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Tliis opera- tioi^ Was patiently repeated ^ntdl tl^e tv/o l^ki^dred ar^d iTorliy pages Were set. Ohv readers Will he lei7iei^t With hs if they fir^d here and tl^ere a tjjpo- grapl^ical error Wl^ich the ine::J^per- ienced or hurried proof-reader l7as failed to detect. Kspecially Would We hcg their ii^dhlgei^ce for tWo pages wl^icl"^ are sadl[j defective. The Publishers. «k4^^V \ YOUR HERITAGE ; OB NEW ENGLAND THREATENED BY REV. CALVIN E.AMARON, A.M. PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH PROTESTANT COLLEGE, SPRLNGFIELD, MASS. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. FRENCH PROTESTANT COLLEGE 1891 Copyright, 1891. By Calvin E. Amaron. f('!'57I TO MY MOTHER Whose noble life has been spent in scatterinff the light of the Gospel among the French Canadians of Canada, whose strong and saintly character has left its impress on so many lives, and whose memory will ever be sacred to her children, with profound gratitude and affection I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. ■ I- ■ f P U B L I S II E R S' NO T ICE. o-o At the h.,ginnirig ut tliu college year 1890-1)1, the Stu- dents' Missionary Society of the French Protestant College, made arrangements with the president of the institution, for a course of lectures to be given monthly in different churches of the city, on the French Canadian immigratioa problem. Several requests having come from the students and otiiers, that these lectures be published in book form, the society has sought and obtained the consent of the author, to give them to tlie public. President Amaron has consequently enlarged his plan ; he has added many details and introduced various topics whi(!h it was impossible for him to touch in Iiis lectures. The Students' Missionary Society offers this book to the public, assured that it will meet a felt want, in com- municating much valuable information on a problem of absorbing interest, bearing as it does on one of the most vital questions now before the country. 'I ! Ill INTRODUCTION. BY REV. JOSHUA COIT, SECRETARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. The importance of theFreiich-Canadian problem in New England can hardly be overstated. The present num- ber of French Canadians in New England (in Massa- chusetts one twelfth of the whole population) ; their certain increase, both by immigration and by propagation ; the openly declared purposes of those who control the great mass of this people as no other class in our land is con- trolled i—'dW unite to make this problem a present and press- ing one. The French already begin, not only to feel, but also to boast of the strength of their numbers. The Boston Herald of June 25 1891 in its very full report of the "Fete Nationale " held by the French Canadians in Pawtucket R. I. on St. Jean Baptiste's day, June 24, credits an ex- mayor of Pawtucket with saying: " Mr. Thibault, in his address in French, made a remark that I have heard in En- glish many times to-day. " Here are the future rulers of the country." That is because there is no other race more prolific than the French Canadian unless it be the Irish." These are significant words uttered by one, repeated by many and endorsed by a mayor of no mean city. It may seem foolish to pay any heed to what should be looked upon simply as the idle boast of a Fete-day orator. But the same hope or expectation crops out in manv ways vili INTRODUCTION. and in many places. Formerly and until recently the order from the bishops and priests to this people was " Do not become citizens in the sta.tes, but return with your gains to your old homes in Canada". And the order was obeyed and the French were a shifting, restless class among us. But now the word has gone forth : "Become chizens" and this is obeyed. The French are buying farms and homes. Many have become voters already and very many more have taken out the first papers. This means that there is gt-thering among us a large mass of voters more pliant and obedient than ever the Irish were to be controlled by orders from their superiors. Great care is taken by the Romish priests, not only through the parochial schools but also trom their pulpits, to keep these people well in hand. That they succeed so well is to be accounted for not simply by the ignorance of the people, though this is deplorable, but also by their piety, which is admirable. The danger to our land of this state of things among any considerable por- tion of the people is plain and will become plainer as the years go by. What risks are in store for our civil and re- ligious liberties. Wiiat confusion between public and pa- rochial schools. What conflicts at the ballot box. This book assures us that the warfare has already begun and brings before the public an array of facts that should be considered by every lover of his country. Make what abatement you please on account of the enthusiasm of the author, there still remains uncontrovertible evidence of peril. If New England is to maintain its high standing in our land as a home of intelligence, education and religion, she must recognize thie changes that are taking place from year to year and awake to the danger of an imperium in impsrio. Let the French Canadians be truly Americanized and INTRODUCTION. IX freed from subjection to a foreign power and by their in- dustry and frugality they will add strength to our strength. But kept distinct in language and religion, told by those to whom they listen to remain French, they add weakness- There is no better way to Americanize them than by the influence of Christian education. The seven French Pro- testant churches under Congregational auspices in Massa- chusetts, the missions under other denominations, the French Protestant newspaper and the French Protestant College are all in the way to do great service to the State by moulding the characters of those who, if the prophecy of the Pawtucket orator be true, are to be the future rulers of the country. Boston, Mass., June 25tb, 1891. Il I tuM Philosophers tell us that the three great bonds which bind peoples together are community of race, language and religion. The French Cunadians are separated from us by difference of religion, language, and race, and by far the most important of these differences is that of religion. Remove that difference, and they will be speedily American- ized. Manifestly there is an irreconcilable difference between papal prin- ciples and the fundamental principies of our free institutions. Popu- lar government is self-government. A nation is capable of self- government only so far as the individuals who compose it are capable of self-government. — Rev. Josiah Strong, D. D. The facts concerning the enormous immigration of French Catholics from Canada, the attempts to control them here by Jesuit influences, and the access of the gospel to some of them, are astonishing. — Rev. Wolcott Calkins, D. D. oples :ench Liage, lat of rican- prin- :*opu- self- 3able lolics ices, prp:face The closing years of this century are to he a crucial epoch for this great American nation. During this period certain things must he clone. They cannot be deferred. The growth ot the nation or its decadence, will depend largely on what is done or left undone, hy way of solving great and perplexing problems, the magnitude and impor- tance of which, are realized by few. The rapid growth and prosperity of the Amerii-an repub- lic, has engendered an unhealthy optimism. It is thought by thousands who are generally reckoned as cautious and thoughtful, that the luition rests on foundations absolutely immovable. It is imagined that the grand and noble in- stitutions to whicdi the nation owes it.^ past greatness, are proot against all adverse powers. They are so strongly es- tablished that they will stand even when left unprotected. This optimism constitutes a source of danger and weak- ness. It leads men to underestimate the strength of oppo- sing influences and principles. It makes them indilferent to the great changes which are taking place in the nation. They are unwilling to read and thus make themselves ac- quainted with stubborn facts, which if known, would have the tendency of opening the eyes. AVhen others raise tlio Xll PREFACE. voice of warning, basing their fears on facts they know, they are not believed. It is a mistake to think, tliat foundations are all hiid at once, and once for all. Foundations decay, or again they become too weak for the superstructure and must be replac- ed by others stronger and more {ule({uate. Tin's decade is in a sense, a foundation epoch. Time has impaired some of the pillars the Pilgrims and Puritans rightly considered to be indispensable to the stability and real growth of the nation. The public schools have been so secularized, tliat they have the tendency of leaving the children of foreigners, whose imperfect faith they are ins- trumental in destroying, without any faith at all. Their mission is not to teach religion. Again, new wants have developed, unknown to the founders of the country. To meet these, new methods of work are imperatively demanded. Institutions with aims similar to those founded by the fathers, but radically differ- ent iu their methods of Avork, ai" rcfjuired by the new state of things around us. The time to lay tl)e new foundations is to-day. Five years hence, the wisdom of doing now what God asks of us, will be very manifest. It will be the aim of tiie author of this little and unpre- tentious book, to call the attention of unselfish and Christ- ian politicians, of reformers and educationalists, of lovers of God, of humanity and of native land, to the important question ofFrench Canadian immigration in New England and the United States. For reasons which we will endeavor to make clear, it has become the conviction of a good many leading minds in this country, that New England has a somewhat important notto say, serious problem to face, councted as it is, with the PREFACE, xiii Irish and other Roman Cathob'c immigrant populations that are tilling '-,) the land, and the views of which in mat- ters religious, educational and political are in almost every particular oj)posed to the fundamental principles which must necessarily govern a Protestant republic. It is our hope and prayer, that a new impetus may be given to the work of evangelization so auspiciously begun among the French speaking population of this country, the results of which have gladdened many hearts. We are satisfied that a vast field of usefulness is opening before us, that it is already ripe for the harvest, and that as soon as the Christian public has become acquainted with the facts pertaining thereunto, and that wise and judicious as well as practical methods are suggested for lae evangeli- zation and Americanizing of these oppressed and down- trodden multitudes, the help required will not be slow in coming. It is our purpose to furnish some information on this important question, to the many who ask for it and whom we have not been able to satisfy because we had not in a tangible form what was desired. We have tried to gather the most important facts, and we give them to the public in the hope that God's work may be helped thereby. 9 Calvin E. Amaron. French Protestant College, July, 1891. nil 'I f». CONTENTS. ^ PART I. THE IXVADIXG FORCE. CHAPTER I. OUR PURPOSE. A pica for the evangelization of the French Canadians because they have not yet the Gos|)el. A patriotic as well as religious movement. French Canadians not becoming Americanized, but drifting into infidelity. New England called to do for herstlf what she is doing for the West and foreign field, ^ye must not forget the great changes which have taken place. The ship of state is in danger butyet safe if we do our duty •CHAPTER n. OUU ATTrri'UE. We love the French Canadian Roman Catholics and des '.re to give them the Gospel, educate them that they may become prosperous American citizens. Impossibility for them to attain unto this, whilst under ultramon- tane rule. Americanism and Ultramontanism mutual- ly destructive. The Gospel alone can solvethis problem. XVI CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. 