The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1897-08-07
The A. P. As Objection to 4 Statue
to Father Marquette.

am really glad that the A. 2. Apes
made that foolish "roar" anent placing
Il statue OF Father Marquette among
those of men whose greatness ia Ameri-
cas- glory. 1t served to recall to the
memory Of mankind II character that
was we'll nigh forgotten-to remind us
how much the New World is indebted
to the danntles courage and self sacri-
iicing devotion of the Jessuit fathers
and franciscan friars. Father Mar
quctte is indeed fortunate. When
his noble deeds seemed destined to he
forever hidden by the shadows of the
centuries, higotiy and spleen rescued
his name from oblivion and made it
immortal. His greatncs is undnly en-
hanced by comparison with the pititul
iittleness OF his fttr&Ctors-our adj
miration Of the man is intensified by
contempt for his critics. Nothing ex-
lists in vajn-even the A. p. A. hath its
uses. With such a background, Pere
Marquette stands forth transhgE.ed-
ilumed by the light of God. He inEer-
tied an ample fortune in sunny France,
and c0uld have lived life of luxury.
Instead Of doing SO, he was sent, at his
own request, Il missionary to Canada
when that country was chiefly inhabi
ted by savage beasts and still
more 10y savage men. He went, not to
accept il high priced pastorata and syn
licate his sermons, but to live among
bears and wolves, to sleep in huts and
cat boiled dog-to fill the place of
priests who had been tortured to death
by Savage tribes. Armed only with the
cruciiix, he penetrated 5000 miles far
ther into the unknown forest than
white men had gone before. His dis
coveres were but incidents of his jour
ney-his sole mission was the saliva
tion of souls, his zeal the glory of God.
Everywhere he won his way by his
majic power of love. Every ywhere he
was welcomed with rejoicing aud
parted from with regret. "How
bright the sun, 0 Blackgown, when
thou comest to visit u.s." cried
the chief of the Savage Illin. while
painted warriors, fierce as hell'a own
brood, knelt to kiss the snow that had
taken the imprint of his feet. No war
ship was necessary to force such il
teacher upon them, no armed squad
rons to protect his mission honse.
When he walked they followed him,
when he spoke they bent eagerly for
ward to hear the story of Chrirt cruel
fed, when he slept they kept watch and
ward, stealing up to look at the peace
fnl face that mirrored his gentle heart.
Worn with hardships and suffering too
great for one so gently bred, he passed
to his reward, surrounded 10y his
swarthy conSerts-the night OF death
came down Z those Western wilds ere
he reached i:Aanhood's glorious noon.
Ia the Norst Jas in the South, in Cana
da as L>fexas, the Catl tl,Ic!I;sStres:s
were Americas true pioIeers. And
now comes = gang of gossNss ingrates.
who enjoy tH blessingseko largIy due
to the labors -<<ftfifces of these
dauntless pathfinders--an unciean
crew, with Linton of Michigan howl
ing in the lead,-crying out that Pere
Marquette deserves 40 honor at Col
iumbia's hands because, forsooth, he
was Catholic! Why, do not these
splenetc pismires know that America
was discovered by Catholic, and that
the expenses OF his voyage were de-
frayed by IL Catholic queen, who tore
the diamonds from her crown to set
therein the star of the empire? To be
consistent, Congressman Linton should
intro duce resolution to have the bodies
of Sherman and Sheridan exumed and
their heat exposed on the pixies be-
cause. they acknowledged the theological
supremacy of the Pope.-Brann's Icon
OclaSt.