The Irish standard., 1894-12-29
MINNEAPOLIS MINI. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1894.
Catholic funeral service, so beautifully
described by his physician, Cloquet, and

Catholic funeral service, so DeRutlIuily
described by his physician, Cloquet, and
the interment IN the Catholic cemetery
Of Picpus? Think you the priests would
have assisted IN such numbers at the
funeral if he had been in the habit OF
abusing them? Or did Lafayette have
one language for American Protestants
and another for French Catholics? In
his chateau at Lagrange Lafayette had q
chapel attached What was the use OF
this chapel if his enemies, the Romish
PRIESTS were not to worship there? Or
was this mockery of sheer hypocrisy?"
After long silence, Professor Morse at
length wa1ed indignant. and refused to
'condescend" to answer these arguments
on the ground that the bishop had i'm.
peached his veracity!
As to the Rev. Vanpelt, he, although
an old man of eighty, had "a vivid and
distinct recollection" of the exact words
of an interview held with Lafayette over
twenty years previous. Now, it is not to
be presumed that a Reformed Dutch
clergyman, even with the best intentions,
and under ordinary circumstances, would
be disposed to color such conversation
as he claimed to have bad with Lafay
cite, in order to make it appear less un-
favorable to that particular sect against
which it was directed. Taking into con-
sideration the epirit of religious fanati-
cism which then prevailed, the Jealous
ness which has invariably been shown by
the Knownothings to place the Catho-
lies and their Church in an attitude of
hostility to the institutions of the counS
try, and remembering, moreover, how
even the monstrous fulminations of
Maria Monk were supported by reverend
clergymen at that time, we cannot but
look with suspicion on story which was
so eminently calculated to advance the
cause IN, the midst of which it was born.
We can readily realize who the spirit Of
Knownothingism must have grudged,
nay, in its fanaticism, lit must have mar
yelled, that America could actually be
indebted to Catholic for the distin-
guished services of Lafayette. No slur
could be cast on his patriotism; Know
nothingism must, forsooth, find flaw ia
his Catholicism.
There are two specific reasons why the
Rev. Vanpelt's testimony is unreliable.
One is thai another statement which he
claimed to have received from Lafayette
(which was calculated to lrove that La
fayette had become q Protestant), viz:
"When IN Boston worshipped sitting
by the side # Gen Washington" etc.
The fact is, Washington and Lafayette
we're never together in Boston at any
time. Mr.. Jared Sparks, the historian,
is my authority The second reason is
that furnished by the manner in which
the clergyman describes the circum
stances which bear all the earmarks of
improbability to any one having the
slightest knowledge of Lafayette's char
acter. The most amusing feature of the
description is that, although the CONVEX
sation took place nearly thirty years ago,
and Is now confessedly written out Of his
recollection, Latayette's words are writ.
ten in the first person, word for word,
and at length, SO they occupy more than
than half Of large page! This gentle:
man had "vivid recollection" indeed. 4
Permit me now to make an important
quotation from speech delivered by
Lafayette in the French Senate, April 9,
1882 Gate in life, when his opinions must
surely have been definitely formulated),
and taken from the "Memoirs, CORES
popdence, ETC., of Lafayette" published
by his family under the imprimatur of
his favorite son, George Washington La
fayette The subject in debate was the
motion to expel certain refugees from
France, including the English, or rather
Irish. monks who we're sojourning with
the Trappists at Melleray. Lafayette
warmly opposed the bill and used this
language: "I know we'll in the report
they have spoken of the expulsion of
some Englishmen who had entered
among the Trappists at Melleray as
measure of good and wise administra
tion. Such measures, gentlemen, are not
those which will meet with my eulogy.
Mistake not rigor for strength, despot.
ism for power, then you will not have
need of ell these precautions, and the
Trappists of Melleray will not be more
dangerous for you than are the Jesuits
at Georgetown for the United States.
When I inform you that Prof. Morse
made the foolish attempt to explain
away these words BY claiming that La
tayette meant to say that the Trappists
Of Mellear and the Jesuits OF George
were both dangerous societies, but that
the former was not more dangerous than
the latter, add no comment, but leave
your readers to weigh both the words
and the reliability Of Prof Morse.
Ia closing this discussion, Mr Editor,
I am only tooconscious OF the unscrupu-
lousness Of the "A. p. A. orators Ito whom
truth SCENE more inconvenient than
falsehood), to imagine for q moment that
they would ba previous to any Arguments
which would have tendency to disturb
their charitable opinions OF their CathO-