The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-11-16
Monsianor Capel and the Press


CHICAGO, Nov. 10.-A special to the
Tribune says: Monsignor Capel, distin-
guished Roman Catholic priest, (the Coates
by" described In Beaconsfeld's "Lothair")
has been here now two weeks, and has de-.
livered two lectures and one or two address.
es. His fame preceded him, and the an
Douncement Of his lectures drew out fair
representation Of Professionalism, Unitarian
ism and Agnosticism. He has also received
pleasant attentions from q number of
wealthy families outside of the Roman
Church, but thus far there has been no con-
version of rich natives to the Roman Church,
so far as announced. Monsignor Capel in
his first lecture sought to reconcile Roman.
ism to Republlcanism. and made the plea
that the discipline and theory Of the Roman
Church was In exact accord with the free.
dom Of the Nation, and especially of the
Republic. This sort of reasoning caused the
Times, Tribune and Inter Ocean to dip into
church history; and while the prelate was
handled respectfully, individually, he was
told that his arguments were sophistry, and
that he had evidently mistaken the reading
capacity and intelligent understanding of
American audiences. Monsignor Capel was
moved to reply to these critical attacks in
open letters to the papers in question, and
this has only served to provoke wider dis
cussion. All this served to draw Monsignor
Capel out of his calm, and In his address
night before last on "The Catholic Church
and Modern Thought" be displayed marked
aeerbity. The Times, this morning, speak.
ing of the lecture, says: "There Is no argu-
ment In the assertion that ones adversaries
assert something because they have an in
terest In asserting II; still less in answering
what an adversary has said by the declara.
ton that it is q falsehood. IL is very posi-
BILE that some who dissent to the notions of
Monsignor Capel respecting the source from
which he says political rulers derive their
authority, do but repeat the shbbo leths OF
their mothers, and are themselves the
grovelling slaves Of prejudice, who do not
know the meaning of intellectual liberty,
which the clerical gentleman doubtless
knows. But to make these assertions
against the facus Of history Is miserable
criticism on that which has provoked them"
Monsignor Capel, speaking Of goddess Amer
lean schools, made the assertion that If a
person would critically examine the ad.
vancement made by q child In American
schools, he would find the poor little wretch
about rs fair sample of Chicago sausage
As one could find anywhere, stuffed, WELL
dressed, and rammed to the very bottom.
but with nothing solid In him after all. The
Times declares that such criticisms coming
from q member OF the Pope's household in |
the children In even uusanctified |
schools In Chicago to sausages, surely are
not the answers which the superior knowl- |
edge aud great scholarship and exalted eccle- |
,iasticsi dignity nigh: be expected to make
10 the criticisms Of the grovelling, servile |
slaves of prejudice. The Times finally as.
serts that political criticism will let the
Church alone IN exactly the measure the |
Church lets politics alone, and no other, and
mat Mohsignor Capel Will be let alone in |
precisely the same ratio.
The other morning papers treat the eccles-
sstic after the same fashion, And Cstesby,
apart from bis views, had his calm ruffied to
! degree incompatible with his heraIded
and fame, and caused him to dis.
play temper which has given his critics al.
together the best Of the controversy. 1t is
understood whatever good opinion Capel has
had Of the Republic, he has about lost hope
'f reforming the press of the Republic. ga