The San Francisco call., 1896-02-13

erudition. Indeed, / have I'VE found found among
Catnollcs higher tone of thought. morals,
manners and society than have ever found,
with falr opportunities, among my non -Catho-
nc countrymen, and taking the Catholic popu-
lation OF the country even as it actually is
under all its DISADVANTAGES there is nothing in
II that need make the most cultivated and
renned man of letters or of society blush TO
avoW himself q Catholic. lib. D. 1881.
compare an Irish or Spanish peasant with
an an Engllsh or German peasant, the learned
eii benieolctlnes OF st. Maur or. the Bollandists
the great medieval doctors with your most
iauded Protestant theologians the difference
IN IN mental lucidity, acuteness and strength is
30 great as to render all comparison almost
ridiculous" (yol 8, p. 443)
such is Brownson's answer to DR.. Wendte.
PERSONALITIES.
assure you, Mr.. Editor, that consider it q
waste OF valuable space TO spend time in mere
personalities. AS far as possible have tried
10 keep my private affairs out of this discus
SION. have not produced my cook and my
taanb,aa tadl0b as authorities in theology nor have
frotestsnt friends. / have not been so I'M
pertinent as to hint that DR.. Wendte is a late
convert to UnitarianiSm, have not paraded
private letters to strengthen my argument,
nave not suggested that my opponent entered
TINS controversy through base or unworthy
motives.
All'these things Dr. Wendte has done while
proclaiming his superiority to me as Chris
tlan and as gentleman. II therefore l do
waste some OF your valuable space IN ulScnSS-
ing personalities to-day. Mr.. Editor, claim
that am but following the example of one
who in his oft-expressed opinion is model of
manners controversial.
In the first place, therefore allow me to re-
sent the imputation which DR.. Wendte would
tasten on me that am hater OF Protestants.
do not think that anything which l have
said or written would lay me open to that
charge. In all this discussion | have not
spoken of the great Protestant community ex-
cept to appeal to its sense OF justice against the
tactics of DR.. Wendte.
have not beslayered Protestauts with COM
pliments as DR.. Wendte has beslavered Catho-
lies. My silence was sincere. DR.. Wendte's
effusiveness was insincere. If accused Amer
lean Professionalism of disloyalty would the
sting be taken from the calumny because said
l believe that Protestants are truly loyal? ii
I accused DR.. Wendte's caste of unfairness,
forgery and the suppression or truth would I
make amends by calling DR.. Wendte manly?
Ii / called the members of the Protestant
churches ignorant would 1 undo the effect of
my charge by saying am acquainted with
some very estimable Protestants? No, DR..
Wendte, l have said nothing in praise of Pro-
testants because have said nothing in blame
OF Protestants have not patted them on the
shoulder with one hand nor picked their
pocket with the other.
My contention has been with you and with
your authorities. When 1 said certain tactics
were dishonest meant your tactics. When ]
said quotations were garbled l meant that you
garbled them. When l said that Protestant
scholarship was a humbug l meant your
scholarship, and when | spoke of Grass and
Supln6 ignorance concerning Catn0l1C doc
trine meant the Grass and supine Ignorance
OF which you gave evidence.
II this controversy is to descend to person
alities let 1t be understood here and now that
there are only two persons concerned in it
! you and /. do not intend to be placed in the
unenviable position OF making war on Protes-
tants. All through this controversy have
acted on the defensive. You came into the
controversy OF your own free will. What were
| the motives which animated you it is not for
| me to say. How you retire from 1t is not my
nQ IF IN iha RIt all m
wrap yourself in Cesar's mantle and point to
| the enVious rents as the reason for which you
retire. You retire as you came in. your own
master, and protest against the high-handed
lmpudence which would place in my manners
| the reason for retiring from the field.
Letme say right here, DR.. Wendte. that there
| is no reason in the wide world for recognizing
| you as an advocate of Professionalism. II ! re-
member Alright some years ago the Protestant
| ministers of Oakland denied your claim to the
| title of Christian and refused to allow you to
| participate in their Monday meetings. That
you lost anything by your exclusion from that
weekly rendition OF Mother Goose's melodies
do not believe. 1t is true that since this con-
| troversy broke out they have asked you back.
] would have thought more of you If you had
said nothing about the invitation. 1t does not
| prove that they recognize you Protestant
| or champion of Professionalism, but proves
that they think that any stick is good enough
to beat yellow dog.
| tinction which DR.. Wendte would infict upon
me. He insists on singing me out from my
| brother priests and calling me good and
loyal citizen, as though other priests were not
| as good citizens and as loyal Allow me TO in
form DR.. Wendte that 1 repudiate his enco-
mlums. My honor is the honor of my brethren,
and what insults them insults me. When he
sneers at them as the humble yassals of Rome
he sneers at me. BY the grace of God am q
member of the Catholic clergy. disown any
attempt to make me an exception to them. II
am in any way loyal, they are far more loyal
! If am good citizen they are far better. They
spend themselves and are spent in ministering
to the needs of the poor, and il sounds we'll for
| the chaplain OF Dives TO snarl at those who
| bind up the sores OF Lazarus.
The loyalty of Catholic priests is not hall.
| marked by the utterances OF the ministry of q
! sect which ministry has never shown that il
was more loyal or more devoted than the
| clergy of any other sect. The loyalty OF
| Catholic priests is witnessed not only by words
| but by deeds. Their patriotism is told in the
| lives of John Carroll and of John Hughes
| Their allegiance was manifested in the Civil
marked by the marble shafts under which lie
| the priests who fell beneath the yellow fever
or the small pox, as the sentinel falls at hi:
| post, as the captain goes down with his ship
as the shepherd who is not hireling, whose
own the sheep are, knows that greater love
| than this no man hath that he lay down his
| life for his friend.
And now bring this long letter to close
DR.. Wendte may make as many farewell ap
peafances as prima donna, and If he produces
anything new / suppose l shall have the
liberty of answering 1t. regret that the con
troversy does not end as 1t began; but DR.
Wendte is responsible. He has charged the
Catholic community with a crime which they
repudiate, and, though their innocence ha:
been proven clear as light, he prefers to claim
barren controversial victory to their good
name Yours truly. 2. G. YORKE,