Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2, 11 January 1900, Page 1

Current Topics

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Perhaps you have heard of Paddy Miles's the Boy ? He must have been as übiquitous as great Hobgoblin or as Sir Boyle Roche's bird, scapegoat. which could be in two places at the same

time ; for he was set down as the author of every practical joke and impish trick that were played over a big slice of the province of Ul.ter. Now Paddy Miles's Boy represents, after all, nothing more or less than the great institution of the scapegoat as applied to the incidents of social life. Almost every adult individual Tom, Jack, and Harry, jemima, Theodolinda, and Mary Jane has his or her special human scapegoat on whom they fling the blame of the follies, foibles, vices, or errors of judgment which stand between them and happiness or success. Nations, like individuals, find their scapegoats in due season. England found hers in Admiral Byng. France had her Napoleon III.; she deposed the puny plotter after the boulevards had forced him into a war with Prussia. The Protestant Churches have many scapegoats. But their arch-scapegoat is the Pope. Is there distress and consequent discontent in Ireland ? Do labourers dig too much in Lombardy or too little in Naples ? Is Belgium too prosperous and perky, and Spain too poor for comfort ? Do citizens 'rise ' too readily in South America, and submit too tamely to the tyranny of Government and padroni in Sardinia and the Abruzzi ? It is all 'along of' that plaguy Man ot Sin ? Is the Catholic Church strong and united ? Is it because of the ' spiritual tyranny ' of the Pope ? Are the Protestant bodies divided into a thousand conflicting sects? Have we not the word of the Anglican Primate of New Zealand that the Pope is ' the direct cause ' of this calamitous state of affairs. And if (to use words applied in another sense) anyone were to inquire : ' Who fills the butchers' shops with large blue flies ?' there could be only one answer : The Pope, of course.

Some of the secular journals are more or less caught by the endemic of this Protestant tradition. The London Times ' has 'em bad ' at intervals. It has been chronically afflicted in that way since its present Rome correspondent took up his residence in the Eternal City — probably under the shadow of the Quirinal and in the midst of the enemies of the Holy See. The varlet is no more reliable on matters of fact or on matters of opinion regarding the Vatican than his notorious confrere of the Daily Mail. Since his appointment he has had abundant opportunities of making blunders. And he has profited by these opportunities to the best of his humble abilities. Among his other exploits we may mention the following : He published the foolish and malicious hearsay calumny that Cardinal Rampolla expressed delight at the condemnation of Dreyfus ; he quoted a foolish ' letter to the editor ' of the Osservatore Romano on the Boer war as an extract from an editorial article in the same paper, and endeavoured, by implication, to make it appear that it represented the views of the Holy See ; and, if we remember aright, he was the ' discoverer ' of the bogus antiBritish speech which the Pope is fabled to have delivered to English pilgrims on the South African War. His glowing blunders and his malevolent hostility to the Vatican have been a matter of scandalous notoriety to the Catholic body in England. In fact, the Vatican correspondent of the Times, Monsignor Stanley, resigned all connection with the paper, as a protest against the fellow's gross and continuous misrepresentation of the news and views of the Holy See. But the Times has its little game to play for politicians in Italy and for a certain class of fanatics in England. And we know of old that it is not squeamish as to the tools that it employs. In its attempts to rum Parnell it clung to the forger Pigott long after his character was known to the rest of the world, and abandoned him only when he had blown out his worthless brains, a fugitive from justice in Madrid. * • •