60ME OF TFIE ANTECP]I)KNT8 OK THE INVADING FORCE. The descendantH of tho French Canadians are the best of colonists, actuated by tho best of motives. Privileges and advantages enjoyed by the Romish church. Pro- testant England's sad neglect and its results. New England's j)resent opportunity. Why the Americans should warmly espouse this evangeliHti<.' cause. French hell) in time of war. Huguenot influence in America. InHuenco of French Protestant theology on New Eng- land CHAPTER IV. SOME OF THE CHARACTEUISTK'S OF THE INVADINO FORCE. The French Canadians a desirable i)ortion of our foreign poj»ulation. How we should form our estimate of a people. Many uneducated because Rome would not educate them. She must be held reHjJonsible and must not be allowed to do hero what she has done in Canada. French Canadians intelligent, polite, religious. French Canadian literature comjiaratively rich. This popula- tion offers one of tlu; most promising fields for mission- ary work. How the first misoionaries found the people when they began their work. Instances of Romish su- perstition. Gratifying results of missionary efforts. Duty of the American church to car(> foi' the converts driven from Canada to New England by persecution... CHAI'TER V. THE NUMERICAL 8TREN(}TH OF THE INVADING FORCE. Sources of information. United States census and Roman Cuu'uolic clergy. French speaking people 1,000,000 in the United States, about 500,000 in New England and New York. Strengtli in other states. Immigration is destined to ircrease. Errors as to its causes. True reason, the crushing burdens imposed by Rome upon the people. Burdens enumerated. Practical establish- ment of the church of Rome in Quebec, tithes, taxes. People fairly crushed. Wealth of the church enormous. 14 20 u 20 CONTEXTS. xvii StatiHticH given. IU'sultH:(l»'cliii(' of jjofitilation by ex- odus to the United StateH. Canadian Htatesnien admit tiiey are powerlesH in cheokinK it 2H CIIAITKR VI. TIIR PUOnABLE KUTUHK (}U(>WTM OF THE I.NVADIN'C FOHCr:. There ean be no doubt as to the increase of the French in New I*in;;iaiid. 1. I»ecniise tlie state of things which has produced thi.s laru'e iiiuni^ration is more prononn- ce(l tlian ever. 2. Because tlu' Froneh clerj^y no h)nf;'ei' oppose but rathf'r favor the movement, because they hope to realize their dream of national predominance over New Enf;laiid. Tlie French jtarocliial scliools arc crcatinj^ a French ritramontanc colony in New Fn- gland, a forcigTi state within oisr state. .'{. Ilccause tlie French race increases mucli more rajtidly tlian the American Tlie pi'iests exj)h)re this mine. Fxtraordina- ry fijjjures, one family numbej-s seven hundred desccnd- .ants. Premier .Mercier's estimate of the strength of this population in 1H*)1 and liity years hence. D.-oa.- dance of the Yanke(> family. Serioiis consequences unless the French are converted to the (ios|)el and to American modes of thouf^ht. Tlwee alternatives, one of whi(;h must be chosen : Romish rule, infidelity or conversion to evarigelical ti-uth ,'J{) CHAPTFR VII. ITS AIMS AND PUI{P0SP:s FOK THE FFTUUE. French Protestants in full sympathy with American ins- titutions. Someof their persecutions. French Canadian nationality no bar to unification. The obstacles lie in KoTnanism. The pope rules the French KomaniHt. His aim is to jjlease him first, then if he can, the republic. Plan of cleixy : to i)revent the fusion of races, keep the French as the.yare, and in time (;reate a New Franc<^ on American soil. Racial troubles in Canada causcnl f)y the Ronush clergy. They may end in a war. The French settling here. M. Rameau's view. Real estate in the hands of Canadians in New England over %\H,- 000,000. A word of warning 30 xviii CONTENTS. PART II. THE ALLIES AND ENGINES OF WAR OF THIS FORCE. !ii ml CHAPTER I. THE KOMAN CATHOLIC UIKIIAKCHY. We are engaged in a real eonflict. The powers of niedi- aivaliHin are arriiyedagainHt llie Aineriean civilization of the ninetcM'uth century. The French clergy the lead- ing force. Two cla.sseH of pricHtn, the sincere men and those who are not. Both classes are striving to keep tlie French under the power of ecdeHiasticisin. The priests arc the sworn enemies of the assimilation of the races. Their interference with the religious liberty of the p(!ople. Their interest(;d motives (52 CHAPTER II. THE LIHEUAL WING OF THE LAITY. French liberals in losing faith in Romanism, lose all faith. Self-interest becomes the governing i)rinciple of their life. They btKiome Rome's allies because of the ])rofit it brings them. Majority of educated French belong to that class. They need the goodwill of the jnasses and these are under the ])riestH. The liberalizing influences of this country, without the Gosi)el, lead thousands of French Canadians into infidelity. The Gospel alone can save them 70 CHAPTER III. WEAK AND UNINFORMED FIIOTESTANTS. The weakness of our Protestantism constitutes Rome's strength. Uninformed Protestants help Rome to hurt this country. Tht^ character, aims and purposes of French Ultramontaiiisnt are not known in New Eng- land. Hard to convince the Americans of the danger. Let them inform themselves. Rome is building on their good faith. There is too great a fear of Rome on the part of ministers, business and professional men and C0^ TENTS, xix '0 especially fxilitieinns. Tho.v refuse to In-lpto evuiin old ideas. From the pulpit the people are warned against the dangers of assimilation. The priest gets much in- formation about Protestants through the confessional. Unwise Protestants build French Homish churches in- stead of giving these people the (Jospel 90 II. — THE FUEN'CH PAHOCHIAL SCHOOL. Duty of the state to make incpiiries about these. The French hierarchy the sworn enemy of the public school system. They hate these schools because they do not make Romanists but Americans. Purpose of the paro- chial school : to prevent the French from becoming enlightened American citizens. They are a menace to the state. They will bring this country to the san:'* sad state as Canada. They will make rebels of the French. More than time to face this most serious problem 93 XX CONTENTS. in. — THE FIIENCH UOMAN CATHOLIC PRESS. A powerful ugeuey. Large number of French papers. Edited by men who have no faith in Romanism biit yet help it. Having lost all faith th(!y have no principles. They do as Rome bids them do bfjcause iu pays. Many could not live otherwiHo. All criticisniH of the church suppreHsed. American institutious abused and misre- presented. Masses deceived and ill-directed. Protestants reviled especially French Protestants. Extracts. Source of danger among the uneducated masses 98 IV. — THE NATIONAL CONVENTIONS, Romish centralization. French societies formed and gathered into state and general conventions. Sanc- tioned by American officials because they are unaware of the ])urposes of these conventions. Governor of New Hampshire. What are these conventions? Anti-Pro- testant, finti-American gatherings, from which French Protestant Canadians an? excluded. The j)riests the leading spirits. Purj)oses: Establishment of j)arochial schools, i)res(-rvation of language, manners, customs, traditions of (Quebec amongthe French of NewEngland and the cr(^ation of a New France here. These conven- tions are a soiu'ce of danger 103 V. — TMi; NATURALIZATION CLUBS. Opposition of (clergy to naturalization. The French now being hereto stay, the ])riests desire the help of their vote. The naturalization movement now favored. Policychanged. They become voters but not American citizens. Important difference. French naturalization dubs one ol Ronns's strongest engines of war against our American civilization, b(»ge can do much valuable work. Our forces should be economized by a proper division of the mis- sionary field. The field awaits the worker 130 CHAPTER III. OUR METHODS OF WARFARE. — CHURCH WORK. The formation of churches for foreigners is for the time being a necessity. Objections refuted. Brief history of the French Protestant church movement in Massachu- setts. Number of churches. Member.sliip. Sunday schools. Character of these churches ; first French, then bi-ling- ■■W L "™ . «H M 1 xxu CONTENTS. W I! i ual, finally wholly American. Rome's opposition to this. Reason why we approve of this movement. The best way to advance th(; welfare of our nationality. 'Tis wisdom for Americans to help us. Problem of hill- town churches. Partial solution of it 140 CHAPTER IV. OUU METHOnS OF WARFARE. — PTJULICATION" AVORK. Power of the press. The wisdom of using it in this work. Its long- felt need. Foundation of he Senwur Frnnco- Awf'riciuu. Its history. The formation of the French Evanj^elical Publishing Society. Its officers. By whom it is ind()rs(Kj. The work it contemplates. 1. Publica- tion of tracts, ]>amphlets and literature adapted to present needs. 2. The ])ublication of aweekly i)aper, Le Citoyen Frnnco-Ainericain. Its mission : (a) To repres- ent the work of French evangelization, (b) To act as a family i)aper among our converts. ((!) To act as a missionary among those scattered all over the land, (d) To rectify the wrong statements made by the French Catholic press, (e) To reach thousands whom no other agency can reach. Its influence for good can- not be overestimated 156 CHAPTER V. OUR MRTITOns OF WARFARE. — EDUCATIONAL WORK. THE FRENCH PROTESTANT COLLEOE. I. — ITS HISTORY. The first steps taken. Th«> idea of a college not thought of at first. TIh! first efforts meet with opposition b*"- cause of a misconception of the purposes of the found- ers. First year of labor one of trial and difficulties. Obstacles removed. Brighter hopes and assurance of ultimate success. Removal to Springfi(>ld,Mass 109 II. — ITS CHIEF AIMS. To give a course of education that will fit the French Canadian poj)ulation for citizenship. The character of this education. 1. It must be Christian and especially CONTEXTS. XXUI 40 iG ')9 so, for the population wo deal with. Early training de- ficient. Konie haH left the younjj^nien without any faith. The college must give them moral and religiouH cul- ture. Much must be undone before the work of build- ing can begin. 2. To supplement the vork done by the mission churches. Pastors need help. Converts must be taught before they can teacii. The home training is inadequate. The College has new foundations to lay. 3. To prepare young men for Christian service, as lay- workers, evangelists, missionaries and teachers. The broad field the college has before it 180 III. ITS PLAN OF WORK. The domestic arrangements ; what work is recjuired of the students. Benefits derived. Course of studies and Fa- culty. Languages taught. Religious life and the pUice the Bible occupies; how it is taught. Daily worship and how conducted. Church attendance. Chapel service and students' missionary society and work 190 IV ITS PUESK.VT STATUS. Ah an institution of learning. Its board of management. Its location. Its buihlings anil grounds. The i»ublic consideration accorded it. Its sources of revenue 198 v. — ITS BUOADKR AIMS. To offer young women the same advantages as young men enjoy. A regular college course. Course of instruc- tion in house-keeping, including sewing and cooking. Pre{>aration of a body of edueated, cultured and refin- ed French Canadian young women for the home and for the church VI. — ITS iM£i:ssiN(i nf:i:ds. New buildings are required and an endowment fund. Ad- 201 ditions to the teaching staff in the preparatory and college departments. A scholarship fund re([uired to aid needy students. The i)rospects for a strong and powerful institution are encouraging ssBsasm mm iu u PART I. THE IXVADIXG I'OECE. II i \ K>SSil y CHAPTER I. OUR rUUPOSE. The American nation has the reputation of bein;; pre- eminently practieal. Whilst ready to jrive fronerous hi'lp, it is cautious and docs not commit itself blindly to tiew schemes, the necessity and practicability of which are not made clear. This book is, from bcginnin;^ to g^id, a plea for the evan- gelization of the French speaking populations of this coun- try. Believing