Year: 1863

nave lecelYed full accounts of the fearful


scenes which took place last week in the


city OF New York. Murderers, thieves


and rioters of every class have had con


troll for days Of the metropolis, and the


laws the municipal authorities, and the


Generl Government have been defied


and dishonored. We do not intend to re.


Ter now to what has taken place, but to


the causes which have produced such


disreputable effects.


How has the riot been set in motion!


Who are the instigators? Who are the
cunning but cowardly consprators who


have misled and inflfm med the poor work.


ing men. and whilst they kept secretly


within doors, have sent forth their dupes


into the public streets to commit murder?


On whose souls is the guilt, on whose


hands is the blood Of the slaughtered!


We have a right to inquire, because


though people of various nativity were
engaged, yet many Ct our Catholic coun-


trymen have lost their lives. Who were
the political leaders in New York by


whom they We're seduced into insurrec-
ton against the constituted authorities?


In the great anxiety to keep religion
and politics apart, which with dema
gogues is a very important matter, an ex
treme has been reached, so that many
persons think they may do what they
please. in the political arena, without be-
ing amenable TO the laws of the Church.
They have made the political field free
ground for themselves, hedged it in with
care and set their sentlnels along its lines
TO see that no one should enter whose
conssicnce was not hardened against any
ecclesiastical counsel. In this way they
have effected total separation between
the great dogmas of Faith and the rules
which should regula their action in one
of the most important departments Of life;
they have ignored the intimacy which
should exist between the Gospel and the
social and political action of the citizen
Hence for some time back a certain class
Of Catholics has denied the right Of the
church to interfere in the Sill yhtest degree
with the license of the politician to say
and do what he pleases. We see men on
the platform and through the press advo-
cate principles subversive Of social order,
insulting and threatening "to the powers
that be-" and though St. Paul may warn
and the Church deprecate their conduct,
they have set both at defiance. They
shake off responsibility when in their po-
litical battlefield, and to them the Gospel
is som ething or nothing-a rumor Of yes
,erday--a twice-:old tale which they can
not condescend to notice.


What is the consequence of this evil
teaching-this anxiety to keep the church
at distance ? A class OF men in whose
minds there is no religious spirit-proud,
men, clamoring to have their
own way in all things, ever ready to in
suit Bishops, and pouring out from week
10 week torrents OF defamation on all who
10 not acknowledge them as their politi-
,al leaders or coincide in their opinions.
These are the man who have made Glib
,rty cloak for malace," and drove, as at
he point of the bayonet, so many OF our
ooor countrymen into the streets of New
York to violate the laws CT tie land and
suffer in death the consequence of their
error.


The Catholic Church teaches obedi
'nce to legitimate authority. Obedience
$ one of her most cherished precepts. 1t
$ the constant theme of her pulpit, be-
ause it is dictated by the Saviour and in
pired by the spirit of G,d. What be-
ONES of family when the children rise
gainst the parents? What good can
, riest confer on the souls of men when
e de6es ecclesiastical authority ? Where
re we to look for the spirit OF religion
nd holy peace when the mob rules the
ity-and what are we to think Of the
len who, claiming to be Catholics and
,out,ng constantly their profession OF
18th in the public ear, are yet working
ay and night to exasperate human pas
on by falsehood and the gossest exag-
grafton Of political events Such has
zen the fact in ths city Of New Yok. !