The splenetic correspondent of the Times is evidently seeking to raise a no-Popery cry in Great Britain by broadly hinting that Leo XIII. and his court, instead of being, as international courtesy and common-sense dictate, neutral, are violent pro-Boer and anti-British partisans in connection with the campaign in South Africa. This view has even found editorial expression in the columns of the . Thunderer of Printing-House Square. Its ideas on the subject have been reprinted and apparently accepted by the Dunedin Evening Star. The expression ' Vatican Press ' has been used by both — with special reference to articles on the war in the Voce dell a Verith and the Osservatore Romano — in a manner which is calculated to leave the impression that they are through and through the official oreans of Vatican news and opinion. As a matter of fact the Voce della Verith is in no sense the orpan or mouthpiece of the Holy See, whether official or semi-official. Even the Osservatore is not an organ of the Vatican or of the Roman Curia in the ordinary acceptance of the term. It is the property of a private company, and has over and over again declared — as, for instance, in its issues of November 14th and 15th, now before vs — that the only official or semiofficial matter which it publishes regarding the Vatican is that which appears from time to time under the heading Nostre Informazioni. Its articles are not in any way dictated, inspired, or suggested by the Vatican, and it has repeatedly announced that the whole and sole responsibility for them rests with the writers individually and the editorial staff. The antecedent improbability of the Holy See taking sides in this war ought to be evident to anybody who knows the mighty intellect of Leo XIII., his Mastery of diplomatic usage, and the friendly attitude towards the English nation to which he has time and again given expression both in writing and by word of mouth. At any rate, the Holy See is entitled to be judged by what the Pope or his duly qualified representatives say, and not by the malicious non-seqniturs of the rabid Rome correspondent nf the Times. Leo XIII. did what lay in his power to avert a war in South Africa. When it broke out, his attitude and that of his court towards the belligerents naturally was, and as naturally remains, one of strict neutrality. The Ossetvatore Romano of November 15th, after challenging the Times to show where or when it had hinted that the Holy See favoured the Boers, says : 'In any case let us say that the Holy See sides with neither party, and that what the Osservatore Romano has said, it has said ex se, taking all the responsibility thereof. 1 The Pope has limited his 'interference* to imparting his special blessing, through Monsignor Lennon (Protonotary- Apostolic), to the Catholic nuns who, when free to seek safety in flight, decided unanimously and without a moment's hesitation to remain and nurse the sick and wounded British soldiers within the lines of Kimberley and Mafeking.

The implied suggestion of the Times that the Vatican ' controls ' the political opinions of Catholic papers in Germany and elsewhere is simply rank nonsense. It exercises no more actual control over the politics of the Catholic Press than it does over the politics of the Dunedin Evening Star or the Auckland Herald. Did the Vatican attempt to direct Catholic papers along such lines, the big London daily that lost whatever reputation it had over Richard Pigott would probably read Leo XIII. a lively homily on the suppression of free speech, the muzzling of the Press, and such-like enormities. Hypercritics, like certain other people, are kittle cattle, and the man — be he Pope, parson, or politician— who tries to please their fastidious fancy is a fool for his pains.

' A conflict of armed opinions. 1 Such

OPINION ON THE WAR.

were the words- used by Pitt in reference to the great war between England and France which, in 1803, followed the rupture of the peace of Amiens. The designation might be aptly applied to the fierce struggle that is swaying back and forwards with such strangely varying fortunes along the Modder and the Tugela a. id the Orange River. The original cause of quarrel resolved itself into a question as to the desirability of one side conceding a little more or the other r

side demanding a little less. Briefly, it all was a matter of opinion. Long before the war broke out we expressed our strong conviction that the difficulty could and ought to have been settled by the peaceful method of constitutional agitation, aided, at best or worst, by judicious diplomatic pressure (and not sword-clanking) on Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger — we like the stately march of his long procession of fore-names. Such is the opinion of Stanley, Br)den, Selous, the Cape News, and of many others who know isouth Alrica intimately; of the whole Rritish Liberal Press, with the solitary exception of the Daily News ; of representative clergymen of leading Protestant denominations in England, Australia, and New Zealand ; and of the vast majority of the many secular and religious papers which we receive from Great Britain, India, South Africa, and North and South America. Truth of November 23 is our authority for stating that at least two uf the most prominent British officers who are now at the front disapprove of the war. Mr. Labouchere sa\ s : 'Sir William Butler is abused because, when in command in South Africa, he did not conceal his opinion that the troubles at Johannesburg were more due to the South African League than to the Transvaal Government, and a contemptible attempt is being made to throw the responsibility of our being unprepared for hostilities on him. It is, however, no secret that both Sir Redvers Buller and Sir George White disapproved of the war, and did not conceal their opinion before hostilities commenced. A soldier is also a citizen. In the latter capacity he has a perfect right to entertain what views he likes as to the wisdom of a war. But this does not prevent him, when in command, from doing his utmost to secure success to our arms.'

