The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-11-11
CONTINUED from page H.
POPE DAY, NOVEMBER 5th.

GIN LUZ lnCl 0IobCOs ~
length everything was prepared to SOL
emnize the first public Mass that was
ever said in Boston,-in a town where
thirteen years before the Pope and
the devil were annually promenaded
through the streets and finally burned
together, leaving it doubtful then
which was the greater rascal of the
two. This was the commencement of
the Roman Catholic Church in Boston,
1789."
Probably tht last celebration of
Pope Day in the country was on No
vember 5, 1891, as the following news
paper notice states "As has been the
custom for years Pope Night was
celebrated in Portsmouth, N H., on
Thursday night, November 5, 1891.
Bands of boys paraded the streets
blowing tin horns and carrying pump
kin lanterns cut into hideous faces; it
is said that Portsmouth is the only
place in the United States where the
old English custom of celebrating Guy
Fawkes' night, in remembrance of the
discovery of the famous gunpoWder
plot, is Observed *
In 1774 there was published, 1.-The
Master Key to Popery," by A. South
| wick. This book contained many of
the most violent charges against the
Catholic Church and it's clergy. Many
Of them are still in use. Fifty years
after the publication, Solomon South
| wick, son of A. Southwick, repudi-
ated his father. His statement we'll
answers the question of Pope Day.
Il we'll recollect seeing the Pope
burned in effigy on the fifth of Novem-
Der, the last time that that ceremony
was ever performed in my native town
of Newport, although was not old
enough to comprehend the meaning of
| that solemn farce; and about the same
time my good father, who was print
err, published book entitled The
Master Key to Popery,' in which the
most wonderful stories were told of
the trials, racks, tortures, gibbets and
other hellish inventions of the Pap
1 lists to commit the Professionals, or de-
stroy them root and branch; and be-
sides all these gloomy portraits the
Popish Priests were represented as
the vilest wretches, guilty of all sorts
of crimes, and fit only for subjects of
pandemonium, instead of ministers of
| the altar of Christ.
Such were the opinions our ances-
tors held of the French and Roman
Catholics, and these opinions were in
full force until the era of the Revolu-
ton. Then it was that new light
broke upon us.
THE Catholic King of France took
part with the Protestant rebel, and
his Catholic subjects at home were
taught to reverence our cause. We
found that Roman Catholics were not
monsters, for these very Frenchmen
who came to fight our battles were
Roman Catholics" THE soldiers of
the Catholic king, and those of the
rebellious Protestant provinces, went
hand in hand together to the field of
battle, and often joined together in
worshipping their common Creator. /
saw the whole French army under
Rochambeau go to a grand Mass in a
body; and never did l behold more
sublime spectacle. There is, indeed,
one fact that deserves to be recorded
to the eternal honor of that Catholic
army. 1t marched through the United
States, it encamped in almost every
state; and yet those monstrous Catho-
lies were never known to commit a
solitary depreciation on the persons or
property of our citizens, either male
or female, they robbed no farm hands,
they trod down no cornfelds, they
trespassed upon no orchards or gar.
dens, but everywhere they marched
was track of morality, and their ban.
ner the emblem of that justice for
which they fought in the field and
which they practiced in the camp"
1