Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 348, 19 December 1879, Page 1

Current Topics

AT SOME AND ABROAD.

What is the reason that the Press, especially the THEUFB "evangelical" Press, of this colony, has not re■ivmiasting. corded the most wonderful gift of grace that has « **„ ,_ , distinguished this century, or any century, or, in act, the whole course of the world's history taken together? We should have expected it to have been printed in large type, at least in «Tery religious paper belonging to the religions concerned, in New Zealand ; but we have looked in vain for it. Not one of them has a word to say on the subject, and yet it beats the big pyramid hollow. Do not our "evangelical" frieods know, have they not heard, that there z 8 now not the riightert reason in the world why anyone of them should die ? Their doing so is a mere idle patronage of the undertakers, for there was not, and is not, a man, woman, or child, of thejr sort on earth who need have died, or need die now, since ihe Dl^L oUr^° rd 1866> Unless mch WM ' * or Bhall *». his <™n good twT^S •♦ f e i 8 *" aseoci&tioa Dublin, in a word, that tells us mini^r £* f fQg melDber iS a mMt «^P«**le and even famous Sn^i?*, I**1 ** EBteWißbed CWi-no less a personage than that screamingly anti-Popish champion, the Rev. TreshamGregg, he intend fnK^ o^^ tt *«Ww»l*bei« now in his 80th year, th? JL^ Bl f * 3UBt rach meetin^ as by him at MuZf T^Z^f " C ° nditiOnal Mortality Associawon,**!* to recOttrtiieDd to them at every meeting, we suppose his who^JT ?7 6 v dmire Dr ' Gregg ' We ***" lofc « <* People who w^/tw WOTld WM to COme to an end * WM, but who when that year had passed by like any other year, were obliged for a new^l ""^ di^P oint *-t either, to lookout CW g £ ' Bnd * n6W P oi «t of conclusion; but Dr. SS ™7 Ch , W ° Uld Uve bM » ** bis h *«* Won the L L ,°° Or# What is the attra «tion presented to them by S TbeneTt Z*l by Dr. Gregg. Let them consider evervDlaff conferred on the community by such a courseeloquenHv fiT 1 /* * Preßent> brimantl^ m *n^d ; every pulpit evSuncW f' "^ "' "^ tea ' meetin e its pre/dent for alTthe sweet f\, ' " evan^ elical " edited with where a W ? ° f the prima^ schoolroom, as to-day ; everySSTnle of T% C ° n n UUity ° f imm ° rtal P & P- We do the w^ ar'c^without I"' be f ° llnWed here - For ourselveß ■alvSoT^ fP 8 : the dOCtOT tells US th ~ fl ' om this ««**

£ORGOTTE>* LABOT7BB.

We have just come across a number of a certain periodical, from which, once more, we learn how mstory repeats itself. The periodical is entitled whi h 11 , ■ Catholic Magazine " and the number to 7838 F W m ° re tbaD fOTt - T yearS ° ld ' as ifc a PP ea^d in July tQFy yea« a^o, there was a prodigious diatribution of tracts being

earned on with a view to the « conversion "of France. One mdi Jidual alone claimed to t^ave distributed, within the year, between tweaty.five and thirty th, isand of the documents in question, and toe genp.ral annual distribution was reckoned at about half -a-million. Not were these tracts confined to the French language only ; eleven different ones had that year been translated into the tongue of Lower Brittany, and doubtless a wide dissemination of them had taken place there. Spain was also an object of solicitude to Protestanto of the evangelical " stamp, and eleven tracts had also been translated into Spanish for the benefit of the people speaking that language. *Rom this it would appear that the « evangelization " of the Catholic countries of Europe has long been tealously carried on, and it i* hardly fair of the " evangelists " of the period to omit all mention in their lucubrations of the labours of those who have gone before them. If they say, however, that labours which have produced no fruits are not deserving of a niche in the temple of posthumous fame, we may reply that they establish a precedent that hereafter will excuse forgetfulness of their own works also on the part of posterity.