Some of William Howard Russell's letters BUT the from the Crimea in the winter siege of chaplain 1854-55 were sufficiently ghastly reading. was there. But there is a plain directness about the following bit of blunt description which will convey to the lay mind a sufficient idea of some of the sights and scenes that give a meaning to the phrase, ' the horrors of war.' It is an extract from the private letter of a member of the Ambularce Corps attached to the Natal Mounted Rifles. The writer had served in the battles of Elandslaagte, Modder Spruit, and Lombard's Kop. ' I saw,' said he, ' some of the most horrible sights on Monday, and this is my third battle. There was one of the officers brought in by our men on a gun carriage, and he died while they were bringing him to our ambulance waggon. He had his head half blown off, and his nght leg just hanging with about an inch of skin to his hip, just like a piece of liver. Then a gunner came in — lost his leg and his inside hanging out, and he was just >as sensible as you or I, but the pain he could not stand any longer : that is what he said to the doctor. The priest was on the field, and whispered in his ear ; he lay down for a while, then tried to sit up, and called the doctor and asked him to poison him, the pain was too great to bear. So you see what we have to put up with. It almost makes one sick to look at them and other casualties.' And yet the writer is describing what was, after all, little better than a skirmish of outposts. Read Russell's inventory of the casemates of Sebastopol after its capture, or his description of the havoc wrought by shell and mitraille at Rezonville, and you will begin to realise the force of Wellington's words : ' Take my word for it, if you had seen but one day of war, you would pray to Almighty God that you might never see such a thing again.'

The idea of the military chaplain has just SOMETHING found a fresh and altogether novel applicanew : tion in New York. We know of an esteemed HRE brigade priest in these colonies who does right good chaplains. service at conflagrations. But did you ever hear of Fire Brigade chaplains ? Well, they have been for some time past 'on the strength ' of the Fire Department in New York City. Two have been appointedFather Smith (Catholic) and Rev. Mr. Johnson (of the American Episcopal Church). They provide their own uniform (that of chief of battalion;, their own buggies and horses, and serve without pay. They have fire-alarms in their bed-rooms, are roused after the manner of the regular firemen, jump into their clothes, rush to their buggies (which are brought to their doors by paid drivers of the Department), draw on their big rubber boots, coats, and helmets as their horses go at a fine gallop to the scene of the conflagration, report themselves to the chief and share all the dangers of the ' fire laddies.' Says a New York paper : ' Their presence at a fire is not only comforting and assuring to the firemen, but it has a quieting effect upon the inmates of burning buildings. Hysterical women often subside when the chaplains appear or when they learn of their presence in the house. Often they save life by taking the injured in their buggies to the hospital — injured who otherwise would have to wait for an ambulance and suffer by the delay.'

Father Smith and his Episcopalian confrere are fast Jriends. Every night they visit together engine and ladderhouses, etc., and contrive to do a good deal of temperance work among the men. The lion's share of the work falls to Father bmith, as 80 per cent, of the firemen b. long to his fold and he has 120 distinct houses to visit. ' I shall never forget ' said Chaplain Johnson in the course of a recent interview, ' the first nre we attended. The men were most profane. Father Smith removed them. " Wl.o the arc jou ?" they demanded. Ihe chaplain opened his uniform. At the sight of his priestly garb tne men fell back. "Ah, n\ you, Fathei," i] iey said and the silence that followed was impressive. I have seem him administer the last rites of the Church to a dying fireman brought into a saloon on the X Ist side, followed by the worst of rabbles, hvery head uncovered, every knee bent, and no one can tell the influence it had on that hardened gathering ' gome time ago a ve^el was on fire at one of the city wharves, gather bmith, like Casabi.inci, stood on the burning deck In the contest between tire and firemen the 'laddies' were left in a minority. The Chief said to the Chaplain : ' You had better go, Father ; there's great danger here.' 'Do you stay?' asked the Chaplain, 'and the men?' 'Certainly.' 'Then here smy place,' was the reply. ' Can you swim V asked the Chief. Yes Now is the time.' And (says our American contemporary) as the burning vessel sank, the chaplain leaped trom her side, to be caught by a fireman.

