The Wingham Times, 1889-07-12, Page 4*ea °'
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• 'dna Late Anti -Jesuit #taatg.
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• FiltDAY, JULY 12, 1889.
THE PBOPOSED TOWN HALL.
There are those who tell us that
the greatest want of Wingham is not
• a town hall! They point to the ab•
sense of anything in the way of
street lighting. They justly claim
• that 'Winghtun and the large and
wealthy copntry tributary to it are
'yearly sending money, and business
patronage abroad for want of a high
school. This is perfectly true as is
the contention that persons with
growing families will in rrinety.nine
cases out of a hundred locate • where
they are sure of being afforded facilities
•for higher education in the shape • of
high schools. We axe told that sev-
tral new residents—men with money
kind good business connections—have
bone to Port Elgineinoe arrangements
have been made for a high •. school.
It is no doubt equally true that the
absenceof a high school is the only
respect in which Wingham conies
behind any rival ip Huron •County.
As to location, solid industries, ship-
ping facilitiesandgeneral goabeaditive-
nese, it has not equal. Whilst referring
to the absence of a high school
as a want, we do not urge it in the
meautime. The people have awaken-
. ed to the fact that a town hall is
absolutely necessary. We have little
doubt, from the facts presented, that
a company or private capital can be
induced to start a gas 'factory as it
would apparently be a good invest-
ment of money, according to the
testimony of those who ought to
• know. A town hall is by no means
. a dead investment as some' assert.
-From $25 to $150 can be : obtained
from renting the lower flat, as we
understand. There will be required
yearly $642 to pay the debt and in-
terest for thetwenty years: .•Probably
•one half of this could bo realized.
The present hall is thoroughly known
:and condemned outside. Every
fiesident of the town knows that every
meeting held in it is attended with
disadvantage and discomfort. To
raise the required amount on the
town's assessment—$577,175— would
require about one and a . fifth
pills on thea dollar. This would re-
present 60 cents extra taxes on $500
;assessment $1,20 on $1,000 assess-
2.40 ou $2,000 assessment.
'rO•DAY'S CELEBRATION.
'Who Procession. Route, the Speakers and
other Facts relative to the Day's Pro-
eeedings.
]t is expected that from six to eight
.thousand persons will come in to -day
an the train from the differents points
besides those who are expected . to
skive in. Full preparations have
;,at eii'Laade for the accommodation of
•tihe spurious ledges as they arrive. If
Like weather be favorable Wingham is
;dxpected to hare the grandest gala
Jay in. its history. At least ten
ei iousaud visitors are expected. Four
(arches are being erected, one at Tam-
Inn's corner, one opposite the Queen's,
,*.e at Korman's hotel and one at
Dtnsley's. The order of the day's.
irogramme will be somewhat as fol.
bays : Tbe Wingham committee and
Itleald, will meet the train arriving from
+uI+ti vrta4t en the grand Trunk at 8.35
i►it' tit , when a procession will be
;formed and march to the C. P. IL to
Meet the train arriving from Harriston
at, 9.85. The procession will then
Loaves the C. P. R. station, march to
onside street, thence to Victoria up
",oephine and will then be .taken to
herr places of billet. After dinner the
procession will form in Recreation
dark, near the G. T. It. station, and
parch down Josephine St. to Tamlyh's
grove on the prairie, where speaking
will begin at 2o'clock. The speaker
of the day will be Rey. W. T. Wilson,
of Toronto, his subject to be "Our
Liberties Imperilled." itev. R. Phil.
lips, of Chesley, a clever speaker, and
Rev. Mr. Livingstone, of (Milton, Rev
Mr. Wright, of Teeswater, and other f
al men will also deliver addressor.
The committee bave been energetically
working and have every reason to ext
Isaet the demonstration to be a splendid
goatee.
MOW= LETTER BY CATJrQT ro LAYMAN.
To the BMW elate 'Tiutea:"
DEAR Sin,—In•your edition of the
28th ult., Rev. Mr. Shortt has essayed
to reply to that portion of my letter
published in your edition of the 21st.
ult. The rev. gentiemap accuses me of
'very easily disposing of the Jesuits
Estates Bill.• I do not pretend to
say what will eventually become of
the Rill, but I think it would hardly
'be acceptable to your readers to dis-
cuss any further subjects which I pre-
sume most of them have read in the
debates on the Bill. He also says I
dispose with equal facility of its legal
aspects, for Mr. Shortt and his fellow
agitators, maintain that it is deroga-
tory to the supremacy of the Queen,
&c. &o, Now 1 can assure my rev.