as we do, that the relations between the French of the United States and those of Canada will, from year to year, become closer and closer, it is our conviction, that this great religious movement on this side the lines, will exert a very great reflex influence upon the Dominion of Canada, and help mightily in freeing it from the weight of ecclesiastical tyranny, unsurpassed in any part of the world, and which is paralysing the whole nation, both Pro- testant and Roman Catholic. We may therefore say, that our plea is on behalf of the French speaking people of America. In order to convince those whom we hope to reach, of ;ii!i!ll 2 Your Jleritayc. the righteousness of the cause we advocate, it may not be amiss at the outset, to call attention to some of the claims of the French to the sympathy, affection and gratitude of the people of the United States. This we will do later on. We will have to urge very strong reasons for affirming that the vast majority are not evangelized, since in so do- ing, we ai'c impeaching the church of Komc, which for some throe centuries, has had absolute control over this people in matters leligious and educational. AVlien we ask to-dav, tluit they be evan^'elized thronuh the efforts of English (speaking Protestants, we do uidiesitatingly say, that they know not the truth such as taught by the Gos{)el of Jesjis Christ, and thai to their ignorance of tliis Gospel of salvation and to no other cause, must be traced the ge- neral state of ba( kwai'dness and ignorance of the i)eople, taken as a whole. We will have to make clear another important fact, namely that tlie Amif ican nation cannot afford to afT'ect indifierence toward this problem, neither the Christian nor he who makes no profession of religion. The French Koman Catholics of Canada ami New Eng- land, and Caiuidians and American Protestants of these two countries, are in one and tlie same ship. To say, we do not care whether these French Canadians are sunk to tiie bottom, under the burden of ecclesiastical tyranny or not, is to say we are indifferent to our own fate. As we shall show later on, the French are here in largo numbers and are increasing at a fabulous I'ate and will soon have outnumbered you. They are a foreign state within your state. One vote of theirs is just as powerful as one of yours, and when they have five votes to your one, they will be five times as strong as you. } f V Our Purpose. 8 The question is : Are they becoming Americans ? This meau.s, are they imbibing the spirit of your Protestant re- publican institutions, or are they remaining monarchical and priest-ridden ? Are they creating a New France in your midst ? It will be our purpose to show that as things are now de- velo})ing, the French are not being, to any extent, affected by American institutions. They keep aloof from them, they are educated on other lines and are not being prepared for American citizenship. Having, for long years, lived in Canada, a Protestant country with a Protestant majority to be sure, but a majority which Komanism has brought down to an abject and humiliating subserviency, we can without fear of going far astray, predict v/hat shall be the condition of New England fifteen years hence, unless the French and Irish are taken out of the old ruts, emancipated from the yoke of clericalism and made free citizens. It is a mistake to think that the public schools will do it all, that the liberalizing inlluences which surround these foreigners, will alone and unaided, effect the desired change. These influences will certainly remove them in a very large measure from the old do^^matism that has held them so long but instead of making of them good, law-abiding citizens, will rather convert them into rank infidels, into French Re- volution men. The only power that will save them is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which they know not. We must evangelize them. In this alone lies their happiness and prosperity, and the safety of the nation. We will then speak of the best means to be employed to attain this most desirable object. These are of a practical nature, do not call for very large sums of money, have given in the past encouraging results, for the amount spent, 4 Your Heritage. and if iMiule to a reasonable degree what they should be, will help mightily this nation in its onward course. It is right that the great West be well provided with edu- cational institutions and Gospel privileges. The church and country have already reaped a blessed harvest of good from the policy of the past. No one possessing a mission- ary spirit would think of criticising the policy adopted in the i)ast, whereby emphasis has been laid on the needs of the West and on the duty of the New England churches to- Avard the work of Western evangelization. But may it not be asked very seriously, whether the time has not fully come for the East to consider carefully its changed and chanj^ing condition, and both for its own sake ahd i'or the sake of all those missionary enterprises so dear to the hearts of God's people, to eiuiuire most earnestly, what measures shall be taken to keep New England Pro- testant and American, that she may be in days to come a power fur self preservation, and that centre of Christian and elevating influences she has been in days gone by ? When dealing with these problems, a gi-eat many seem to f(jrget, that the New England of to-day, unto which the herculean task of the assimilation of these vast multitudes of foreigners is committed, is not the New England of days gone bv. It no longer exists save in the memory of the few gray-haired men and women who remain. The popu- lations which threaten the institutions Avhich iiave been the life of the nation, were not here a few decades ago. Now they are as numerous as the Protestant American popula- tion, and join in pulling the ship of state towardthe rapids. On the other hand the founders of these world-renowned states are gone and it must be huml)ly admitted that many of their virtues — integrity, manliness, devotedness to prin- ciples — have been buried with their bones. Thousands of Our Pnrposi'. 5 theii' children have died, leiiviiig no sons and danj,diters to repUice them. Tliousands have deserted tlie oM liome.s to go Soutli or West and their phices have been tilled by those with ditlerent aims and purposes, holding religious views which make them natural Iocs of Americanism, since the latter and Komaiiism rest on principles mutually destruct- ive. It follows then that the Christian patiiots of to-day, can- not command the strong force tlu'ir fathers had at their disposal, have not the same sturdy s(jldiers, while they are confronted by a vast, well organized, powerful and united army, of which the New England of a few years ago, knew comparatively nothing. Can we overcome these opposing forces ? "Will the ship of state ride thiough these surging waves without being wrecked ? We think not, unless there be an awakening on the part of both clergy and laity. A child can slay a giant if the latter allow it. So this strong nation will i'all if it continue to underestimate the strength of the disintegrating forces that are at work. If however, we are ready, as wise men, to readjust our methods of work, and not carry conservatism to undue lim- its, but adapt ourselves lo the needs of our age ; if above all, we will remember what Protestantism means, allow God to baptize us anew with his Spirit and that of the Re- fornuition, which is his, and consecpiently wrought such wonders ; if we will understand that there is such a thin"- as truth, that it ditlers from error, and that the latter must be eradicated from, and the former implanted in the heart of "all the citizens of this nation, then and then only will this nation prosper. 1 ■'t :i ill 1 CHAPTER II. OUlt ATTITUDE. It should be nlto;rether unnecessary tor a Protestant writer, at the close of the nineteenth century, writing under the shadow of the banner of a great Protestant nation, to explain his attitude toward Ultramontane Romanism and those who are held under its tyrannical sway. To have to do so, disturbs in a measure my Walden- sian blood, and must disturb the peaceful silence of the ashes of the Puritans and Pilgrims, those noble fathers who suffered so much in the defense of those principles of evangelical truth, of Christian freedom and independence which are to-day so utterly distorted, that they are in the hands of an unscrupulous, politico-religious organization, used as Aveapons, to bring this nation into bondage. How- ever paradoxical the statement may seem to be, it is none the less true, American liberties are turned into weapons of slavery by Romardsm. Our purpose is, in a luiinble way, to help a great and good cause, and it is with that end in view that Ave make ourselves " all things to all men." fil 8 Your Hcritafjc. "We wisli to free the three milhons of French Cana- dians in the United States and Canada, from the burdens of Ukramonianism, because we Ujvo their souls and desire their salvation ; because we desire them to attain unto that position among tlie nations of the world, which they would have reached had they been under Protestant influences ; and finally because sve are interested, as lovers of human- ity, in the steady progress of both the British Empire of Avhich we were once a citizen and the American Republic, to the Constitution of Avhich we have now sworn allegiance. We are once again in Ixefbrmation days. The necessity of such a movemcTt was perhaps never more felt since the days of Luther and Calvin than at the present hour. It is all the more needed because of the fact that so many do not recognize its necessity. It it were necessary to convince men that the French ag- gressive leaders in this reformatory movement arc actuated by disinterested, unselfish, })atriotic and Christian motives, it niiglit be said that they have undertaken a herculean task, beset with great and manifold obstacles, offering iiuid- equate financial suj)port. They are com{)elled to bear the insults of their country- men, their taunts and ridicule, not to speak of the scandal- ous accusations constantly thrown into their faces. Their motives arc aspersed, their patriotism is called into question and in every shape and fashion they are trodden down by their countrymen. Is it not because the love of God and the flame of sacred patriotism burn in their hearts, that they oppose a bold front to Romanism both as a svstem of religion and politics? The cliarge of uncharitableness and illiberality made against those who, on bended knee, have given themselves Our Attitude. to God, that lie may use them for the overthrow of that gigantic system of error aud delusion, is short-sighted and ill-advised. We write, fully conscious of the responsibility of the statements we make. AVe ask men and women who differ from us, who opjtose, rather than help the movement to which oiU" whole heart is committed, to inform themselves. Have you lived all your life in a Roman Catholic coun- try? Have you made yourselves acquainted both from books and from the lips of adepts of that system, with Romish theology and principles? Have you taken the troulde to ascertain the ditference wliich exists between Romish dognuis as expressed by wily theologians and the practical application of these anti-scriptural dogmas? Have vou seen the baneful results of such teachings amonjf the masses? Have you seen the thirsty soul, dying for the "water of life," and in vain going for it, to those broken cisterns which contain no water? Have vcu seen on the other hand, the utter indifference, irroligion and godlessness to which Romanism leads three-fourths of its adepts ? If you liave, we charge you with uncharitableness, with a misconception of your duty, either as Christian ministers or as Christian laymen, we charge //oh with a want of love for dying souls, because you do nothing to save them ami put obstacles in the way of those who do. If you are ujuictpuiinted \\ ith the facts we mention and by which our hearts luive so often been saddened, study them. Take care lest God should