The favour of princes is proverbially fickle. GOLD, naphtha, Lane, the noted Orientalist, gives us the and following- entry from a register of Haroun admiral dewey. Er-Rashced : • Four hundred thousand pieces . , of £ old > price of a dress of honour for Jaafar, the son of Yahya, the Wee/or.' A few days later the same register had the following: 'Ten kee.ats, the price of naphtha and reeds, for burning the body of Jaafar, the son of i a I r dmiral l>ewey has discoveied, as many another did beiore him, that the thundering hosannas of king Demos are to be trusted quite as little as the wreathing smiles and the golden gifts of the king of the Arabian Nights. A few weeks ago Deueywas the uncrowned king— nay, the god-^of what is called the American 'people.' His name wa^ in every mouth his praise on every l,p The hero-worship of the man of Manila tound vent in a thousand solemn and ludicrous uses and misuses of his honoured name : in Dewey hats, Dewey ties, Dewey beer, Dewey pipes and tobacco, Dewey kerosene, Dewey hair-pins, Dewey spittoons, Dewey ' cocktails ' and trying-pans, and the Lord knows what besides— just as the names of British heroes have been immortalised in Wellington boots, Wellington knife-polish, Havelock tobacco, and Cardigan jackets. But Admiral Dewey has iallen from grace. He has committed the unpardonable crime of making a Catholic lady his wife, and followed this up with the more venial offence of bestowing upon her the house that had been presented to him by public subscription. She in turn deeded it to the Admiral's son b y> a former marriage. The house is thus secured to Dewey s family successors. 'He no doubt thought,' says the N.Y. Freeman, ' that the donors intended him to use the house in any way that would afford him the greatest pleasure, and that pleasure he found in giving it to his wife.' The gallant sailor committed the blunder of acting upon the illusion that individual liberty and religious equality are fully recognised tacts in the country for which he iought so bravely. And for this high crime the glistening robe of popularity has been rudely torn oif his back, and the scalawag Press and platform have set themselves to pile the naphtha and reeds about his feet.

Both the 'religious,' and the secular Press in the United Sta»es are exercised— each in its own way and from its own point of view— over Dewey's 'capitulation to Rome.' Here is a paragraph from a rabid sheet entitled the Evangelist, published in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania :—: —

Admiral LVwey has been the beautiful ideal hero of an applauding nation. He was Admiral Dewey the Only. The announcement that he was a lover, and would soon be a husband and head cf a houf«e and a home, touched every heart. Now he is a married man. May hia home be an abode for Christ, an ideal Christian home But we tremble for the gallant Admiral. He haß cip-tula'ed to Rome and h-is suffered a Romish priest to bind him to a Roman Catholic wife, with all that it involves. This is to thou-ands of hi* best friends a grievous disappointment, while the millions of Rome rejoice and will take the utmost advantage of their opportunity. Tne day that Rome sits down in Dewey's house a new chapter begins in his history. How will it end ? Is it ' the passing of Dewey ?'

Of course, in the writer's view, the ' new chapter ' in the brave Admiral's life is to be, without doubt, 'the passing of Dewey.' Those who are acquainted with the marvellous capabilities of this class of 'religious' paper will not be surprised at the frantic no- Popery of the Evangelist. There is a far more deadly significance in the following cold-blooded extract from the letter of the Washington correspondent of the Boston Herald :—: —