.friend I have no desire to shirk those
two questions and with your permis-
sion, Mr. Editor, I will dilate some-
what further upon them. When, the
Jesuit missionaries first came to New
France, as Canada was Well called,
their main object was to spread the
Gospel among the Indians then scat-
tered over the trackless forest, and
for the purpose of assisting then to
carry on their good work, the govern-
ment of France, and many pious in-
.iividisals, contributed from time to
time, money, land and other gifts.
These lands,and others they may have
purchased, as occasion required, are
the famous Jesuith' 'Estates. I leave
italicized the above -paragraph for I
intend later on to call the reader's
special attention to it. We will now,
pass on to the date of the death of
the last Jesuit, 1801. I believe as this
juncture would naturally arise, what
is to he done with the Jesuits' Estates?
The Catholic church, of Canada was
guarranteed its rights and privileges,
free exercise of worship, rights of'
property, .lac. Now, this being the
case, the Estates should have been
handed over to the ,Catholic church
for the following reasons : as a matter
of justice to the original donors, who
gave it for the purpose of carrying on
the missionary work among the Indians.
Indeed as a matter of fact the gifts
were substantially made to the
Catholic church, through . the Jesuits
who were under. her direction and
in. her name doing the work, therefore
to carry out the intention of the pious
donors, she ahould have received the
estates. She. alone would carry on
the work as intended by those who
madethe donations. In Europe, on the
occasion of tlee suppression of the
order, the property was turned over
to the Church, provision being made
for the maintenance of the members
of the order who entered the ranks of
the secular clergy. .I think I have
said enough to show that as a matter
of justice the Estates belonged by
right to the Catholic Church and now
that a very small portion of them is
given to her, after the lapse of
over a century, a great cry is raised of
. Jesuitioat intolerance,''Romish egres-
sion,' &e., by men outside of the Pro-
vince that has seen fit to make this
restitution ;. but these very men by
their action in the matter have shown
that it is they who are both intolerant
and agressive. Now a few, words
about this loyalty cry, Here is a mea
sure that has unanimously passed
both branches of the Quebec Legis-
lature, received the sanction of •the
Lieut. Governor of the Province,
recommended to his Exellency by the
Dominion Government for allowance
and has I believe been sanctioned in
the name of Her Most Gracious
Majesty by her duly authorized repre-
sentative thus passing through all, the
stages required by our constitutional
government. And yet none of those
who have charge of such matters saw
anything disloyal about it. But • it
remained for the 'noble thirteen' to
find out what both the Provincial
and Dominion governments, and her
Majesty's representatives did not
notice. And then in order to aseer•
thin the opinion of • Parliament a
resolution was introduced, an exhaus-
tive debate was carried on, a vote was
taken and 188 out of 201 present voted
aubetantially that it was not disloyal.
Do those agitators ever take time to
think that this crusade is a standing
insult to the worthy representative of
Her Majesl?for they say substantially:
' !lis Exeellenoy leeks suilloient intel•
ligenee to notiee,the disloyal tendency
Of the Bill, or, having the iaeelligegco,
lacks the moral coura8e fp resist the
advice of his rrunistersj . Rev. Mr,
Shortt thinks he bas discovered a weak
joint in my letter, when I call this
agitation an' 'unholy crusedo,' and
says, 'dark this well, Proiebtants.
When we oppose, este , yea are told we
are engaged in an unholy erasade.'
I ani glad Mr. Shortt has introduced
this subject, as it gives me a chance to
tell your readers why 1 tall it an 'un-
holy crusade.' Mr. Shortt and his
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•
compeers can oppose the R O. Church very much pleasure h* endorsing this
all they like, but let theta eo it in a
legitimate manner. .It is to the man-
ner of doing it I object. The Church.
hag withstood a very great amount of
opposition from governments, princes,
etc,, much more powerful than the readily that would not be easily sup.