some day accuse you of being part^ikers in other men's sins, because you did not try to prevent them And especially do not oppose a movement, every eidightened Christian is bound to help, lest you be found fighting against God. i ' 10 Your Heritage. If wc are asked farther, why we put ourselves in con- flict with Romanism, we answer : Because we are Protest- ant American Christian citizens ; because the nation has a right to continue to exist and its citizens have a right to perpetuate the great rcpuhlican and Christian principles w^hich have in the past made the nation strong, and with- out which she must fall ; because we have a right to ask that the pure republican air which has filled the lungs of the nation for a century, and which we find cxhilirating, be left pure, uncontaminatcd by the foul air of Jesuitical equivocation and dishonesty, of monarchism and absolut- ism, which destroys all individuality and manhood and kills a Christian republic. It does not at all matter whether the air we breathe poison every one of the eight millions of Romanists in this country or not. They need not come here, they are perfectly free to return to Ireland, Italy, Spain and Quebec. There, the atmosphere is saturated with ultramontanism. If that be healthy to morality, re- ligion, pure politics, true education and commercial prosper- ity, why did they leave it? If it was debilitatihg there, if it produced stagnation and death, it will do the same here. You must not, and you shall not poison the life of this nation. Moreover, we know that if this nation puts a stop at once to the secularizing process begun to please Rome, if it will keep its atmosphere, not only republican, but Christian, — by keeping its public scliools Christian, — the only safeguard of a republic, without which it is sure to become subject to the worst des[)otism, blind and godless anarchism, — not a single Romanist Avill be poisoned, all will thrive and j)ros- per and thank God for the overthrow of sacerdotalism, ec- clesiasticism, and grinding absolutism. It has often been a wonder to me, that luen of intelli- Our Attitude. 11 gence, of thought, possessing logical acumen, should be so slow in grasping the situation. The exercise of a little ordinary coii.mon sense would convince every Pro:estant American citizen that he cannot consistently with his duty as a Christian man and citizen, be anything but an active opponent of Romanism. Here are two systems face to face. Each has a history, with which all can become acquainted. Each is gov- erned by principles which it cannot abandon without for- feiting its own existence. There is no occasion to state here what are the distinctive principles of Protestantism. They are fully known. On these, this great Protestant republic rests ; to tliem it oAves its birth, its rise, its steady march, its wonderful growth and prosperity. "Without these it cannot stand. As well might Bunker Hill monument attempt to resist the winds and storms, without its broad and solid foundation, as this republic without the Protestant Christian liberties it has en* joyed in the past. Now here comes a groat, powerful, thoroughly organized corporation, possessing a religious and political character. It also rests on certain great principles, unfortunately for the good of this nation, unknown by the American people. The church of Rome cannot give up its principles without committing suicide, any more than Protestantism can. It has not been doing it even on American soil. It does not intend to do so. It would stultify itself by so doing, it would compromise the dogma of papal infallibility, now the key-stone to the Avholc structure. In matters of religion it preaches out and out intolerance. There is but one religion, the Roman Catholic, none other is recognized bv God. Tliore is no salvation in the "sects." It is the duty of the "true churcii" to destroy all 12 Your Hentagc. heresies, and all means are lawful, persecutions, imprison- ment, the rack, the gibbet. To give but one quotation out of the volumes that could be given. Archbishop Kendrick says: "When t!ie Catholics shall here be in possession of a considerable majority, which will certainly be the case by and by — then religious liberty will have come to an end in the United States. Our enemies say this, and "^ve be- lieve with them." In matters political and educational the church of Rome and the republic are at opposite extremes. Rome does not believe in republics, save inasmuch as it can use the lib- erties they offer, for its own purposes. It is for that rea- son that while Italy and France have become intolerable to the hierarchy, the United States republic is the paradise of the clergy to-day. The whole tendency of Rome's teaching is monarchical. The state is to be under the chirch. The head of the church, the Pope, has power over all sovereigns. "If the laws of the state are in oper contradiction with Divine law (that means only what Rome calls divine law) if they command anything prejudicial to the church .... it is a duty to resist them and a sin to obey them." So says the Pope in his last encyclical letter given in January, 18D0. All Romanists are bound to obey this infallible decree. Now the laws of the state and of Romanism are in al- most everything oj)poscd to one another. What this Pro- testant nation cherishes almost as much as life, is hated by Rome with a bitter hatred, for the simple but necessary reason that it-destroys her. Freedom of speech for all — not the priests only but the laity, — liberty of the press, freedom of worship, a free system of education for all the children of the land, non-sectarian but truly Christian, a clean separation between church and state, these we prize ; Our Attitude. 13 they are strength, growth and life to us. Rome must op- pose them, she cannot do otherwise, for to her they are weakness, decay and death. Tliere is no conciliation possible. It has been tried again and again. The forerunners of the Reformation tried it, Luther tried it, other reformers tried it. They failed and our Avould-be, better-informed, more lil)oral, more enlight- ened and refined thinkers, will e(iually fail. They have God's Word against them which Rome dis- regards. They have the history of centuries and the brief- est history of tiie nation against them. Tliey have elemen- tary logic opposing them at every ste}). The warfare into which we are forced by the Voice of God and of conscience is called for. We enter into it bc- .'ausc souls that j;roai> under it should be set free. We Aould not bear these fetters a single hour, and will we be satisfied to have the:n remain about the hands and feet of )ur brethren? Will we help to strengthen them and make them heavier? God forbid. We enter into this moral battle because Ave wish to be consistent Protestant citizens, loval to truth, loyal to God and to country. by a P" T CHAPTER III. ,1 i SOME OF ITS AXTIX'EDEXTS. Th«! limiis of tliis book do not admit of even the briefest sketci' ol the h:Uory of the French Canadian people, how- ever interesting ii :\v.y be. It will suffice to aay that there are several reasons which might well lead the Christians of the United States to take a very deep and lively interest in them and in their deliver- ance from the intellectual and moral bondage in which the majority has been held for three centuries. The people we are now called upon to evangelize are the descendants of natives of France who had nuule of Canada, then known as "La Nouvelle France," their home, be- tween its discovery by Jacques Cartier in 1535 and the capture of Quebec by England in 1751). In Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick are still to be found, several settlements of French, preserving the lan- guage, manners and religion of their forefathers. When the first attempt was made to give to the Frencii Canadians the simple teachings of Christ as taught in the Bible, these colonists, located on the rich lands lying along Some of its Antecedents. 1') the banks of the St. Lawrence and its iiia<^iiilicent tribii- laries, did not number much more than iialt' a million of souls; now about a quarter of a century later, they have increased to nearly three millions if you iuchide those who have immigrated to the United States. That part of Canada where they were chietly located, was still under the old feudal tenure, at least coeval with the 17th century in France and pretty nearly the same as the old Norman system in P^ngland which was al)olislied about the time of Charles II. — [Canada Com. Keport. New France was particularly fortunate in the kind of settlers who made of it their home, at the very beginning of the colony. IJy no means were tiii-y all of the kind gen- erally found in new countries. Among them were several men of rank and learning who had made of New France elter and grander op- portunity, by the bestowal of intellectual and nu.ral care, to build up a strong, thrifty, prosperous nation? Some say : "Komanism is right enough, it is not the best system for a ])eople but it has many great excellencies." In the case befoi-e us, the Komish hierarchy had ample pro- vision to establish her system, her priests were considered demigods by the j)eople ; they had a clear field before the English conquest and not oidy the fullest toleration since, but also received many favors from the liritish and Canadian govcrimients. Nothing then stood in the way to prevent the church from doing her work. If she had been what she claims tor herself, the only true and living chu"ch of Christ, the mistress of nations, the source of intellectual and moral power, the salt and light of the earth, she should I llic lun Lnt liat of Imil luld Some of its An(tctdvnts. 17 li.'ivi' luiide of tills FiviK'li coloiiv one of the lirsl nalioiis in North Aiuericu, in c(»niinerc'iiil, intellectual and moral greatness. But what (lid the Trotestant Christian ehurch of Europe find out after three centuries of culpable neglect ? Was it discovered that this much-vaunted system of religious and secular education had eidightened the mind, had raised the people above the prejudices and superstitions pticuliar to ig- norance? Was it found that the heart had been made lib- eral and generous, that this IJonuin Catholic colony was foremost in relieving luunan sutfering and in benevolent en- terprises ? Did the Christian Church iind a people resembling the Protestant colony of New England, founded about one hinidrcd years later, well educated, thrifty, prosperous? The answer is too well known to be repeated. Scarcely a trace of education could be Ibund among the peasantry, out of every jury summoned oiu^-half could not read, and when a parish had occasion to send a petition, ninety jjcr cent of the names were accom{)anied by a mark. This led an English olficer to state in his re})ortto the homo government that "the French Canadians were good marks- men !" In commercial and industrial affairs the same sad state of things prevailed. There was a total lack of enterprise among the people. As for religion it was not at all what Protestants imagined, the reverent worship of God ; it was nothing but a round of empty and meaningless forms ac- companied by the deepest and most degrading superstitions and bigotry. Notwithstanding her great privileges and her wonderful pretensions — which arc the same to-day — Home had failed completely, to raise this colony and give it a name among the nations of the world. It was when Enj^lish Protestants realized to what state if 18 Yuur IIfnh(ack\varilncss, one of the most promising colonies of the liritish empire had been brought, that they began to ask themselves seriously the question ; "Have we done our duty toward these poor victims of crn^r since they have become Knglish subjects? They come from the same stock as the Huguenots, that noble and strong race, that has em-iched all the luition*' of tlie earth, that wisely opened their arms to them, when driven from France by K(jmish fanaticism. Why have they been at a stand-still, intellectually and morally, dur- ing these three centuries? There couhl be but one reason. The (iospel of Christ has been kept from them ; they have known nothing of its saving and elevating influences. The French Cauiidians, who rojoice in tlie (rosj)i'l, and who are prosperous under its bjnign rule, as they look back over the pages of their country's unfortunate history, ex- claim with a sad heart : "•' Wliy, O (Jod of nations, did not Protestant England sec this sooner?" And as we say tiiis, we ask most earnestly, tliat the Christian people of New England, may not repeat the mis- take made by Old England. You have in your midst a colony of French Canadians almost as large as "Ireat Britain had one hundred years ago. It stands in need of the Gospel to-day, just as nuich as it then did. It will gladly receive it if you will only offer it. Let not the op- portunity slip by, both for the sake of this down-trodden, priest-ridden people, and for your own. It may not be amiss to recall the fact that on more than one occasion the French have given signal help to the United States in times of war. In three notable instances, recorded by historians, French arms secured or greatly AS it the mi>- litl^l a h-eat bed of Lt Avill \\ii op- Dddeii, Some of its Antcccdtiifs. 