Sir Henby Parses, the well-known statesman in SIR Yew South Wales, delivered a speech lately in the HENby pabkes Parliament at Sydney, relative to the education on education, question, and which has been considered by some people to have added much to his reputation aa an able politician. It nust be remembered, however, that circumstances are favourable to such a view of the matter. Ths majority leans to the side advocated by Sir Henry Parkes, and in consequence he has gained an applause that hardly seems merited by the matter of bis eloquence, which, in sooth, appears to us to be altogether devoid of argument, and for the most part composed of mere trickery. We take that portion of hie speech, then, in which he refers to the address of His Grace Archbishop Vaugban at Balmain, and we think no one can justly question the fact of its affording a clear proof of the correctness of our view. Sir Henry said : " The Archbishop went to Balmain, and after complimenting the poor working men of Balmain for their great sacrifices concerning the Church, he reminded them of how the flesh of their forefathers had been wounded and tneir blood spilled for conscience' sake. As to him, he said it would be no martyrdom to him to spill his blood ; it was his business his mißsion-(laughter)-but for these poor simple innocent men, it was necessary for him to remind them that their forefathers spilled their bloed for conscience' sake. For what 1 For the terrible persecution which went on in this country— a persecution which none of these people had yet been able to see." Of course, for the terrible persecution which went on in New South Wales ; that is just what the Archbishop meant. But if he did not mean it, Sir Henry Parkes was talking rank nonsense, What is the argument contained in this kind of jargon we should like to know. The speaker went on—" He would not go further with the Archbishop were it not that that gentleman had taken the trouble to write to the newspapers to tell them that he bad written every part of his inflammatory speech, delivered it to the repoiters of the Press, and believed that it was published as he had written it:-' What did we suffer as, slaves and helots for at Home? Because we preferred torture and death to acting against our conscience, and to be butchered and disembowelled rather than allow those for whom we were responsible to W tampered with in their faith. He hoped that we had escaped from all forms of tyranny and persecution by coming so far away-where. we were told, that all were equal, and all were free,' Disembowelled !" That ejaculation disroaes of his Grace completely, the hands of free-born Britons never were known to have been engaged in so indelicate a task. It seems to the Parliament of New Scuth Wales a most preposterous statement. "< B all this seems to be a vain illusioa-a dream from which we are t- aroused by about the most ingeniously -devised piece of scientific that has been invented in modern time* —(Laughter.) The end of the more brutal form of persecution and of the more cultivated is one to destroy our holy religion. I believe the scientific method is more effective, and I believe more odious, tban the more expea.aou. way of tearing out the heart and bowels of a living and grown man.' He had never heard so much about the tearing out of human bowels in his life." This is strange for a gentleman who, nevertheless, is ready to fly to history on the slightest

