A CATHOLIC PARTY IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 149, 10 March 1876, Page 13

A CATHOLIC PARTY IN NEW ZEALAND.

To the Editor of the TABLET.

Sib, — I read your article on " The Education of a Catholic Party " with very great pleasure. If Catholics as a body prove to be politically powerless and contemptible in this colony, it will be through no fault of the Tabi/kt that they are so. Situated as we are we have had a most difficult part to act. One thing lam persuaded of ; that if we be true to ourselves, and faithful to our principles, we shall not be powerless, nor will our opponents, enemies, I believe, we have few or none, withhold from us their respect. The first thing we have to look to is unity ; the rest watchfulness. Let us be unitod "et semper vigilantes :" Always on the alert in every thing which may concern our just rights as citizens, and especially in seeing that our own and neighbours' names are on the elector's roll. Let us be organised and ready for united action whenever occasion may arise to call for it, ready to amalgamate with any party whoso ends we think are just ; no matter who that party may be. As to our own special interests, we are a defensive not an aggressive body. We seek not to invade the just rights of any, but to defend our own. In the present humour of the public mind, as you notice we may help to defeat an obnoxious party even by offering them our support and working in their interests. But this is an exceptional state of things and cannot last very long. Such a course as that would not be a very dignified one, nor consistent with our self respect. It must also be considered that it is not on all public questions that Catholics can expect to be united. It is only on such as refer more immediately to their interests and just rights in a religious point of view — such as the education question, that unity can be hoped for among us. In matters of a purely secular character unity could not bo looked for, and to attempt to bring it about would be impolitic, unless, indeed, some gross and palpable injustice is attempted to be practised by one party or another. In fact, we can only expect unity in those political tions in which the Catholic clergy can, in their character a3 ci'.izens and pastors, with propriety take a part. •The education question is eminently one of this nature, seeing it so immediately and vitally affects the interests of religion and public justice, and therefore of public morals. In my humble judgment, the Catholic clergy ought not only in private, but publicly and openly in the face of day to interfere in such a question, and counsel the people how to act, how to exercise the important — -we may say the sacred trust, which the elective frauchise has put into their hands. The emancipation of the Catholics from the Penal Laws was a kindred political question to the education question. Mr O'Connell, great as was his power over the public mind, would never, I believe, have attained the object of his ambition had he not been been backed by the influence of the Irish Priesthood. Without in any way detracting from the merits of that great and good man to whom "the Catholics of the British Empire, and indeed of the whole world owe a debt of gratitude which they can never overpay, I maintain that it is mainly — yes, mainly owing to the influence of the Catholic clergy that we even in this colony are now in possession of all the rights of freemen. There is nothing good or great which the Catholic people cannot accomplish as citizens when their efforts are sustained by the power and co-operation of their clergy. Catholic citizens ever, though inconsiderable in point of numbers, wield a moral power when backed by their priests, which, sooner or later, will prove irresistible. It is this which renders Catholics in every state so formidable to their enemies, and never were they more formidable than now. Moral force is the grand weapon on which we rely, not misrepi'esentation, calumny, and the power of numbers, or brute force ; weapons which, in the hands of our enemies, so often prevail for a time against us ; but only fora time. Severed from their clergy, and still more when opposed to them, Catholics are nothing as citizens and powerless in the presence of their enemies. Nay, under such circumstances, thoir enemies in their heart mu«t despise them, and their friends pity them. Catholics who are not faithfnl to their religious duties, and obedient to the voice of the Church can never be politically powerful or really respected even by Protestants. We have of late had a great political field day here in the receot elections as you have had. Catholics have attached themselves to the Grey party as being on the whole the party of justice. But some of the more prominent of pur political Catholics have given expression on the hustings to vie\Vs on the education question, which Catholics loyal to the Church repudiate and condemn. Of course Protestant people rejoice, and are glad to see such a thing, and triumphantly point to it as a proof that Catholics are now " coming round " to the Government view son education. A melancholy spectacle lite this i?» we know too

well, nothing new, however deplorable it may be in these corrupt days. It would be wrong to impute unworthy motives. But if a Catholic gentleman were a Saiut or an Angel, it would be extremely difficult for him to hold fast to all his principles as a good Catholic, when bent on securing the support of a fervid Protestant constituency in a crisis like this, and with such a question as the education question prominently before the public mind. It would also be wrong to suspect that there was any " mental reservation " with the gentlemen referred to when they expressed so emphatic and unqualified an approval of the " secular system " of Government education. One gentleman, not content with having expressed his approval of secular schools for Catholic children in common with the other children went a step further, and would have them forced by law to attend Government schools, but, possibly, he only meant forced to attend some school ; a Catholic school, if it could be had, so far right. I may be wrong, but I cannot think that, under present circumstances, and in the present disposition of the public mind, a Catholic gentleman, of a scrupulous conscience and jealous of his knowledge, can, with propriety , appear at the hustings or enter the House of Representatives pledged to support a system of public schools formally condemned by the supreme ecclesiastical authority of the Church to which he belongs. "We here are in a position resembling the Pope himself. Our opponents have us entirely at their mercy at present. All we can do with propriety, or respect for ourselves, is to protest persistent h ; but temperately and constitutionally about the acts of our oppressors, trusting that in due time Providence, who has a policy of his own, will find means to obtain for us justice. The reign of prejudice and injustice cannot last for ever. To hope for justice now would be idle. If you have a party, you must have a leader. Who is he to be ? He must be a lawyer and loyal to the Church. The lawyer and the priest said the Ist Napoleon rule the world, and so it is. Never was this saying more strikingly verified tban by O'Connell. He was a lawyer and the mouth-piece of the Church, and he did what Napoleon never could do ; made the Iron Duke surrender at discretion, and frankly confess that he was beaten for once. I say let us have a leader of the O'Connell stamp. A man who will not betray the interests of the Catholic people and the Catholic Church to secure any one's smile and favor. A man who will command the respect of Protestant and Catholic alike. No Catholic who is faithless to his own Church will ever command the respect of honest Protestants. If you cannot find a Catholic, let us have an honest Protestant to lead us. We ask nothing of Government which a Protestant may not ask for us ; and for those of his own communion. For a faithless and treacherous Catholic, I have a horror and a pity. For an he nest and consistent Protestant a high respect. You say right when you say there is a large number of just Protestants in this colony of no party who will support our just claims. J. Wood.