The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-26
BISHOP OF NORTH DAKOTA.
Scholarly Address at St. Cleua lon tn,
Dark AReS.


Right Rev. John Stanley, D. D.,
bishop of the Catholic diocese of North
Dakota, delivered very scholarly and
eloquent lecture, '"The Dark Ages" at
the cathedral on Sunday night, Jan. g.
1t is seldom that an opportunity of
hearing such an eminent speaker is
given in st. Cloud, says the Times of
that city.
Bishop Stanley is one of the bright
est men and one of the best thinkers
in the Northwest, and his treatment of
the subject in hand was thorough and
convincing.
The bishop stated that he would dis
cuss that part of the worlds history
known as the middle Ages" called
by some writer's '"The Dark Ages"
The period of the time is differently
estimated by different writer's, but it
is generally agreed that it includes the
period from the fall of the old Roman
empire to the taking Of Constantinople,
period Of about 1000 years.
During that period the Catholic
church was in control in Europe, and
the speakers discussion was in contra
diction of the Misrepresentation of
modern history during the Middle
Ages, as affecting the Catholic church.
IIc stated that no part of history had
ever been more grossly misrepresented.
The bishop read number of quota
lions from eminent historians who
grossly misreprescnted the conditions
of this period. The speaker read sew
eral of these.
He stated that what adds to the I'M
fortunate condition is that compilers of
text books are led astray by these I'M
reliable historians, so that there is Il
mass of misrepresentation from the
pens of these men which is handed
down to the children of this generation
as gospel truth.
The bishop referred especially to Pro-
fessor Meyers Medieval History and
insisted that it would be better never to
read or study anything of this kind or
know anything about matters in the
dark ages" than to get unreliable III
formation Of this kind, and urged it's
discontinuance in the schools.
The bishop, as a sort of an example
as to the methods some historians pur-
sued in writing Of the Ozark Ages.
and to more emphatically outline what
he thought was their procedure, asked
his audience to imagine themselves in
the thirtieth century, and that he
would project himself forward to that
century and would write history of
the nineteenth century. To be like the
historians, he omitted all reference to
the good and elaborated alone upon
the vice that prevailed in the land.
leaving out all the good things that
might be said about the progress Of the
century. etc. The righteousness of the
Nineteenth Century" history, as writ
ten in the thirtieth, was very great.
The bishop stated that he was not one
of those who believed that the degree
of intelligence was as great in those
centuries as today, but he maintained
that had it not been for the fostering
care of the Catholic church, and her
schools, colleges and teachers, the peo-
H. Of l,;e
able to tell the difference between A
and Il.
The ignorance of the middle ages
was not one-half as dense as some Of
the writer's would have people believe
The speaker told of three documents
which We're held out as proof that even
the high in authority We're illiterate.
These documents We're signed in such
manner as would indicate that the rul-
crs attesting same We're unable to
write The speaker argued that only
three instances of this kind called for
such Il sweeping charge by the writer's
of history. and that no three or four
kings ever represented the intelligence
Of any nation.
The speaker stated that during the
middle ages world was Christianized.
The people of this generation owe their
morals, laws, safety of lives and lib
erty to this Christianized world. Had
the Catholic church done nothing more
in those dark ages but educate the bar
barans she is deserving Of the greatest
commentator. There was no ignor-
ance. The church found that in teach
ing religion it was also necessary to
teach other things.
Way back in the early ages it will
be found that schools were established