THE ANTI-CATHOLIC PRESS IN EUROPE AND THE COLONIES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 265, 31 May 1878, Page 7

THE ANTI-CATHOLIC PRESS IN EUROPE AND THE COLONIES.

The Continental anti-Catholic Press has earned for itself the unenviable title of the " Eeptile Press. lam sorry to see that the antiCatholic Press in the United Kingdom and the Colonies, or a portion of it, should act in such a way as to deserve the same opprobious designation. The London Times, and several of the most influential London journals, on the occasion of the late Cardinal Antonelli's death, paid a very high compliment to the deceased statesman's abilities and -virtues. This seems to have been too much for Ms enemies and the enemies of the Church to stand. They accordingly fabricated certain stories, calculated to dishonoui his meaiory, and to destroy his reputation with posterity. These tales the lieptile Press, both of the Continent, and Great Britain, and the Colonies, have not been slow to propagate through their papers. To detract from his honour and the honour of the master whom he served so faithfully, the late Pius IX, it was asserted by his and his late master's enemies, that the late Cardinal was base born ; that he was a man of mean and obscure origin — the son of a -wood-cutteT, or poor cbarcoal-burner. Had this been true, it would only the xaore have redounded to the Cardinal's honour, and the honour of the master to whose f avoui 1 he owed his elevation. It is the glory of tho Catholic Church that she asserts the native equality of man, and vindicates the rights of intellect in every condition, even the humblest. In the exercise of that power she has ere now, as Lord Beaconsfield reminds the world, raised a pedlar Saxon's son to the primate's chair in England, and placed a Herefordshire peasant, Nicholas Breakspear, oa the throne of the " Caesars." He believes she will do as great things yet, though in a different direction. But the story of the Cardinal's mean origin was not true. His father was a man of fortune, and left £10,000 each to his three sons. I think I am right in the sum, but I quote from memory. He sold wood from his property to charcoal-burners, and was a charcoal-burner only in the sense in which Lord Dudly or any other owner of coal-mines is a coal-heaver. But this is a small affair. The Cardinal's enemies have fabricated a more serious story against him than, that. They accuse him of having had an intrigue with a certain lady, who, it is said, bore him a daughter. Monsignor Paterson, an English ecclesiastic, has written a letter to the Daily Telegraph stating that the story is without the shadow of a f ounaation '; that the Pope regarded it as.a conspiracy to destroy the Cardinal's good name. It was originally circulated by the lowest class of French and Italian journals. It has, as we see, been taken up by the English anti-Catholic Press ; and. some of the journals in this colony, if not in Dunedin, have circulated it. tt would seem some of the journals in. this colony never weary of piling up calumny upon calumny against the Catholic Church, or those of her clergy who are obnoxious to them. We cannot wonder, therefore, that they should be described as the Eeptile Press.

Bishop Moran has spoken warmly against the present Government school system. Really, when we look around us and see what is doing in public and in private life, one might be inclined to despair of the progress of mankind in goodness. But the Catholic Church still survives ; and though in many, or rather in most places, her enemies are now stronger thau she, yet she is not without her influence, and good influence too, in upholding truth and justice, and *s*boi morals, which means good government. In this colony, as in Great Britain, the Catholic party will always find political allies in good and religious, and just and generous Protestants. In concert with these, they may be able to make their power felt in a manner fatal to their enemies. Mr. Gladstone has reason to know the power of a small body of Catholics when acting in union with Protestant allies. They drove him from power, and broke up his party by a hostile vote on his University Bill. But for Koman Catholics he would have triumphed on that occasion. He tried to " pay off " Boman Catholics for that by his Vatican pamphlet. But he only made things worse for his party. Like a fallen star, he has set to rise uo more. The very fact that so great an outcry has been made against the Catholic block vote by the Protestant Press shews that they dread its power. Is there anything unconstitutional or immoral in Catholics, or any other class, giving a block vote when it pleases them. I cannot see it. In regard to this education question, which may yet prove dangerous to the Grey Party, Catholics are seeking nothing for themselves which they do not wish to see others enjoy. They are fighting the battles of the private school-mastet of all creeds. Mr. Curtis's party, though a minority last Session, may yet come to be a majority partly from Catholic influence. If Catholics did not give a block vote they could not do justice to themselves and their friends, and they might as well not vote at all,