19 helped in securing,' tlio victory fur American troops over the forces of the enemy. Neither can Americans forgot what the Huguenot refugees have done tor the nation. They f(jught nobly and bravely for truth and conscience' sake in their own be- loved land ; they reddened with their blood the streets of many a town and city, especially unfortunate Paris. It was only when Louis XIV by his foolish, impcjlitic, a.- well as cruel and inifjuitous revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 108;"), drove away some 400, 000 of these his most devoted subjects, that they became exiles, to those countries that wisely received them and which they enriched with their learning, skill and sterling integrity and piety. Many thousands came to this country. Everywhere French names are found, sometimes intact, but oftcner Anglicized. Wherever the Huguenot is found a wholesome influence prevails. And finally, can Christian New England forget what it owes to the theology of one of the greatest men who ever lived, flohn Calvin ? His system no doubt has undergone modilications, but who will deny that its great features have been the backbone of the theology that has made New England? Possibly a return to some of these cardinal principles would do more good than harm. Enougli has been said by way of showing that the an- tecedents of the French Canadians are such as to warrant us in saying that they have a claim upon the attention of the Christians of this nation. ■e than I to the tances, [greatly i r * M > CIIATTKR IV. 30mt: of its ciiauacteristics. It is i^oncrally athuittod that the French Canadians form a desirable portion dT tlie immigrant population of the United States. Notwithstanding the long night of Romish su' ition which has brooded over the iiatioTi, many of the . is of the noble ancestors from whom they come, still remains. Seinuor Blair, in one of his speeches before the Senate, spoke in a highly eulogistic manner of the immigrants who came to us from across the lines. In judging of a nation, both of its actual status and of its possibilities, several things must be taken into considera- tion. The general public forms its conclusions from a very limited number of inductions, and these conclusions are consequently worthless. The actual status' of a given communitv can?iot be taken as giving a fair estimate of the whole nation. The educa- tional advantages of that locality may have been sadly de- ficient, and other causes may have combined to keep this portion of the nation behind the rest. It would be man- US n'ii- jery are [ken lica- de- Itliis lian- Souic of its Clianicterldics. SI itl'stly unfair tu take the ''poor wliitos" of tlii.s country as a lair sample of the American peoj)le. If I am not ^'reatly mistaken tliis method of judging lias prevailed here in the past, in reference to the Frencli Canadians, and hecausi; of this, a wrong estimate has been formed of the possihilities of this population. The lirst immigrants who came IVom (^uel)cc, did not re- flect very great credit upon the French Canadian nationality. As nuich can be said of thousands who f(dli)\ved them. They were ignorant, superstitious and behind the age in every respect. But why it may be asked ? Because of want of inttdlect ? By no means. Because the i)oliti<'o-religious organization under the control of which they had been, has refused them the opportunities to become educated. It has systematically crushed their intelligence and conscience. Where is the love where is the charity in those who desire that state of things to ( uutinue in (^luibec, and who are inditferent to the fact that it is being fast established among the people here? "We do not think this is the love and lib- erality which Jesus Christ taught. If then we would answer iiUelliL'entlv and fairlv the fiues- tion, concerning the true character of the French Canadians, we must incjuire as t(j the results obtained by proper methods of education, both secular and religious. A prominent banker in Lowell more than once told me as if in despair: ''It is absolutely inij)ossible to do any- thing with a French Canadian." Tiie editor of one of the leading Spriiigfield papers, also said to me : "I had rather discuss and reason with a post than with a French Cana- dian." In all likeliliood this gentleman had not spoken twice with an educated, enlightened French Canadian. 1 have no sympathy, no patience in fact, with this nar- row, circumscribed and inadequate view of the matter. I m ti -V III P 22 Your Heritage. presume, 1 too, would rather reason with a post tlian with an ignorant and uncultured Yankee, and I think a half dozen or so of such could easily be found throughout the length and breath of this educated land ! God has not given to the Anglo-Saxon race the monopoly of intelligence. What the English-speaking race has more to be thankful for than boastful of is, that God has given it a greater share of Gospel blessings and privileges than to the Latin racee. Let it not be forgotten by this nation that it is in this that the strength has resided. It will be readily granted that Protestantism has developed mind as well as heart to a much greater extent than Romanism. This, in fact constitutes one of the strongest reasons why we should check the growth of Romanism in this republic. It will ruin the nation in every respect. We have said all this in order to help to remove a pre- judice which exists in the minds of many Americans, and which leads them to imagine that this large foreign Held, brought by God to their very doors, is unfit for intellectual, moral and religious culture. The French Canadian is naturally intelligent, bright and what the French call spiritud or witty. He is of a most genial disposition, he is polite and gcntlemaidy in his man- ners. Take a ride through a farming district and you will find that every man and boy you meet, will ])olitely touch his hat to you as he passes. If you enter a house how- ever humble or poor it may be, a ciiair is offered you, and if you are polite enough to remove your hat, it will be taken from you and safely laid by. The moment you rise to go, you are told : ''Fumez, fumez." The literal transla- tion is : "Smoke, smoke." The idea probably is : "Don't be in a hurry to put your pipe out. Stay, we are glad of your company." 3 ■• Some of its Characteristics. 23 The social instinct is strongly i-10: '*T( -day I vi.-itcd a person to whom wi' had Kiit a liible. it. 2(! Your Heritage. Fil'ty persons assenible(u * * * | endeavored to ad- dress tliem seriously on the danger in wliieli they were if they died unconverted. It was ot' no avail ; but what as- tonished me most was that they kept always lookinji at my feet. Finally a woman said that their priest had told them that in the latter days false prophets would come and that we were such ; that wo were malignant s])irits escaped from the bottom of hell and come to destroy their souls. * But my dear hearers,' said he, 'would you know them, then, when they visit you, ask them to uncover their left foot, and they will be found to be cloven like those of a cow or sheep. Those, however, who have not their feet cloven, are good people and you can listen to them.' After this reply, 1 took oil' my shoe and stocking, but oh I my dear brethren, it is im{)ossi)jle to describe what passed in my heart, on viewing these poor people crowding round me to look at my foot. 1 immediately saw a great change on their countenance. Their fear, their prejudices, disap- peared, and I had the joy of announcing to them the (Jos- pel. They listened with much attention, and I took ad- vantage of the priest's falsehood respecting the cloven foot, to show them that all t!ie (Hher things he said against us were alike false." It is admitted that the work ol' the Grande Ligne Mis- sion, that of the French Canadian Missionary Society, of the Sabrevois ^Mission, and these few last years that of the the Board of I rench Evangelization of the Presbyterian Church of Canada and of the Methodist Church, has made a decided chanire in the country and coinpelled the liomish clergy to give education to the people. There cannot be less than loO French preaching stations, with between OOUO and 7000 members and double that number of adherents. At a rough guess ii Some of its Cliaracteristlcs. 27 I should say there are over 200 missionaries at work. A great many of tlie converts have been driven to the United States by persecution and it is our duty to care for them, give them the means of firace in the only tongue they can understand, else they will fall into carelessness and ir- religion. The prospects of success here are far greater than in Canada because there is more liberty and the con- verts find it easier to obtain a livelihood. Remove the French Canadian from the blighting influ- ences by which Rome has surrounded him for more than three centuries, let him have the advantage of a good lib- eral education, give him the Gospel of Christ in its sim- plicity and purity, and ore long you will see the Huguenot traits reappear in him, you will soon have an American Christian citizen, ready to uphold your institutions, not necessarily because they are American, but because they rest on great principles which he approves. He will thus become a prosperous man, and a source of strength to the country of his adoption. CHAPTER V. ITS NLMKUICAL STHENGTII. It is not very easy to obtain accurate statistics of the French Canadian popuhition of the United States. They are furnished from two sources : tlic United States census and the census of the Roman clergy iheniselves. The discrepancies between the two are very wide. While the INIassachusetts census for 188") gives only 04,503, three years later the total number reported by French agents was 120,000. We do not hesitate to say that the latter source of inform- ation is more reliable than the former. The French do not understand the American census taker, and thus fails to furnish him with accurate figures. Or again, many illite- rate peo[)le are afraid of him ; they imagine the names are being taken for some hidden purpose. It may be for the army i'ov what they know. Thus they suppress facts and the information obtained is anything but accurate and com- plete. When, however, French agents are sent by the priests or when the priests themselves go in quest of the same inform- Its Numerical Strength. 