act, on the part
of either side, would have been followed
by scenes which we shudder to contem-
plate. 1t was therefore the duty of the
Archbishop to warn his flock from having
any thing to do with such organizations, for
by the very fact Of belonging to such they
would incur the sentence of excommuni-
cation from the Church, pronounced by her
Sovereign POntiffs against all such secret
and Illegal societies, and We believe that
by his thus solemnly warning his people,
be has merited the gratitude of all right
minded persons in the city and State.
He also admonishes and even requires
them to stay away from all such seditious,
anti social and anti christian meetings.
In a matter of such gravity, all Catholics
are bound to obey him under pain of sin,
according 30 the injunctions of the Holy
Scriptures, "Obey your prelates and be
subject to them, knowing they have to give
an account of your souls" If by the law
Of God children are obliged to obey their
parents, in all lawful things so also are we
obliged to render that obedience to those
invested with spiritual authority-'He
that will not hear the Church is to be &C
counted as q heathen."
This prohibition was also necessary, as
the greater number who attended those
meetings went through mere curiosity,
but if not warned of the danger might
perish therein. Megy, the French commu
mist, boasted in New York of the orgauiza
ton they had in San Francisco, and ex-
pressed the hope that ere long the streets
of this city would run red with blood
Most assuredly those who follow such
leaders will in the end be shot down in the
streets, pine in dungeons, or perish on the
scaRold like the Communists of Paris or
the Molly Maguires of Pennsylvania
| fifteen of whom have been already hanged
aud Hester, one of the last three that were
| executed, as the haugman's moose was
slipped round his neck, ssid to the attend
ing priest, "Ah, Father, if had taken my
PASTORS advice, would not be here to
day"
As to tho idea of the Archbishop and
clergy of the Catholic Church being in