New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justita. SATURDAY, MAT 16, 1874 THE VIRTUOUS 'OTAGO GUARDIAN'.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 55, 16 May 1874, Page 6

New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justita. SATURDAY, MAT 16, 1874 THE VIRTUOUS 'OTAGO GUARDIAN.

This very liberal joun al published a leader on Tuesday last, which breathes » spirit of virtuous indignation at the idea of importing religion into politics. Bravo ! we bay. This is sjood, very good, ai.d we do sincerely hope that our contemporary will keep the promise inadu in the following words : — " For our p.ut. we .shrill not hes ; tate to denounce as a fire brand and a public enemy any man, be he whosoever he may, who shall wantonly raise such an issue," — tint is,— a religious question. Only there is one thiug on which we are not quite rjear. The ' Ocigo Guardian' will rlcnoance such as wtntonhi raise ill- ]s-ue. What is the precise force to be Hivon to that word winPmhjl Wo a^': the <i'iestion for tlm rijuon : Whenever a (.':\tli<i'ir bee >m. a cuuli-l. 1 c for a seat in thii Cloncral Assembly, in i'l-'ivinci.il (J.m miU v. at the Municipal I'lo.irds, the uliL'ionN i-.sitei -.site ii;ilm<i-.t alu\p\-> raised by his opponent-:, and, we K'giel to say, raked wilii bucces-3. The Noropery cry id then heard, si/nvinn \s l->url en./ii^h to attract public attention, sometime- only whis ,civ ( ( about ; but whether in ih ricks or in whisp^is H js always present, active nnd'efficacious. Catholics, nf coui-j, do not raise that cry; but we have never heard of a ju'miali&t who came forward to denounce the men who raised such an issue. How is t'lo word wane )iily to be understood? Does it mean that when mo/i pre>e.it themselves as candidates for vaiimis public positions, they arc on no account to be opposed by Oatholirs ; but that when (Jatholics are candidates, oppositi in t.i them on the score of their Catholicity is by no means tvantoiili/ to raise the icligious issue? The • Otajjo (guardian' is evidently of opinion tliat Cacho1 cs should not at all object to candidates who spoilt all sorts of evil against them ; who pladge themselves to perpetuate the injnstice under which Lhcy labour ; who insult and vilify 'hem on all occasions, when it suits their purpose to do so.

We are not to oppose a man who tells us to our face, for example, that our object is to keep our own children in ignorance, and to force ignoruice on the children of other people. Who declares he will do Ins utmost to compel us to pay money to maintain a sj stern of e 'ucation which is — strange monstpr — at ■ nee M-ct trian and godless. Who refuses to present our petitions; who schemes to make tools of us, whilst in his heart of hearts he loaches us for that we are Catholics, and for no other reason. Neither the ' Otago Guardian ' nor any daily journal in Otago, is in a position to preach such a sermon, as the leader of our contemporary above alluded to, without exposing them"selves to the ridicule and scorn of honest men. Let thnn then cast out the beam from their own eyes. Of all men Catholics are the most liberal. They never object to a candidate on the score of his relLion. In this paper, care is taken never to print a word insulting to any man's religion. We never charge our Protestant neighbours with odious crimes. We never attempt to misrepresent the principles of any Church, or to travestie the history i f the v.trious Christian sects into which the community is divided. In the old land the most Catholic constituencies are represented by Protestants, whilst in England and in Scotland not one Catholic representative is to be found. Lord RoBiiRT Montague represented an i English County, he became a Catholic, and his constituents called upon him to resign, because f_e had followed the dictates of his conscience. Talk not to us of importing religion into politics. This we never do ; but the men who falsely charge us with doing so, sir*-- themselves the very men who adopt this most reprehensible course of action. Hypoites ! t'luy charge upon us their own misdeeds. We defend our principles ; repel aggression, unmask falsehood and hypocrisy, reclaim Against being plundered, and oppose men bent on insulting and robbing us. We endeavour to guard our children's faith- their most precious inheritance — and are unwilling to put men into Parliament to trample oa us. The bigots and self-seekers, the pests of society, are indignant with us because we show the spirit and independence of men, and treat them as they deserve to be treated by every trae man, by every one thit has within him a manly heart ! No one deprecates and abhors more than we do the introduction of religion into politics; but we must not allow the tyrants and plunderers to riot in their orgies for fear of being charged by worthless men with being true to our principles, and tin- principles of truth and justice.