Equal Bights' Association. She is pressed, and trefore alluding to, that or
used to oppositiou. She bait stood it any other matter in regard to the
for nearly 1900 years, from Nero Jesuits, I respectfully suggest a clow
down to the Equal Rights Association study of history and find out how.
and is still in existence, and T ventare sunny Jesuits there are in Canada, how
to say wall outlive the Equal Bights' many in Ontario, what a Jesuit really
Association• many years. I (salt this is, ecu. As I remarked, Rev.Prinoipal
agitation an unholy oru+ade' on ao• Caven said that there were many (ital-
count of the fruit it l,us produced. los are mine) good Jesuits. You see
It has a tendency to widen the breach the reverend geutlemau allows himself
that to some extent exists between great latitude. Many may mean a
$rotestauts and Catholics of our Do. hundred or ten thousand. But you
minion, on account of the intemperate see it is in its eorpurate capacity where
language used by tboee who are en- the immorality is. Isn't thin a little
gaged in it, some of whom,profess to queer ? We delft expect a society that
preach the gospel of peace and goodwill is organized for immoral purposes to
toward men. Not very long ago, the have auy good moral men se members.
Rev. Dr. Wild, of Toronto, Said sub But how can the reverend Principal
atantially : ' If you go out on the say they are immoral 'I Did he ever
street and shoot a Jesuit, British law read their constitution ? Could an
will not punish you.' On another oc•
casion Rev.Mr.Joluston said, would
drive all traitors (meaning Catholics)
out of Ontario, if they do not leave
this country, so help me heaven.
We'll make them go.' Many other
such ,passages could be brought for-
ward, but I will leave your readers to
decide if I am wrong in calling this
agitation an unholy crusade. An agi-
tation that would cause ministers of
Him who showed his mercy for sinners
and rebuked in inarked terms those
who lacked charity and oousideration
for others, to use such unuhristian,
uncharitable and intemperate language
in the very house of God, is at all
events not it holy one. Now let us
have afew 'words about the morality
of the Jesuits. I beg to • call your
readers' attention -to •the fact that all
charges made in this regard are gen-
eral, not specific. 1 would Ince my
reverend friend to produce some specific
charge against these men that we Cath-
olics look upon with such respect and
esteem. Are they murderers ? Rob-
bers, or what ? Mr. 3aortt says I
make a great mistake when I say that
the great objection made to the Jesuits
at the meeting was their immorality.
Mr. Shortt now says it is not. It was
that they objec'tru to the Bill because
it endowed a religious 'body ; and yet
later on says: ' In regard to the im-
morality of .the Jesuit Order, that is,
though e. eubor,dinate matter,. a very
importaat„one.' Most assuredly.. Then
comes the '-question,` Are the Jesuits
immoral.? le have previously discussed
the proofs adduced by Rev.. Principal
Caven and others to show that the
Jesuits are immoral. Now Mr. Shortt
says Rev.Principal Caven had no • CATHOLIC, LArrs lr.
doubts about the immorality of those mr. Short's second Letter.
much abused men. Mr. Shortt says To the Editor o! tho•WinchatnTtuas:
Rev.Prinoipal ()even 'spoke in a'ehris-
tian spirit, said all he could in favor
of the Jesuits as individuals. but be
clearly showedthat the society,aa such,
is especially immoral. The gist of his is a' variance -with. authorities that
argument was this,' etct Now what have weight with intelligent people.
To quote a couple: ¥r Hallam is con-
sidered an eminently clever and
impartial historian. In his Consti-
tutional History, he remarks in refer -
statement, for it is the very essence of
truth, but 1 would advise him as a.
friend not to mention the matter in
Parliament, Suuh a statement would,
I think, wake a sensation in that as -
immoral organization bring forth mush
men as a 'T'allemout ? a De Broheuf,
or a Marquette 1 who traversed the
wilds of Canada before many of the
Protestant sects were thought of and
laid down their lives for the faith 1 I
see Mr. Shortt's letter is not all pub
fished yet, and I may perhaps reply to
his next effusion. • in the meantime,
I thank you, • Mr. Editor, for your
kindness in admitting my effusions to
your columns. I have endeavored, to
the hest of my ability, to carry out my
inteution,viz., to prove the inconsistent
and unchristian nature of 'this agita.
tion. I have endeavored to prove to
your readers that the Jesuits are nut
what some would try to make them,that•
the fact Af their banishment from
European- countries, instead of reflec-
ting ou their•eharacter,was an evidence
of their 'consistent Christian lives; and
that the. real .criminals . were their
persecutors. The difference between
those who spoke at the meeting on the.
