The Irish standard., 1897-03-27
HOW some HISTORIANS ERR.
Omissions Invariably Made As to
the Work Done by
Catholics.
Some There Are Who Shame
lessIy rlutilate the Facts
of History.
And all This is Done fer the Puf-
pose of Misleading the
People.

People.
Mr.. G. Wilfred Pearce, whose contrl-
buttons to some of our Catholic contem-
poraries are read with much interest
aud pleasure by every one who desires
to see the pure truths of history go
down to posterty undefiled and unde-
minished by bigotry, has written re-
Gently for the Catholic News, touching
a matter of no little moment, and gives
his conclusions of those who, in their
hatred for Catholics, deliberately per-
vert history.
The history of the foundation of our
country and the establishment of it's ma
tional life under the federal constltu-
ton, can be traced in great lines which
have followed similar direction
Throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. 1t
should be the aim of historians to OBJ
serve the course which these lines have
followed in particular instances, be-
sued in accordance with the modern ex-
egetical and critical methods adopted by
the great scholars of France and Ger
many, is essentially tracing Of causes
and consequences; the examination OF
distinct growth from a well-detned
germ to full maturity; growth the
particular direction and shaping OF
| which are due to a diversity of causes,
but whose life and developing power lie
deep within the soil Of that well-tend-
ed vineyard of our Lord at Rome;
| planted by Divine hands; fertilized by
the blood of martyrs; and watered by
the tears of saints The majority Of
| American historians, more especially
the authors or cc1npilers OF the alleged
! ncn-sectarian histories of the United
States used in public schools and libra
ries invariably omit references to the
| benign influence of Catholics. clerical
| and Law. in the various channels through
which flowed the tide of public opinion
| that washed away in wreckage on the
ocean of time the superstructure of the
F., supremacy of the British crown. The
| grave has just closed over an historian
who wrote the ritual of a secret society
which existed in Knownothing days,
when he was candidate for high Office
ON a. state ticket. His Catholic
writings made him comparatively we'll
| off. yet he made no secret of the fact
when talking with literary thinkers Of
his own class, that he made nine-tenths
of his income by apppropriating with
out credit from Catholic authors and
historians. valuable works from which
he cut out every line that referred to
creditable deeds by Catholics.
Millions of Catholics in our land have
d. learned history from such books, pub
i lished by bigoted and ignorant men
whose energy Of mind is not great
enough to give depth to their thoughts
on history and political problems. Their
disposition toward falsifying history is
highly developed, but their observation
, is mole like and their statements are not
I, any real value. The objections which
ought to be advanced against books of
this sort are, first the absence of eccle-
siastical and historical perspective pro-
duced by the unccnnected manner in
which facts are narraetd, and the made
quate mention Of the foreign relations of
our country; secondly the omissions of
many important points of constitutional
, tory to the lowest level of the political
relations of the nation, to the exclusion
; of it's religious and social growth. Inc
most eloquent words which have been
said in connection with this subject
! may be found in the address delivered
| before the Worlds Parliament of Re-
T; ligicns at Chicago, 1893 by that pro-
! foundly learned and world-renowned
| pedagogue, Brother Azarias. The ad-
, dress is entitled "Our Catholic School
System" In that portion of the essay
which relates to the Catholic Summer
school are these timely and appropriate
; words:
'>"Fhe primary import Of the Catholic
Summer School is this: To give from
the most authoritativ? sources among
our Catholic writer's and thinkers the
Catholic point of view ON all issues of
the day in history, in literature, in phil
osophy, in political science, upon the
economic problems that are agitating
the world, upon the relations between
science and religion; to state in the
clearest possible terms the principle
underlying truth in each and all these
subjects; to remove false assumptions
and correct false statements; to pursue
the calumnies and ISLANDERS uttered