29 ation, tliey readily obtain it, because they are not suspect- ed of occult and nefj.rious i)ur[)oses. It may also be said tluit in almost all the states of the Union, the French Canadians luive been iiimped in as Brit- ish immigrants. It is oidy of late that the attention of the country has been turned to this larj^e and rapidly increas- ing immigration from Roman Catholic Canada. We therefore give here the latest statistics furnished by French Catholic authorities and are satisfied that they are tolerably accurate. The FVench speaking population of the United States is jnit down at 1,500,000. Ab(,ut 500,000 of these are Eu- ropean French, Swiss and Belgians, and the remaining million, are from Canada. In l^!8'■> " Lc Guide Fran^'ais de la Nouvelle Angleterre" published in Lowell, JNIass., divided the French Caiuidians as follows: INIassachusetts 145,078; jNIaine, 51,488; New- Hampshire 38,414 ; KhoJo Island32,874 ; Vermont 31,814 ; Connecticut 24, -J-'U. This would give a total of 323,002 for the New England states. UEtciifhtrd, published a letter from Vermont, in which the number 320,000 is given as being moi'e accurate. The whole Koman Catholic population is said to number 1)56,000. The French would thus constitute more than a third of the Roman Catholics of New England. They have an abso- lute majority in the dioceses of Burlington, Po'-tland and IManchester. The year these figures were gathered, in the New Hampshire legislature there were no less than six French Canadian representatives. In the state ot New York there are 87,940 of this nation- ality. This brings the French Canadian population of New England and New York to 413,942. In the West they are found in large numbers. The state : I III ft 30 Your Heritafje. of Illinois is said to have 100,000 ; Michigan 45,000 ; Minne- sota 45,000 ; Dakota, California and ^Montana 25,000 each. In Wisconsin, Indiana and other states r),000 could be found. These figures, which are not overestimated, will give an idea of the problem we are dealing with. But there are other most important facts to l)e weighed at this point, because of their importance. The idea has j)revaik'd in the past, that this tide of im- migration had about reached its height and that many thousands of Canadians were in fact returning to their na- tive homes. We will touch the latter point later on, while speaking of the aims and purposes of the French. Figures prove beyond the shadow of a doubt, that for the last iifteen vears there has been a constant increase, both by inunigration and by propagation. There is every reason to think that the future will not be different. The same causes will produce the same results. What has been the great cause of this large influx of Ca- nadians ? A great many j)eoplc in this country attribute it to the untavorable natural conditions of the country, to its res- tricted territorial limits, to the barrenness of its soil, to the rigor of its climate, and other causes ot the saiuc category. They think of Canada in the same way as Voltaire once did when he declared it was not worth while for France to be fighting over a few acres of snow. No greater mistake could be made. Canada is one of the finest countries on this continent. Territorially it is larger than the United States. It has a vast area of rich and productive soil. Ontario and the North-West abound in the finest of wheat farms and other productive lands. Its Numerical Strength. 'M The great rivers of Caiuulu are too well known lo be mentioned, and their numberless tributaries are only a little less magnilicont, oti'ering water-power&' unequalled any- where. The forests have no doubt been stripped of much mar- ketable wood. Still they are yet rich in pine and other va- luable timber. Ivicii and abundant mines are being dis- covered everywhere. The climate is by no means as objectionable as is suppo- sed. In the West it is as mild as here, and the clear, sharp, but dry cold air of (Quebec is fir more healthy than the damp and catarrhal air ol New Kngland. Nothing is want- ing to make Canada a great country, so far as natural re- sources go. It is not here that we must look for the cause of the won- derful exodus of French Canadians to New England. Are we asked wherein it lies? We answer unhesitatingly : In the most extraordinary exactions of the Church of Rome. If 1,000,000 of these peo{)le have left the country they love very dearly, it is because they are simi)ly crushed by what has been called ai)tly, the "ecclesiastical machine." To use the words of Principal MacVicar of the Presbyterian Col- lege, Montreal, it is because the Province of Quebec is under the entire control of a "strong, enormously wealthy, well-endowed, tithe-collecting, taxes-leying, Bible- burning and confessedly intolerant corporation, to which time-serving politicians bow the knee." In Quebec the Church is distinctly established by law. If the British goverimient had better understood the power ot Jesuitism to enslave a Protestant colony, it would have been a little more careful in the drafting of the Articles of Capitulation at the time of the conquest of Canada in 175'J. It must be said however, that the treaty did not effect any 32 'onr lent a •I ' legal estahli.shineut of tlie flmrcli. The article bearing osi this point rearls thus : *' The Catholic itihabitaiits of Caii- ada are granted the (vii^ exercise of the Uoniisii religion, the ol)ligation of paying tithes to the priest to depend upon the King's pleasure." Neither did the Treaty of Peace of July 10, 17G.'> es- tablish the church. It simply stipulated that ""His Brit- tanic Majesty would give the uiostert'ectual orders that his new Catholic sub diip of their rel jir religion /atholic sui)jects might protess the worslnp o according to the rights of the Romish church as far as tiie laws (jf Great Eritain permit." All this was but fair. But Rduie is cunning and far- seeing. She is always sure ti) secure legislation of the kind that will be useful to her when the public mind is tixed on other matters. It was in this way that she obtained the Imperial Act of 1774 which tixed unmistakably the legal status of the church in (Quebec. The clergy were fully em- powered to collect tithes and to levy taxes for church })ur- poses as they may deem necessary, without the voice of the people. It is thought that the chiu'ch has exceeded her rights in the directioji of tithes and taxes. That the Act ot 177-i only contemplated the parishes and seignories that then ex- isted. But she ha-! been forming new parishes. The Protestant element has been driven away from many parts of the country, by means we have not time to give here in detail. Protestant farms have been bought by people who had always been considered penniless — probably bought by clerical money and mortgaged to the church — and these Protestant districts have become Roman Catholic parishes. New Glasgow has become Ste. Sophie La Come and so forth. Then the new parish has become subject to the tilheing and taxing system, contrary as it is thought, to the 1 ' Its Numti'iad Strtmjth. 38 JmpL'riul A(;t. 11" it hi; aski'd why tlie Provincial jjjoverii- muiit does not sU)[) these alnises, wliich burden the pecjple iiud drive them uwjiy, the unssvL-r is vei-y simple. Tho iiierurchy control iihsolutely tin- letrislature. To oj)j)ose in the least way the cluwch would mean sure death. The tithes are an annual source of inunensc revenue to the priests. Kvery twenty-sixtli bushel of grain is his Ijy law. For over a century peas were counted vegetables and thus exemj)ted. l>ut win ii tin' priest found out that the haJtifmif was cunning enough to sow more peas than anything else, he had this vegi'ialde converted by the I'ope's j)ower, into a grain. likewise in the disti-ict of Three llivers, which is a good hay couiuy, the oppi-essed farmer sought relief from taxation by cultivating hay. Hut the priests obtained from Uishop Lafleche a lew years ago. the imposition of a tax of ?52 a ton on that artii'le. There 'vas a good deal of grumbling but as is generally the case in all priest-ridden countries, the people submit led as a general rule. Caiuulian papers inform us lately, that tlie bishop having found out that many farmers were still dodg- ing their annual tithes, by devoting their attention very largely to hay raising, has renewed the o-dcr for a tax of 37.50 on each 1000 bundles of hay, which is practically tlie same as that ot 18'S1. It would seem that other bishops will follow his example. The farmers are stirred up all over the proviiu'e, as the tax will make the church more wealthy and powerful than ever. The result will be increased immigration to the United States, where people are not obliged to pay for their religion unless they choose to. If the farmers had only a little more backbone, they would refuse to submit, and as hay does not come under * <■' i 84 Fo/o' ITeritat/e. the re(iuiremeiits of the old hiw, the churcli eoultl not com- pel them to i)tiy. If tlie titlu'S covered everything, the farmers* would be Hiitislied. I)Ut this is only a f»nuill i)()rti(»n of the cost of their reli^'ion. The pew-rents are very hi;j:h and must be paid or the people stand durinjj; service. Tiie taxes for the erection of those palatial ecclesiastical buildings which fairly cover the Province, standinj^ as they du, side by side with the miserably poor huts of the people, are enormous. Peo- ple have told me they were working hard 'n the factories li'Tc to get money In redeem their I'arms wliich they had mortgagi'd to pay the church taxes. Then come the exi)enses for baj)tisms, the ringing of one, two oi- three bells according to the money })aid ; the expense at funerals, which varies from Si.') to $.')()(). A pauper can- not be biu'ied for less than $1. The cotlhi is then j)laced as near the ground as possible; a half dozen candles are lit, a low mass sung and perhaps one bell rung or none at all. I asked a French Canadian last Binumer how nmch an ordinary funeral cost among the poor. He said: ''You camicjt get a decent service from the church for less than SKi." Let it be well understood that this is exclusive of all outside expense. There are thousands of other ways by which money is extorted from an ignorant, credulous people. The trallic of masses for suuls detained in an imaginary purgatory, the sale of indulgences, scapularies, holy water and other innumerable papal inventions of which it is impos. to form the remotest conception without 1 i a Roman Catholic country, simply drain the peo] aake and ' ep them poor. Pinched by poverty, discou. red an I disheart- ened thov leave with tears their homes. lis Nnnivrical Straiytli. 35 It is iin})<).".sil)le lo arrive at anything like accuracy, when attoiu{)tiii<,' to make an estimate of the revenue and weahh of the (-iiurch in the Prf)vince of Quebec. Several attempts have been made and we give below one of the hitest made by the Kev. A. B. Cruchet, ex-pastur of I'Eglisc du Sauveur, Montreal, Que. Mr. Cruciiet, in an article pul)li.shed in li^i'^W, in the Revue de Thculogiv ^'ratiijut of Pari.s, gives the figures which follow. The ..nuimite is ne- cessarily exclusive of many items concerning which the writer could not obtain information, because the church re- fuses to make reports. It may also be said that Mr. Cruchet underestimates sev- eral sources of income. Ii; a conversation we had together, he stated that a distinguisl-.ed priest had written him, blam- ing him for arraigning the chnrch as he had done, and stating that its wealth was intinitely larger than stated by him. Tile computation is as follows : — ''The number of farms under cultivation in the Province of Quebec is estimated at 200,000. Many of those pro- duce barely enough to give bread to the numerous familu's who cultivate them. We may form an opinion by the fol- lowing statement : " 1. Tiie Province of Quebec produces a total of 31,280,- 000 bushels valued at 818,200,000, yielding a "dime," or tithe of $700,000. "2. Taxes on families who do not possess land, amount- ing to not less than §300,000. "3. Fees for baptisms, marriages, funerals and masses, payments for pew-rents and objects of piety, yielding not less than 62,000,000. "4. Voluntary gifts received from house to house, legacies derived from property of unknown extent held in mort main, all put together probably exceeding 83,000,000. I I t i w (I!! 30 Your Heritage. " '). Taxes for construction and maintenance ot churches, prt'shytei'ics and Fabrique schools amounting to at least 82, GOO, 000. "TliL' Homisii church, therefore, receives on an average annually, from 200,000 Catholic families in Quebec, the enormous sum of §.S,000,000, for the exclusive ends of their •vvorsiii)), that is to say, for the maintenance of ilOO parishes, at Si'^-OOO i;ach. This seems incredible. The ligures, are far fiom giving a (complete idea of the revenues of the church in our happy province." ISIr. Blackburn llarte, in nu article in the November number of the Forum, states that the revenue of the church, inclusive of tithes, f(ihri*J she received 2,117,000 acres of land, which valuable possession has since been greatly added to by pro- perty gained by di{)l(unacy ai.cl continual begging and by the natural increase in the value of certain kinds of real estate. " She owns 000 chin-ches, valued at 8.'57,O0O,000 ; 900 parsoiuiges along with the palaces of the cardinal, the arch- bishops and bishops, valued at 89,000,000; 12 seminaries worth 8(500,000; 17 classical colleges, 88r)0,000 ; 250 boarding schools and academies, 8000,000 ; 800 convents, 84,000,000 : 08 hospitals atul asylums, 84,000,000; mak- ing a total of 861,210,000. "As to the lands, shops, houses and invested capital, it I' ' ! Its Namti'ical Stnuyth. 