The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-01
HENRY AUSTIN ADAMS LECTURES on
CARDINAL NEWMAN.
He Has Charity for n Protestant BigOt.
but None for n CathOIic-Addresses
Large Audience.


He is given another twist by his teachers
the books he reads twist him again with
their depictions of the sinister character Of
Pope and priests; his newspapers are con-
stantly warning him to beware OF the
encroachments of the Jesuits; his asso-
ciates give him another twist and so II
goes. But 1 have sympathy for a
Catholic bigot. A Catholic has no right TO
be bigot."
Mr.. Adams, who is himself a convert
to the Church of Rome. having been a rec
tor of an Episcopal church in New York.
knows how TO seize and fix the attention
of an audience. In his lecture last night.
given under the auspices of the knights of
Columbus. Indianapolis Council No. 437. he
talked brilliantly of a very famous con-
vert to the Catholic Church, John Henry
Newman. who became the great cardinal.
His audience was large, filling two-thirds
of the vast hall, and was made up not only
OF Catholics, but of Protestants. who mani
tested great interest in the address
PREFACE TO LECTURE.
The lecture on Newman was prefaced by
Mr.. Adams with few remarks on Cardinal
Manning, whom he described as a man OF
wonderful energy, an agitator, always
championing some cause, always occupying
the attention of the public; a man Of the
people. Then. coming to Newman he said:
John Henry Newman lived on a mountain
top. He had the utmost disregard for the
things which burden our lives. Baptist
minister once challenged him TO settle in
debate which the right religion. No
said Newman, the Protestants would go
away from our meeting more Protestant
than ever. The Catholics would go away
more Catholic than ever, and We would
go away mad at each other Rather let
us bring our hddles to a meeting and
have a iddling contest where there can
be no bitter feeling, nothing but good
music and good feeling. Newman was
out of the world. He would have fled from
d wOmans glove he would have fled
from the cholera. He hated agitation. All
he wanted was to be left alone on his
mountain top. So, therefore, why is It well
10 consider him at all? Why is ii that
/ tor every man in Indianapolis who reveres
the name OF Cardinal Manning l can find
ten men VINO love the memory OF John
Henry Newman?
He has influenced English language and
literature as no other man has influenced
it. With the exception of De Quincy, no
one ever wrote such marvelOusly pure and
| majestic prose. This is not my own opinion
merely. Harvard College, She prOudest OF
! our institutions of learning, once had Occa-
! sion to prepare a textbook of English liter
! allure. 1t was arranged with great care,
and the greatest part of ii devoted TO any
]
| a college out of which graduates can go
/ 10 the most exclusive intellectual circles of
! the world. such recognition Is more than
He changed other things in English
! literature. In the old novels, by Thack-
! cray, Bronte, SmOllet. Fielding and Scott.
/ whenever priest was introduced he came
creeping In like a cat, sinister, full Of
dark purpose. malignant diabolical When
| ever poison was to be administered, IL was
| never the English gOvernesS that gave it..
/ French
! Because she was a papist, and, therefore,
/ best calculated 10 represent the worst In
| iQuity. Even Scott, the noblest of them
all, my bOyhood love. when he got around
/ &c priest or a Pope outdid himself. Well,
what do we see now? Have you read Alice
! of Old Vincennes' The Right of Way,
The Cardinals Snuff-box.' Eleanor and
these other great books that people have
grown fond of. in which the priest Is shown
! to be the noblest example of Self-sa crifice
and devotion Of which the world can con-
| ceive2 John Henry Newman is in all this.
| 1t was he whose sweetness of spirit. whose
| brOadness of mind, and whose persuasive
eloquence so changed the current Of thought
! that these novels could be produced.
THE OLD HISTORIANS.
''With the old historians ii was the same
| Whenever a Pope or priest or the Jesuts
were mentioned by them ii was time to look
out. Nothing good, you may be sure. The
old teachers pronounced the names of Guy
| Faux and the Spanish Armada before
their purpils with a relish. Now strange
as it may seem, it is admitted that even a
| Pope may be pretty good sort of a man.
and that sometimes Catholic sisters are
just sweet as they can be- as I heard
one lady say. What has happenedP What
! has brought all this about? John Henry
Newman did it. When John Bull saw that
| gigantic figure burst through the wall Of
! blgotry he saw hole that gave him view
of the other side"
DEPRESSING. Mr. Adams spoke of New
| mans gentleness Of spirit and his perfect
| gentlemanlness. There was only one occa-
sion that he ever drew the sword Of con-
| hict, he said, and that was after Charles
Kingsley. the novelist. had said that he
(Newman) could not possibly he honest.
| for the reason that the foundation OF his
creed was that priests must lie and de-
ceive for the greater glory of God Not To
defend himself. but 10 champion the cause
| of the thousands of unsefsh and maligned
/ men who could not speak for themselves.
| Newman wrote his famous Apologize" a
| defense of the priesthood and the church.
Here" said Mr.. Adams. II want to give
| you Cardinal Newmans definition Of a gen
tleman. and ! hope that though you forget
| everything else l have said. you will re-
| member that: A gentleman is one who
never infiicts pain "
Here Mr.. Adams made his observations
concerning Protestant and Catholic bigOtry
! "A CathOnc,' he repeated, has no business
to be bigot. Catholic bigot / regard as
/ the meaDeSt creature on the face of the
tdllu. we nave not so many OF lnen now
| as we used 10 have. but there are a few
! left. Not long ago I was lecturing in Bos-
/ ton. / had occasion 10 compliment very
| highly "A certain Episcopal clergyman
! whom l know. / told of his love- devotion
and faith, and his earnest, nselfish work.
! / noticed in the forefront OF my audience
| little. old Irishman. who leaned forward
! and listened with the greatest interest to
| what / had to say. i noticed. too, that
| he did not seem to approve OF IL. and once
| in a while shook his head vigorously After
q ~ ~,
| came TO the mouse OF the priest with whom
i was stopping With his broad accent
| he said: Are you a convertg
| g L am l said.
Well thin, sor.' he replied. shaking his
| cane at me. you are not half convertedr
VIRUS OF NEWMAN.
'Then began to labor with him. tried
to vaccinate him with some of the virus OF
Newman, tried TO show him the sweetness
and breadth Of that great man. but all to
no avail. Finally he arose and started 10
leave. The last words he said as he went