provocation, althought we admit, he does do without a very happy result, that is, so far as anything more than the temporary misguidance of the mob is concerned. But let us take his word for it : Sir Heary Parkes had never in all his life before heard one syllable concerning the persecution of Catholics in England, or parhaps of the Irish penal laws either. We think it ia quite possible after all ; there is nothing in his career that need lead us to believe his education to have been anything remarkably brilliant or extensive. However, the fact of Sir Henry Parkes never having heard of this matter proves nothing more than the ignorance of Sir Henry Parkes ; it by no means affords any reason to Catholics for regarding without alarm that system rightly denounced by Archbishop Vaughan as ' the most ingeniously-devised piece of scientific persecution that has been invented in modern times." His Grace has most happily denned it, and neither flat, idle, scoffing, nor inane laughter can invalidate his description. Sir Henry continues to quote : " < Here the plan is to strike at little children— at the helpless little children of the Catholic poor. Do you know that in the days of trial they had a special instrument for squeezing the life and blood out of those Catholics who declined to deny their God ? It was a kind of press with a screw at the top. The Catholic man or woman wasehoved into this press, just large enough to hold one ; the top was forced down with a screw, until it touched the head and back of the victim. Then the real operation began. By a slow, almost imperceptible process, the top was continually pushed further and further down till the victim first lost breath, then the irame gradually gave way, and the whole body collapsed into a mangled, bleeding mass.' " On this passage from his Grace's address the comments were as follows : " Well, that was beautifully drawn, that picture, and it was drawn for a purpose. The Archbishop went on to say that this was called the ' Scavenger's Daughter,' and then after a little more he went on to say, ' Well, using my private judgment in the choice of an expression, I would call these schools Scavengers' Daughters.' He had only troubled the House with reading this delightful picture of the Scavenger's Daughter ' for the sake of a simile-these public schools of theirs were ' Scavengers' Daughters.' And the Archbishop went on to say, • because they are the most effective instruments invented by man for squeezing very gradually and almost imperceptibly the Catholic faith out of a Catholic people.' Before he went further he must aek where were there circumstances in this country to justify lang-iage of this kind?— (Hear, hear.) Where was the slightest evidence of any attempt at persecution— where was the slightest evidence of any attempt to place the Roman Catholics in an exceptional position ? What the State had done in the cause of education it had done with an open and a liberal and a wise aim ; making no restriction, raising no impediment, creating no obstacle." Nevertheless the " circumstances " are there plain enough ; Secularism and Catholicism cannot exist in combination, and to insist on the adoption of Secularism, and the consequent loss of Catholicism by Catholics is to persecute them. '• And if it were the case that anyone suffered," continued Sir Henry, " his lot to suffer was deliberately chosen, and made up for himself. It could not for a moment be successfully maintained that the religion of any man or woman, or that of the child of any man or woman could depend upon the teaching which was added to the secular instruction in the primary schools.— (Cheers.) Catholic children must have Catholic mothers and Catholic fathers, they must have Cathelic homes, Catholic clergymen ; and if all these instrumentalities were futile and idle in preserving this religion, the admission meant too much.— (Cheers.) If this Catholic religion depended— and he was quite sure it did not depend— upon this teaching being added to the secular instruction in the schools, then, he said, that that carried with it an admission which was fatal to the vital admission of the sacred offices of the clergy of the Catholic Church." (Cheers,) Sir Henry, we fear, is but a poor exponent of religious duties. Sufferiug for conscience' sase must often wear the outward garb of suffering " deliberately chosen and made up for himself " by him who bears it. While the Protestant churches stood open to them in the old penal days, the Catholics who endured all loss lather than make use of them were sufferers of this class. But it will hardly be denied even by Sir Henry Parkes, if ever he does read their history, that they were the victims of a real persecution. The man who is openly fined for not attending Protestant worship, and the man who is virtually fined for not submitting his children to secular teaching suffer alike ; their punishment may differ in decree, but it ■ the same in kind. Again we refuse to accept Sir Heniy as a doctor of the Church : he is totally mistaken when he informs us that Catholics may dispense with the Catholic atmosphere with which they are bound at all times to surround their children. Catholic children must indeed have Catholic mothers, Catholic fathers, Catholic homes and Catholic clergymen, but they must also have Catholic schools ; in no one respect can neglect of religion be admitted iuto their education, it is part and parcel of the " sacred offices of the clergy of the Catholic Church" to see that this is observed, how, then, can it be fatal to the vital admission of them 1 And now we come to a passage of that absurd and worthless argumentation, which seeks to establish the misconduct of certain indivi-