37 is imj)ossiblc to reach absolute certainty. We know that some ecclesiastical orders are enormously wealthy. Cath- olics themselves declare that the Sulpicians for example, are richer than the Bank of Montreal, the most powerful institution of the kind in America." Wlicn it is remembered that tiiese enormous sums of money arc taken, so to speak, by furce, from the people, we need not go further to ascertain the reason for this ex- traordinary exodus of French Canadians to New England. Neither should we be surprised to Jind such statements as the following in the (Quebec Aiiuual Census Keport of 1S87:— "In tliirty-three counties there has been an actual de- cline in the poj)uiaiion to the extent of 42,000 souls. In twenty-nine counties there has been an increase in the pop- ulation, amounting to r>2,000 souls; showing a balance of 10,000 increase." Tlie report goes on to show, however, that this increase is sinij)ly due to the overflow of people from Montreal, the opening up to settlement of tlu; Gatineau valley, the growth ofllidland the construction of the C^iu^bec Central rail- road through the county of Megantic, the increase in the municipalities of Ilocholaga, Ottawa and INIegantic being over 20,000. A carel'iil comparison of tigiu-es shows that between l^Hl and if^Hl the province of C^uebec lost the whole of the natural increase of her riu'al ])opulation, which is estimated at something like 175,000. The report concludes by saying : — "The conclusion to be drawn from these figures is, that in spite of the (/pening up of new lauds the time has come when the population of Queltoc has ceased to increase in numbers, and that the great natural increase of the French - 1 ■■ i ■:. 1 1 1 1 ' 1 ; 1 ; . 1 i It 88 Your Heritage. Canadian race will of necessity be forced to find a home beyond the borders of this Province." I have dw^elt at length on these facts and figures, because they give us most important data : First, the approximate actual strength of the French Canadians in this country ; secondly, the cause of their immigration ; thirdly, we are enabled to form a tolerably accurate idea as to what New England can expect for the future. lit' CHAPTER VI. ITS I'KOBAIJLE FITUUK (iliOW'TII. Ill wliiit lia.s nreeedeil, wc have (miIv liiiite in increasing numbers, have not adopted our fashi(.n, and in a generation or two will greatly (.utinnuber us by purely natural increase." The Hartfort /*o,s7, in a reci'nt article cntitK-d "An Im- portant Factor," calls attention to the same (juesiion in the following terms : "The statement is made on good author- ity that the French Canadians living near the \'erniont line are forming (u-ganizati(.ns with a view of obtaining many of the abandoned farms of this State and also of New Hampshire. It is believed there will be a considerable em- igration from tlu! lower ])art of Canada into the State and New Hampshire with the coming of the spring. Just what the authority is on which this ytatenn'iit is made we have no means of knowing, but there is nothing at all un- likely in the story. French Canadians already own many farms in Northern New Kngland. They are a thrifty peo- ple, and contrive to live where a modern Yankee would starve. But of more importance than anything else in this connection is the fact that the French Canadians have chil- dren and that these children are brought up to work hard. It is a well-known fact that the roofs of the New England //.s' Future Vrohnhh- Grotcth. 47 farm houses which shchcr Yankee fanners Hhclter a very .-mall niunl)er of Yankee babies, and that as the years go by the babies thus sheltered are decreasing and not increas- ing in nundjers. In the less pretentious houses of the French Canadians near by, are to be found swarms of children, who are made to work and who generally stand liy the farm much longer than the boys and girls of Yan- kee parentage. \Vhatever may be the final outcome of New England's problem so far as the farms iiiid tarmers are concerned, one thing must In- kept constantly in mind, and that isjthat if the New Kngland farmers want to see the New England farms re-peopkd by Yankee stock, they nuist raise the stock. The baby, a very important factor in the family, is an f([ually important factor in the Ni-w England proldem." It is imp»)ssible to avoid tiie conclusion that .\i\v l-".n- gland will soon be in the hands of those who an- conciuer- ing by occupying. The French and Irish populaiion will soon outnund)er the Yankees. What [he inlhieiice w ill l)e, will depend very much upon the education they receive, on the political and religious principles by which they are con- trolled. Jfthe plans and aims of the clergy concerning them succeed, the outlook for the country, and especially for New England, is not very pi'omi.-ing. From this time onward the French Roman Catholic hierarchy will become year by year stronger. The immigration does not dimin- ish, but rather ini.'reases and the increase by birth is of course larger and larger every year. It must not be forgotten that New England is constantly losing her own sons and daughters by emigration to other parts. The farms, which once were occupied by the sturdy old Puritan farmer, with his large family of God-fearing children, have be n abandoiicd by these and have passed w ^'^ Ynur Hi-ritiif/f. into the hands ol' French and Irish Romanists, ii> lia> heen shown. It is one of the most marked features of the policy of the Koniish hierarchy to become the possessor of the hoil. It is a well-known fact that in many places Protestant churches have died out, wliiLst Roman Catludic churches are being built everywhere. We cannot very well affi rd to fold our arms, iii the inde- finite hope that the problem will nolve itself. This popula- tion will not be evanj^rdized, christianized and Americanized, without special eflbrt. A <;reat many are losiug faith in Romanism, but that means nothing. The old absolutism is better than no religion at all. Rut in the nature of things, iumdreds become indifferent to Romanism as to its religious a.-pe(t,and still renuiin connected with the church, because they fear to lose its patronage. The problem has long jiresented itself to my mind in the shape of three alternatives, oue of which, it seems to uie, nmst be accepted, with the residts it leads to : 1. Either continue to remain indifferent to the fact that we, through om- grand and nobk: iustitutiuns, are undermin- ing the Ronuin Catholic faith and causing thousands to fall into infidelity, because we do but little to replace by some- thing better the imperfect and insullicient faith we are ins- trumental in destroying, and make up our minds to reap the disastrous results which are sure to follow, and of which France has given the world a sad enough example ; 2. Or again, in order to preserve the Romish religion for these masses, grant the hierarchy all she asks, help to es- tablish her firmly on American soil, and to that end — this is elementary logic — build up her parochial schools, sub- sidize them, overthrow the free institutions which have been and are ihe glory of the nation and have made it what it is, ItH Future Prohnhir Growth. 49 hut vvliich Kf)nic ciinnot ajiprove ht'ctiuso they dostroy hor ; .'?. Or liually, siivc the Ivoiniui Ciitholic popuhition tVoin (Irit'ii!);^ into iiili(U'lity and troin joi ..ig tlio hipsed inas.si'S, not hy overtliro\viii;^()iir Aiiu'ricaii iustitiitioiis, hut hy kiu'p- iu;^ tliem Cliristiaii, and hy {^ivini; the pure Gospel ol'.Ie.sus the Savior ol" humanity, and the j,'roat principles ot thelVd- testant Keforniation to all the Konianidts whom God iiends within our horders. Christian patriots must face this question. AVe ;j;avc ex- pression to these selfsame views six years ago, in the daily press of Lowell, and we can re|)eat tluMu with i-mphasis 'o- day. We cannot help oiu'selves. The good or evil day may he put off a little, out come it nmst. One of the three alternatives above-nuiitioned is sure to prevail. Home is either destined to become supremo in this n-jiub- lic — this is her dream — and then would all our liberties cease, or she must fall. We do not believe she can ever succeed to maiutaiti her own so far as her religious teneta are concerned. 'I'here is not miu-h fear of theii" conquer- ing this nation, liut we do fear the atheistical tendencies of that system of religion among the Romanists of this land, as well as the moral cowardice which the political man- oeuvres of the hierarchy engender among Americans. It is forgotten by thousands that the collaj)se of Rome does not mean the strengthening of Christianity, unless greater efforts be made to convert to Christ those who are falling away from the old faith. Father Clarke of Albany, in an article in the Month said: ''The public schools have taken away from the Cath- olics, in the space of twelve years, 1,1)90,000 members. Large masses of Catholics have succumbed under the influ- ence of these American institutions." I r if. I CriAPTER VII. "■S AIMS AND l.Lni.n«i.-» ., Franco is ;„,e,.,, J„°' !" "^^ ""-J development of Ne„. enr,o.,;,y. P^«« "f kmory, as a matter „f • '«.I->ond, Canadians : t rfVf '^''^'^ ^"''""'' -^ '-■■• past history, bec„„° n '™""' '''»^'=™e1 i" -™l'Ho very unwise ancU, I ,^'''"''''' «"" ^-^-'o it >>'«'" ignomnt about tl,e nl" ' ^"'' ^'"S^'""> to re- --3 of this ,a.,.e popui'J; : ' Tlf """ P-Po-s of t„e them among us. ^ """' "'o-'" are worked out by Let it be sal/l ^i. j. fro... tbo P;.e„ ',;' : JX'-'"'' ":'"""'^ — be e..pecte„ -■^dom, i„ t,,„ ,„,,^, of L f„' . '"''°'™"^ f- -"K'-oua "«"- ,1,0 batre,! a,„, s..or' of X ; V"'"'','- ''""^ '"'™ 'ottbeirRouHsb compatriots; i ^ Its Aims and Purposes for tht Future. 61 fathers and mothers have bceu disowned by their children, children by their parents because of the Gospel of Christ. Hundreds of our converts have been insulted, misrepre- sented, beaten, imprisoned. Their property has been destroyed by fire, and ii.i many instances their blood has been shed. One of the first converts of the Baptist mission told me, that for over a year he did not retire peaceably to his bed at niglit. He was compelled to keep his clothing on and gun in hand to protect his buildings against incendiarism. My father and his companion in labor were surrounded by a mob in the village then known as I'lndustrie, and the resolve was to drive them to the river and drown them. Through God's providence. Seigneur Joliette interposed and (heir lives were saved. Whilst the mob was howling, a woman passed the mission- house and cried out to the wife of one of the missionaries : " Ah, your husbands wont preach their false doctrine any more. They are dead." "Well," replied this woman of faith, ''if they are dead, they will rise." Our missionaries and pastors have been and are to-day treated by the clergy and their blind adepts, with scorn and contempt. The Komish press has poured out its tor- rents of abuse on them, without realizing that it was insiiliing the whole Protestant community in so doing. Through all these trials the French Protestants have had to endure, the God of their fathers has sustained them, so much so that they now number some 50,000 in America. If they thus suHered it was because they believed in the great princij)les of freedom, truth and progress on which tlic Constitution of the American nation is based and which Rome has always trampled under foot. 