4th ult, is this : They offer hearsay
evidence against the Jesuits—many
may never have seen •a Jesuit Father -
2 offer the evidenee of one who has
had the .happiness to live under.their
spiritual jurisdiotiou in a distant city
for many years, and it is my earnest
prayer that the day may come wheu`
once more I shall enjoy, that happiness
again. The thoughts of those dear
friends' of a my .youth always brings
forth a hearey °Cod bless them.' .Ole,
if thosewho oalumpiate them ouly
knew there as they really are and not
as their enemies paint them, how bit-
terly would " they regret the (let me
say) thoughtless language that they
now use.
Duo St$;•• -•-I observe that "datho:ia
Layman" further says "the Jesuits
were never opposed- by the Catholic
people." In making this ;assertion he
the Rev. Principal Caven said in sub-
stance, as per Mr,Shortt.was just this:
The Jesuits were immoral, because they
were bound to obey their Superior,who
was a foreigner, and this foreigner •nee to the Jesuits: "Subtle alike and
might tell them to place themselves intrepid, pliant in their. direction,
•' in conflict with the laws and inatita- unshaken in their aim, the. sworn,
tions of the land where they slay implacable, unscrupulous enemies of
reside,' etc. Now isn't this rather far the Protestant governments, the
fetched! First, it is presumed that Jesuits were'•a legitimate, • object of
the vow of, obedience taken by the jealousy and restraint. If every
Jesuits bindthem even to commit sin, member of that society entersinto au
a very uncharitable assumption. This engagement of absolute, unhesitating
being the case, their Superior might obedience to its superiors, no one
tell them to do wrong,eto, All Catho- could justly complain that Le was.
Tics know that the vow of obedience presumed capable at least of commit -
taken by religions has reference to ting any cranes that the policy of his
the government of the differeut soeje- monarch might enjoin. I1ut if the
ties, for how can any organization be Jesuits by their .•abt,ities and busy
carried on without order and discipline, spirit of intrigue promoted the in -
much less a religious one, and this re- tercets of Rowt•,tliny raised up ener»ies
minds me that these very men who go by the same weans to themselves
so far out of their way to bring a within the .bosom of the church, and
charge against the Jesuits are `placing became. Iittle ,less obnoxious to the
themselves in conflict with the laws secular clergy,and to a great proportion
and institutions of the country;' No 1 of the laity than to the Protestants
no 1 my reverend friends, the Jesuits whom they were commissioners to
of Canada will never plane themselves oppose.' Mr Buckle also, in his history,
in conflict with the laws and institu- of C'i'vilization,• observes in reference
teens of Canada, much leas to oppose to their expulsion from p+'rancein 1762:
in the slightest degree the defeat of a 'Elmer mtcti moral; had already marked
measure that was Intended for their them for destruction, and when
benefit and lost by a much less major- Danrieus in 1757 attempted to
ity than 188. We are also told that assassinate the king it was genet -
Rev. Principal Oaven referred to the ally believed that they were
flexibility of the Jesuits in regard to the instt.tatore of the act. This
morale. Is not this insinuation rather we know to be false, but the
uncharitable to come from snob guar- existence of such a rumor is evidence
tern'? It suggesta something very bad, -of the state bf the popular mind, Lt
without saying just what it is. At the April, 1761, parliament ordered their
meeting fn question, our worthy repro- Constitutions to be laid before them.