duals as the proper rule for the guidance of the community. We would ask as quite apropos, whether Catholics generally would be justified in the adoption of at least habits of polygamy because the late King Victor Emmanuel, for instance, had been the head of several more than questionable establishments ? The argument of Sir Henry Parkes is akin to this. He said : " But they were told repeatedly ia this pastoral that Catholic parents could not safely send their children to these public schools. Why, they knew that Catholics did send their children, not simply to these schools, but to strictly Protestant schools ; and while this movement out of doors was going on now, the most eminent man of the Catholic Church, who took part in the large meeting at St. Mary's the other Sunday night, and advocated as a necessity for Catholicity that poor people should send their children only to Catholic schools, himself sent all his children to a Protestant school (Cheers.) And they knew, the matter could not be concealed— that the late Mr. Richard Eenna — who was always understood to be a most zealous Catholic — was so determined upon sending his children to the best school — whether it was Protestant or Catholic, or non-sectarian — that he resisted all the authority and all the mandates of the Church rather than give up the welfare of his beloved children. — (Cheers.) And when these gentlemen who moved in the most influential circles of the Catholic community could send their children with safety to Protestant or mixed schools, surely the poor — to whom a sound education to their precious children was more precious than all besides — might be permitted to send their children to a school where the teacher was trained to teach, and where the very law of the school was that there should be no attempt to tamper with the child's faith." All we find proved here is that the late Mr. Richard Kenna was not by any means the " zealous Catholic" he was " always understood to be," but quite the reverse; and that some gentleman whose name appears to be unknown, occupied under false pretences a prominent position at a meeting lately held at St» Mary's Cathedral, where he openly stultified himself. The gentlerncu referred to, more than any others, rich or poor, could not send their children to non-Catholic schools without endangering tUeir children's faith, and themselves incurring a breach of obedience to their Church; and that is all that need be said on the subject. Sir Henry then goes on to inquire how it comes that it is lawful for Catholic teachers to teach in secular schools, when Catholic children are forbidden to atcend them. We are no ailvucaLtss tor Catholics teaching in secular schools ; but the principles oE Catholic teachers are supposed to be fixed ; it is not necessary that their calling should be religious, if they honestly perform duties not in themselves sinful, they are blamelessly occupied. And now let us conclude with something relating to the histoiy which Sir Henry Parkes gives us to understand he has been made acquainted with. " But they were continually reminded," said he, " in these pastorals and in the speeches — the very temperate speeches delivered by members of Parliament at these meetings — (Jaughter) — that Roman Catholics were one-tin rd of the population, he might be pardoned if he reversed the case ; and suppose that Protestants were one-third of the population — (cheers) — and suppose the Archbishop and his other Bishops constituted two-thirds ; and suppose, by reason of being a majority of the community, they were a majority in the Legislature — in the councils of the country, and they set up a school system— would the poor Protestants receive any more favourable terms than the Roman Catholics were receiving as it was 1 Would the Roman Catholic Church, with the sanction of Archbishop Vaughan, advise a system of payment by results for the Nonconformist citizens of this country ? (Laughter and cheers.) He did not think the teaching of history — he thanked the member for West Sydney for teaching him that word — would answer him in the affirmative." This is mere bombast ; the no-Popery cry skilfully adapted to the case. By what right does Sir Henry Parkes assume that Archbishop Vaughan and the other Bishops would act otherwise themselves than as they now demand that in justice Catholics shall be acted by ? Where has there ever been an instance of the case Sir Henry Parkes proposes — a settled country, during peace at home and abroad, in which one-third of the people were Protestants, and yet were denied the right to educate eir children in their own beliefs ? In what country of the world, under any circumstances, has a case of the kind occurred ? Protestants have, indeed, in Catholic countries been prohibited from setting up proselytizing schools for Catholic children, but the history that has taur Sir Henry Parkes his belief, if he holds it, has yet to be written. He carries it all about vujj| him in his imagination, for the edification of the bigoted ignorant. But, in any case, what kind of an argument do we find here in the mouth of a champion of liberty of conscience 1 " You," says he, '■ if you had the power, would oppress us, and therefore, since you have not the power, and are not likely to attain it, we will oppress you." Verily this is a btrange argument to employ, and act upon too, in an enlightened community of the present day.

An American paper describes a certain new reliAS little pion just introduced by a gentleman at Osakona. children. Its adherents are invited to become as little children, so that they may have a claim to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, aad to thii end it ia proposed to them to ie

commence all the games of their childhood. W« fancy, however, that the idea ii hardly so novel as it would appear to be. We have long believed tbat we discerned a great deal tbat was childish in many of the existing religions which, comparatively speaking, are not new. Indeed such an element appears to be at once their weaknest and their force, and while it mast repel to a certain extent, it also to a certain extent attracts. There really is a good deal put forward in that plea urged in her excuse by an old lady who, according to Punch, was rebuked by her parson for having attended an unorthodox meeting : « Erron'ous, sir, their doctrines may be ; but their cake, with sultany raisinß, is excellent !"

A FACT FOB . SIR HENBY PABKBS.

