THE "THAMES ADVERTISER."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 262, 10 May 1878, Page 11

THE " THAMES ADVERTISER."

An unfortunate woman once said, when her unhappy son had been hanged for forgery, that she bitterly regretted he had ever been taught to write. The best friends of the editor of the Thames Advertiser must now and then share in a somewhat similar feeling. And, indeed, it is most painful for any man of ordinary humanity to see a friend bent on reducing himself to rum, or making himself the butt of ridicule, According to the man who did the leader in our contemporary's issue of the 24th ult., we are eccentric. Eccentricity means outside of one's centre, or departing from one's centre Now, what is our centre? Justice on the education question' and the punishment, come what may, of its enemies. This is our centre, and we never depart from it. We may be wrong unwise, impolitic, but eccentric never ! The editor of the Thames Advertiser had better consult his dictionary the next time he writes on this subject. The eaitor of the Thames Advertiser seems as incapable of appreciating a fact as he is of understanding- a policy. We never said that at the late Wellington election' Catholics voted en masse for one who boasts he is an Orangeman ; but we stated that they voted for one who boasted that he was the son and grandson of Orangemen. There is a difference here though the editor of the Thames Advertiser does not seem to see it. Accuracy as to facts is a thing very desirable in public writers. We ask tbe special attention of otir contemporary to this point.

The editor of the Thames Advertise?- is manifestly "of opinion that it was exceedingly wrong of Catholics to vote tor Mr. Barton, and that their doing so affords evidence of an "unholy alliance.". Who is the editor of the Thames Advertiser that he should undertake to lay down rules for the guidance of Catholic voters— a supporter of a certain Mr . * i""^! RoWB wl - ro ' to use a vulgar word, sold the Catholics of the lhames on the education question, and yet expects their support at the next election— is it ? Probably. And as to the "unholy alliance " which has so scandalised our contemporary, we may add there are some Orangemen, men of honour and of principle, for whom we should far sooner vote, than for certain gentlemen who, to our shame, call themselves Catholics whilst disgracing- the name. Bivt it is our policy of punishing our enemies, as was donereccntly m Wellington, that is the chief stone of offence. It is expected that we Catholics shall permit ourselves to be sold by certain unworthy children of our own, and trampled on by men who directly mean us harm, and then meekly turn round to fawn on our betrayers, the Judases amongst us, and lick the feet of the men who spurn us. This, however is unlikely, and the editor of the Thames Advertiser may rest assured that a policy similar to that so successful at Wellington, and' elsewhcr, , will be tried on the first favourable opportunity in the Thames itself. i s We can hardly say whether the editor of the Thames Advertiser lays claim to loyalty. He is savage on us for our supposed want of loyalty, and from this it might be concluded that Ins own loyalty is above suspicion. Jt is not, however a necessary consequence. Home men's loyalty is to be measured by their interests, or fancied interests, and goes not an inch further ; and it will be found on examination such loyalists are loudest m asserting their claims to this virtue. The editor of the Thames Advertiser knows liow it is with himself. But when we see a loyalist absurd, or run mad on this point, we begm to entertain strong suspicions of his sincerity. Our contemporary calls it gross disloyalty to drink the Pope s health before the Queen's, tfow there is no law human or Divine, calling on any man to drink the Queen's health at all ; neither is there a law, should he choose to drink her health, regulating the order in which that health should be drunk. A man might on a birth day festival, propose his own father's health before that of the Queen, without boimin the least disloyal or disrespectful to Her Majesty. If there be no law broken there can be no disloyalty : and all the strong language of the editor of the Thames Advertiser, h therefore, as ludicrous as it is untrue and slavish. *

' Tlie loyalty of Catholics is not founded -on self-interest, but on a high and noble principle, and not sanctioned by human law merely, but by the Divine. Speaking fo£ourselves, whilst determined on aIL such celebrations^ as *that'{of St. Patrick's Day, always'to' drink the 1 Pope's health before the 'Queen's^ we-, yield to, no"ne,"in 'our loyalty ik> her. gra.cJQiis ,iMajes>7 (r^v^9 m > we revere, mot - only "for her t position , at. the head of v the .State, but'still more fbr" -virtues "as a woman, wife, and mother. Arid, though she holds the throne byan-Adt which we' are convincea was in its origin ari'actio/ 'th,e' > bases.'|; Iribreason1 r ibreason to, qyery principle , of loyalty, justice'^ .and,, filial,, duty; i .still^we now regard' lien title as healed by the. -sanction ofUirne and' the acceptance' of' generations. l And'we'ayo prepared to', defend, Hc^ thrbnc^aiJcl' dignity,; not'- because ouV'ow,il interest in this 'sesssfe' by so. doing, but, because/, we- hold v ,it. to be. our conscientious)] duty-todo'So. I." 1 --„! •' , i.j „ i • , ' )■-"- t!<v