THE NEW YEAR.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 36, 3 January 1896, Page 17

THE NEW YEAR.

— — -♦ HAPPY NEW YEARI" We cordially wish oar many readers a prosperous year and many happy returns. The year which has just closed for ever was an eventful one in our history, indeed in the history of the Church in New Zealand. Our founder and chief, and the champion of Catholic education passed away. To us the loss is irreparable. No one can fill a father's place. It will be our duty to remember bis wise teaching, pursue his wh»e policy, and follow the wise advice for fatare action given before his death. This journal was dear to his heart not merely because it was his creation and the object of a constant solicitnde, but because of the paramount necessity of a Catholic paper. As the chairman of directors, Mr J. B. Callan, stated at the annual meeting on Monday evening, only those who remember the manner in which the Church was assailed when secular papers had the field to themselves can realise the great work done for religion by the New Zealand Tablet under Bishop Moran in the long period of its existence . Remove the corrective agency of a Catholic journal and attacks on our holy faith would again be common and difficult to answer. Our readers realise this and hence have always given cordial assistance to this jonrnal. We heartily thank the staunch friend b of the Tablet for the support accorded last year, and especially for the encouraging messages lately received from all parts ot the Colony. We assure our readers that though our Founder has gone the policy of the N.Z. Tablet is unchanged. The same hand writes the present short leader that penned the longer New Year greeting twelve months ago. We quote a few sentences as true now as then :—": — " We cannot change. Our colours were many years since nailed to the mast by the venerable Bishop of Dunedin, and, as long as we have life, there they will remain. We are happy to be able to say that our policy during the time of his Lordship's terrible illness has met with his approval. ' I have read the Tablet regularly or had it read to me during the past year,' said his Lordship recently in conversation with a representative of this paper. ' The policy pursued by it, and the manner in which it has been conducted, have met with my entire approval throughout .'" The policy is not changed. There are those who seem to wish a modification of our education policy. Impossible ! Catholic schools for Catholic children is, and will be our motto. During the past year an important work has been done. A number of Catholic schools have been examined by Board inspectors. We trust that this year Catholic people will have their petition fully granted, aud that all our schools will receive this modicum of justice. Tbe year '9G will, no doubt, be an eventful one in many

respects. Catholics will once more enter the election arena. A few self-seekers or timid men would fain have us give up the struggle and cease to make the education question the determining factor of the Catholic vote The overwhelming majority of Catholics see clearly that without agitation and a determined struggle we shall go back. The spirit of the world is against our holy religion. " Minimise, destroy, if possible, the Catholic Church," is the secularist motto. It is only by uniform action and real solidarity that we can even conserve our present advantages.