sentattve, Dr. Macdonald, vouchsafed In August they were forbidden to' re -
the interesting piece of information calve novices, their colleges wore
that 'all Jesuits are -Catholics, but ail closed, and a number of their most
Catholics are not Jesuits.' It was' celebrated works were burnt by the
very considerate of the Dr. to correct common hangman." •Further ho says
any mistakes in regard to this matter) "they were declared unfit to be ad-
that may have been fu the minds of nutted into a well governed country,
his hearers ; anal bete again{ I take' and kir institute •'444 rfeuiety weret
tortunlly aitolislied "Again be rem
"so rnerked was t e predfsposita'u
affairs, that it wits• of Wound ueoes-
siai ' to en►plqMori a distraction of
the Jesuits any of' oma arts by which
the popular mind,, is commonly inflam-
ed.' Attd rialto"tuarcriba. therefore,
this great.tvt•ut to the bankruptcy of
a trader or the intrigues of n mistress,
is to Ounfuse the cause of an apt with
the pretext under which the act' is
uuwntitted." In , rnfereiice to the
Madame de Ponipaiour incident, let
rue commend to the notice of your
correspondent the folloWinga article
whim& appeared in last week's Musts
real IVitness, and which gives a very '
clear account of the a4atr. It also
shows that Pope Clement 11V lu lis
Bull, did nondewu the Order:
"Tri discussing the Jesuits' Estates
gnestiou the Witness has refrained from
attacking the Souiety of Jesus. The.
character of that Society is nut meees-
sarily involved in a discussion regard•
lug the question of the evil of state
•grouts for oh nee!' purposes. • 3f instead
of the Pope, under the nave of.Jesuits,,
or Rotcau Catholic bishnpritss to which .
the four hurrdted thousand • dollar
endownient watt given, it were made
to any Protestaut denomination, or to
all Protestaut denominations, the
,Witness would be found in determined
opposition to it. This is proven by
the history of , the !Witness for nearly
fifty years. It has lover hesitated •
fearlessly, and with all its power,' to.
oppose the granting of• public Money
to any religious denomination, for
ecclesiastical or sectarian purposes.
But some ill-advised friends of ,the
Jesuits are now endeavoring to plead
their good qualities as a reason for the
manner in which this Society has been
treated by the natious of the world.
They have even gone to the length of-
eaying that they were dismissed from
the Catholic nations of the Old. and
New world because they were too
strong opponents' of evil. Special •
pleaders who put forward such argn-
rnents forget that the Jesuits revealed
their character to Catholic and
Protestant alike during centuries and.
that their 'very name has become syn-
onymous in the lauguage.s of the world
with intrigue, treachery, ingrained
falsehood and all that is bad in perver-
ted religious zeal.: The liennilton
Times asserted •that the Jesuits were
driven from France 'because they
objected to the tonneeetion of Ilis
Most Catholic Majesty with 11Ii!dame
de Pompadour.. ,Let us recount the
.facts and'showewherein this par tial
truth is the worst kindof falsification.
In so doing, we will obtain the decis-
ion of the i ighest court of France on
.the character of the •Jesuits, after •
which we will. • find their character •
from an "infallible" authority. Father
Lavallette, an agent or factor of the
Society of Jesus, reisresenting that
Society in France,` purchased certain
real estate in the • Windward Istands
and entered . on trade •therewith•.
Two of their vessels were captured by
the . English cruisers, and Lioney
Brothers o Gouffre, merchants, of •
Marseilles, 'who had advanced money
on the seeurity of the goods contained
•in those vessels, in 1761. aued -the
Order in the Parliament of Poria—the.
highest court—for the amount claimed. • •
They were defended by uounsei.
Their counsel pleaded the constitutions. •
of the order in their defence.. The.
Parliament of Paris ordered that their
constitutions be produced in court. -A
commission was appointed to examine
them, and in 1762 brought in a.
voluminous report. On 'this . report
the Society was found to • have acted
illegally, •and .itwas ejected froth
France, This quotation from ' the
decree of the Parliament of Paris
contains the main reason advanced for
this action
" These doctrines (those contained
ire the constitutions of the Society),
the consequences of which would go
to destroy the maw of nations—that
moral standard which God himself'
has imprinted in the heart of roan...-.
and hence break all the "bonds of civil
society, since they authorize theft,
falsehood, perjury, impurity the moat
criminal, and generally all passions as
well asall crimes, by teaching secret
compensations equivocation, mental
reservation, probabilism and philoso-
phical sin; to destroy all feelings of
humanity among men, sines they
favor homicide and parricide, over-
throw the royal society," ete. It
was also 'condemned as "inadmissible
by its nature in any civilized state,
inasmuch as it was subversive of
authority, spiritual and temporal, and
introduced tinder the veil of religion,
not an orribr aspiring to evangelical.
perfection, but rather a political body,
of which the essence consists in per"
potual attempts to obtain, first, abso•
lute independence, and in the end
supreme authority."
Tills is the decision of the Paella..
•