Admiral Dewey has finally turned his back on the Presidency, in the judgment of practical politicians, more completely than he oonld have done in any other way, by engaging to marry Mrs. Hazen, for she is a Roman Catholic, and, rightly or wrongly, all politicians believe that no man who has a Roman Catholic wife can be President. They point to General Sherman, General Sheridan, Richard P. Bland, and others mentioned for the Presidency, who could not be nominated because their wives were members of the Roman Catholic Church, under the prejudice, unreaponable as it may be, which they simply recognise as a practical fact to be dealt with in a practical manner. ' Carroll of Carrollton,' Father John Carroll, Daniel Carroll, Thomas Fitzsimons, Dominic Lynch, and twenty-seven members of the Irish Catholic Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, by the donation of enormous sums of money, saved Washington's army from disbandment or desertion in 1780 when it was on the verge of starvation and mutiny. Catholics thus saved the Republic in the darkest crisis of the War of Independence. Generals Moylan, Wayne, Fleury, De Gras, Kosciusko, and Pulaski, Commodore ' Saucy Jack Barry,' and other Catholic fighting men took a leading part in creating the Republic. Close on half the soldiers who fought and bled for independence were Irish Catholics. When in the sixties it became necessary to defend the Union, ' the hoight of the fighting,' as an Irish private expressed it, was done by Catholic arms. And who that is acquainted with later American history does not recall the achievements of the Catholic Generals, ' Fighting Phil Sheridan/ Shields, Meagher, Rosecrans, Newton, Mulligan, Ewing, Meade, Hunt, Stone, McMahon, Rucker, Vincent, and Colonel Jerome Buonaparte, Admirals Sands and Ammen, etc?^ The United States gratefully accepted the willing sacrifice of Catholic blood and Catholic gold in the day of her need. But, as far as we can gather, the statement of the Boston Herald correspondent is only too well grounded, and the loyalty of our co-religionists to the United States is being repaid by a form of proscription worthy of Pretoria or Belfast. And even when one of her most skilled admirals chooses to wed a woman of the hated creed the record of his services must be wiped out and forgotten as if he were a traitor to his country instead of being one of her most gallant defenders.

Dewey has been vilified by a section of the American Press. His picture has been hissed by an audience in Washington. But his services to his country will probably outlive this rabid outburst of unpopularity. In any event he will have the philosophical consolation of reflecting that he is in the same boat with the good old general, Alcibiades, whom the fickle Athenians of old, after crowning with gold, banished from their city ; and with Demetrios Phalereos, to whom they erected 360 bronze statues— and destroyed them all in a single day, after condemning him to death without just cause. The inconstant Athenians have left issue, and most of them seem to have emigrated to the United States.

Of the inventing of new forms of religion — the latest founded, of course, on the 'open Bible I—there1 — there is thing no end. The latest addition to the thousand or so in creeds, of conflicting creeds into which Protestantism

is divided, is, in all reason, a sufficiently ludicrous one. The members of the new denomination are known to themselves and their neighbours as the Sanford Woi kers. An American contemporary describes their tenets as follows : •They are a healing sect, but differ from the Christian Scientists in that they believe that all disease is due to the direct action of the Devil on the body of the sick person. A cure is effected by beating the afflicted person with a Bible in order to chase away the devil. The Bible houses will profit by the practices of this latest phase of progressive Christianity.' The whole thing is a solemn travesty on religion. But once accept the principle of private judgment and the doctrines and practices of the Sanford Workers may be accepted and acted upon as in perfect accord with the Divine Mind. Private judgment binds the Almighty to approval of many a strange vagary of the human intellect.

Mr. E. W. Dunne. Catholic bookseller, George street, Dunedin, is sole agent in New Zealand for Saint Joseph's Sheaf, the organ of the Archconfraternity of St. Joseph This magazine, which is issued quarterly and illustrated, has a very large circulation in J^urope and Australia, and ought to be a welcome addition to the library of every Catholic home. It is highly recommended, and as the price is nominal— ls per annum, post free— it should become a general favourite in New Zealand. — # %

Mtebs and Co., Dentists, Octagon, corner of George street They guarantee highest class work at moderate fees. Their artificial teeth give general satisfaction, and the faotof them supplying a temporary denture while the gums are healing does away with the inconvenience of being monthß without teeth. They manufacture a single artificial tooth for Ten Shillings, and sets equally moderate. The administration of nitrous-oxide gas is also a great boon to those needing the extraction of a tooth. Bead advertise ment.— mm m m