Sib Hkxby Pa&kss is very much astonished to hear any one mention so shocking a thing as the " tearing out of human bowels." finch a process has no place in his knowledge of history. But yet such a thing has been, and it was but employed as a more open way of doing that which Sir Henry Parkes is now himself a champion of, destroying the Catholic faith. Archbishop Vaughan has used no language that he was not fully justified in using, and we have, indeed, on mow than one occasion referred to tbi« very subject is our columns, and gi^en a description or two of this fearful torture ; and now again we copy certain facts relating to it from an old chronicle of the time of Queen Elisabeth, which we find published in a number of the Catholic Magazine, issued in July, 1838. It is written in the style of the period, but, with the exception of a passage or two, we shall alter it to suit our requirements. " On the morning of the 29th November, Sir Hubert, lurking round the prison, from the lacquies learned that sundry gentlemen were about to visit the Popish priest (Father Mayne), who was to die that day. Keeping then in discourse with these knaves, Sir Hubert efftlye contrives to slip ia with them. At the gate they betake them to the cell where was the holy man. There disturbing his last hours of life, theyf set up a fierce disputation with him on religious matters ; but ■c composedly, yet undauntedly, confuted them on all points, both from Scriptures and the Fathers, bo that they had not one word to reply, and after long discoursing tbey|left him in anger. Sir Hubert for one moment stopping behind to crave the father's benison, telling mm that grievous as it was to see him thus, yet was his heart gladdened to hear him so utterly confute the enemiej of our faith. Father Mayne, in a few words, bade him be of good cheer, bear manfully, but patiently, the persecutions he might also meet with, and added some kind words for his Ssiende when he left : ' Shortly,' said he, 'I trust to meet in heaven.' Nor did he forget me, to whom he ever has been as a father, but with sweet words of counsel and consolation he sent to me his rosary, reserving only his breviary, " For that," said he, " I shall still have need of." With tears and lamentations Sir Hubert hastened to rejoin the others, and presently afterwards mingling with the crowd that now thronged the Btreets, he waited to witness the end of this bloody tragedy ; and even when the holy Father appeared at the prison door, once «iore the ministers and gentlemen beset him, for that they would have him renounce his religion, promising him life and wealth did he comply. This refusing they press bim earnestly to declare that the Queen is supreme head of the Church ; thiß as stoutly he denies, wherefore they laid him on the hurdle to be drawn to the place of execution ; sundry with unparalelled cruelty, urging that his head should be laid on the ground, over the car, so to be dashed against the stones as they went along ; but the sheriff's deputy would no ways allow this. In ye market place was an high gibbett; at ye foote thereof ye holie martyre kneeled downe and prayedd a breefe space, then mounted ye laddere, and after ye rope was rounde hys neck, thei questionedd hyra what hee knewe respectinge Maister Tregiaune and Syrr John Arundelle, hoping to obtain mattere agenst themme ; hee repliedd firmlie and loudlie, that he knew naughte concerninge them: hee was then forbiddene to speak to ye people, and hee was turnedd off ye ladder ye whiles hee said, 'In man us tuas Domine,' etc., knockinge bys breste. Whiles hee yet hvedd, they cutte hym down, but fallinge Boche a height, he was but little sensible to ye butcberie that ensuedd. He was quarteredd, and ye quarters hung at Bodmyne, Tregncye, Baraestaple, and on ye Castell at Launceston." This did not take place in New South Wales amongst the Blacks prior to the arnva.] of Captain Cook there, aa was pleasantly implied by Sir Her -> • „ j^es, but in Merry England under the reign of good Queen Bests. But, what is more to the point, Catholics now-a-days think not one whit lees of their faith than they thought then.

MAIL NEWS.

The San Francisco mail, which arrived at Auckland on Tuesday evening, brings a few additional paiticulars respecting the state of affairs in Ireland. Besides Daly, Davitt, and Bryce arrested for seditious language, seventeen others were also to be prosecuted. A committee of defence was about to be formed by the Home Bule executive. News by cable, however, hag informed us that the prosecutions have been abandoned. In Sligo, a f armer is said to have been maltreated for having paid his rent in advance, Mr. Parnell has relinquished the idea of making a tour ia the United States. An Irish National Laud

League has been formed with a central committee in London. A special report made to the Imperial Government of Irish affairs, shows the potatoe crop to be everywhere deficient, and pauperism on the increase, especially in Ulster. Affairs in France hetray symptoms of future commotion. Gambetta is at war with the Waddington Cabinet, and Prince Jerome Napoleon is preparing himself to contest the presidency. There is some dissatisfaction shown with regard to England's Egyptian policy. Respecting Germany, it is reported that Bismarck has made concessions to the Vatican. Another report concerning Borne runs as follows (we give it for what it is worth) :—: — " Cardinal Manning has gone to Borne to endeavour to win the assent of the Vatican to Ms long-cherished scheme which, by admitting certain charges in the external organisation of the Catholic Church in England, will facilitate the return to Catholicism of an important group of English Protestants."

THOSE JESUITS AGAIN.

The Jesuits continue to give trouble in France. Positively it was too bad of the Senate to interfere with M. Ferry and his seventh clause. It will now be necessary to act upon the threats of M. Paul Bert, and introduce more determined and sweeping measures for the eradication ©f these "phylloxera," as the gentleman referred to names the order ; their conduct is no longer supportable ; we learn in short that at the recent law examinations, the first prize at Grenoble was won by M. Frederick Panty ; the first prize at Aix by M. Martineau Deschesnez, and the first prize at Paris by M. Paul Gontard ; each one of the three being a pupil of the Jesuits. We may add that it is a little amusing to read, as we occasionally do, of liberal and enlightened Catholics being forced out of devotion to their children to send them to non-Catholic sckools, when we invariably find that the pupils of Catholic schools, in the event of competition, carry all before them. We may be excused if under the circumstances, we doubt not only the assumed liberality and enlightenment of such Catholics, but even the nature of their devotion to their children.