'ij 1^' si VoNr Ileritarje, ■» " ". 1« ,,a„.i,„i,. ? u i „','"""' '"■"""•'="• ^^-l-t -■" 'l"l.-ve,. a „ati„„ f, , ,;,„„, ^ '" '"'"I" ">-».n.c.., ,„a. ■"■;;■:,'■'■• -^ "■•■'.-.■>•• ™. ;::„,. :•:;; "-'^ "'"'--"0 I li" ivliole trouble ,vi,|, ,i,p p , ' ""■'■'■"■-"•■M.s,„aci,i„g»,i, .;.''"':'' ^■"""*'-' '■•- .■" ';■'■"■ "■"■"•'•■^ "-"'«i'7o£ :;:;,:"";!', '--'-"■'•'. ..-ko -''-•'■•■''^""l, tl.at in ll,e very „. 7, '''" """"'' "c un- K-""uiM„ „,„, f„, „ ;;:;^^^''^"-- l'".l, ,o.. u,e ^lavc. of ;-"!' «u:i;;:i::;;"::r ;■;: ;-- - .^uo a,,.,,,.,, ,n. '""'• '"•■ '!•"■. not lose l,i,s ,„,„ ,;, . , ^ ''"•"■""■S «.- A„a.,- 7"' >•'>"■• «-v.-ii.a„o„ j, r: „.^ ,.;;'■ "" """ ''^ «•"» - ■:f-.'r,.^:;:aS:':rrr-"''''^--' ''fl"n.^s to the ,„(,,,„„ ,„„„ '""" f ''r-?""o .lays. „„ h'^t-ry wl,c.„ etuperor, «:,:; J" ",' f""' "'■"'« ^ori,!', •-'- ".0 fbet of the pope I,:" :;^";" "'"™ "■«'•■■ -ks 1^ ■■•< »n I ItramoMtane, he be- JfK ^\ims (did I'ltrposis /of tilt Futui-e. 58 lievcs in tlu; int'allil»ility of the jH)i)e, in the 'e.storation of tlic tcnij)<)i'iil powiT, ill the t'oiinectioii of church and state. lie beh'evcs th Honiish church is tlie only true diurch and shouhl be the mistress (tt'all thi' nalii)nsuf tlie earth. IT he is honest it is his e sure the French Canadians have a right to throw themselves iihjectly unde!' the pope's feet if tliey choose, providi^d how- ever, in so doing, they do not interfere with our rights, pro- vided they do not feel ohh'ged by their religious and political creed, to «k'stroy what we most prize, what we deem essen- tial to the permanency of this Christian nation. And who does not know that the infallildi' jMipe has cursed as damn- able heresies, liberty (»f speech and of c()nscience, lil»erty of the press, the free school system and why not say at once Protestantism as u whole? Things nuiy as well lie said just as they are. We have already stated Hi.-hop Lalleclie's view concern- ing the future ol'Norih Amt'rica. As it is shared by the French Roman Catliolic hierarchy, it is of importance that we examine it a little more carel'ully. The Americans of New Kngla':;! nuist, sooner or later, give up their fixed notion, tha; the whole French Canadian race is ignorant and ul(l be i.st any !'liiL'Vul > true iia\e o til red tJuda Was n-ho the ion, ieJ's //s ^l/z/is antZ Purposes for the Future. 55 Liberal party and the ultra-clericals in the Conservative party, and triumphantly rode to power. The race cry ran hi<'h, and Mr. Mercier himself did not hesitate to declare that sometime or other the tri-color flag mi^dit float over Canada. It h very much feared by thon^'htful nu'U, that ere the close (jf this century, ihe Confederation of provinces may be broken ii|». However that may be, theie is very little sympathy between the I'rench and l^njjli>h, and if tin- Church ot Rome revent the French Canadians from im- bibing American ideas. Lv Citot/cn Franco- Americaiu of the .sth .Tamiary, 1801, in referring to a sensible article l)y Mr. G. de Tonnancour, on the advantages to be derived by the French in studying the Fnglish language, calls the atten+ion to the fact that the article in (piestion caused a wonderful <'(»mmotion iu the French Catholic press of the countrv. Le Co»j/>o/ of Chicago, referring to the estublibhrnent of '^■'";?, it is "">S in this '*'"• tongue ""•^f avouJ '*-' i'Veiic/. ''"T io.su '« Ainor- LVtion, pow- 11 iiij- I«f)I, L'uur, Ivfn- (iiat ' in I of Itn Aims (tud Purposes for flit Future, .')< a French parochial school in Calumet, Michigan, publi.^hes the t'oliowinfr from a correppondiiit : "Tiiat school will help our chiidron to retain tlieir lan- guage. According to your vigorous expression, this school will he all invincihli- rampart that will prt-vi-nt the invading waves of the Kngii.-h l.".iiguage from carrying our national- ity down in the abysses of a natiotial and religions apos- tiisv aiid in .die ( lark ness ot a socialistic niLMit. \V V \vi 11 never he inlluenced hv the lot.lisli stiill" • last visit, we have often discussed the ridic ulcus article published in the Fall River Indent ndunt and bearing the name of a certain 'I'onnancour. If, by his an- ti-national doctrine, this Ciuiadian could make proselytes, he might l)e considered dangerous . . . We have here fam- ilies who receive f,r \((tif French jjroprietors in New England. The following ligures are given In Maine $2,i:54,4r)n ; New Ilamjishire $2,00'), 031 ; Vermont S2,'2;VJ, 07') ; Khode Island gil,<;:)(),():J(') ; Massa- chusetts SH, '.).">(), S4() ; Connecticut SI ,310,31;'). This makes a total of SlW,3">(),3 1<». These ligures would indicate that they are buying property. In Woonsocket K. I. a large part of tiie real estate is in their hands. In view of all that has been said, the dream of the French clergy does not seem so empty. What they have succeeded in doing in Canada should lead us to relied. The Eastern Townships were once i)retty nuich what New Englan:hind himies, of the type you need to preserve your national h'fe, are not muUi- plyin^' in anything like the ratio of French Catholic homes? Is it true that it recjuires four or live American families to make one French Canadian family ? Such are the facts, and unless educationalists. Christian j)olitici!>ns and reform- ers take hoUl of this (juestion fearli'ssly, unless they adopt strong measures to Americanize the Fr-'iich and Irish Cath- olics, Homanism will rule New Kngland in the near future just as surely as it rules Canada to-day. Optimists who read these lines will no doubt shru" their shoulders and ridicule the idea. This is precisely what English Protestants have been doing in Caiuula for years. The efforts (»f the brave missionaries who worked .so hero- ically, who bled and died to give the (Jospel to the French of Canada, were little appreciated l)y English Protestantism. There was no need of such a work. Con(iucred Canada it was thought, would always have to submit to Protestant England. lint what has been enacted of late? The 70, ()()(> French of the conquest luive become 1,240,- 000. The church which controls them has become so pow- erful that it controls the Province of Quebec, and through it the Dominion parliament, that does not dare to veto a bill, the unrighteousness of which is admitted on all sides, and the opposition is so afraid that it does not dare say a Its Aims ami Piirposen for flw Future. 81 \vor a[i^HlH BB CHAPTER I. lit m I I ; I TJIi: 1KEN< II HIKHAUCIIY. "We trust wc have succeeded in showing, in (he cimptcrs which precede, that there is sonic reason to tear the invad- ing force we have endeavored to describe, and whose phms of battle we liave in a measure set fortii. However strong an army may be its connnanders ought never to be ignorant of the real position of the enemy, of its actual strength and of the possible help it may receive from surrounding powers. ]t may be said that a want of proper preparation, will almost invariably prove fatal to an army, however strong ii may be. If the North had had the preparation of the South, the rebellion would have been quelled in a compar- atively short time and thousands of lives would have been spared. A great conflict of principles has begun in the United States of America, and each day it is increasing in mag- nitude. The powers of media'valism, represented by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and the civilization of the nine- teenth century are face to face. yV/c Frciir/i I/i> rdir/ii/. 65 All enlightened J'rotesttints Ijeliovc that tho Protestant civilization oi" his great nation will win the day. In all likelihood it will l»e so. Hiif li-t us not forget, that the church or Rome, that strong, (;onsolidatr(l, th(»roughly organized body, believes otherwise. She believes and teaches tliat the conception this Protestant nation has Conned of religion and govern- ment, is totiilly wi-(,ng, that it is opposed to (lod's laws and must necessarily be c()nil)atied. Consequently tiie church has cursed and continu('S t(j curse the liberties wliicli this nation deems essential to its widfare. It calls these liber- ties good and desiraltli! only inasmuch as they make it pos- sible for her to establish her system, which when estab- lished, will put an end to them all. Will any thinking man imagine for a moment, that Kome will vield comnlacentlv ; that she will throw down her jirms and accept a civilization she considers as opposed to (lod and to the highest good of man in time and eternity ? It cannot lie. Sliehasnever})een kiiuwn todoit inthe|)ast. 'V\n'. struggle will be long, steady and lieree. It may end in a contlict of ai'ms. It is Avith the Fremdi wing of the miglitv force opposing our Christian civilization, that we are dealing, and having studied its characteristics, its strength, its probable increase, its plans, it is wise for us to en(iuire whether there are not allies that it may call to its help, and what are the en- 'Mues ol' war A Idch they uniti-dly will use, to sid)due, if they can, these New Kngland States. The French elegy is the leadiiig force in this battle. The priests can be divided into two ■•lasses: First those who are honest and Itelieve that all I'rotestants are going to perdition. They I'onsidt-r it their Itoundeii duty to jiro- teet the French Canadians from those pernicious Anu'ricau i!l[! li'l mi n .a. 'I I I i; > fi' ■' C>C} Yuiir III rltdijt. iiiHuences, IVom tluitgodles-s civilization, whicli would surely damn \\\v.\y s(iu]>. In tliii .<(('()ii(l |)la('c, theri; arc scores of priests who arc not reliL''ious nu'ii. tlitv liave cniuraced the i)riesthood us a ]ii'()t'('ssi(in, l)i-cause of the power, honor and wealth wliich ac('oni])any it. The *'cure" is almost a demi-god among the Fi'onch Canadians, his word is law, he secuj'cs all the money he wants and by it ohtains inlluence. ^^^• ai-e comiJcUed to say, that by I'ai- the largest number ol' French j)rii'sts l)elong to the latter class. One does not live thirty years in a l\oman Catholic province, when; the powei- of I he cleiL''}' is absolute, without having ample oi)- jioi'tuniiy to become ac({uainted with facts. It doe- not luattei' to which of these two classes the French Canadian pidest (»f New England may belong, he is out of sympathy with our Protestant civilization. The h(»nest man will light against it from conviction. lie will do all in hi> powei' to jirevent the French children from at- tending the public sclutols. He will teach them that their tirst duty is to tlie Pope, (iod's ix'presentative. lie will ui'ge them to keep away trom Protestant inlluence, to re- main French and preserve tlu' old ways of thinking of C^uebec. He will tell them Iliat ( iod needs them to build Uj) a great Konuin Catholic nation, of which New England is to form part. He dues all in his power to instil these ideas in the minds of both young and old. The priests ol the other class do the same thing, though actiuited by other motives. They arc interested in main- taining liie i^tata qao. They, and a few others of whom we shall speak, are the oidy one;< who reap benctits ii'oiii this state of things. It would never do to let the French children attend the American public schools, they would learn to use tla.'ir own reason, they would learn to do much Tin: French Uicrarc/uj. 67 of their own tliiiikiiij:^. They would want to read the IJiblc and soon tlioy would cease to be Romanists. Then they would not pay to obtain the remission of their sins, to re- ceive the sacraments of the church, to obtain the deliverance of their fiiends from the llames of purgatory. In other words they would no longer submit to the church and it wcndd l)e a great llnancial loss to the priests. The French priests then are, first and last, the sworn en- emies of the assimilation of the ditl'erent races in the United States. On all occasions they warn the French against what they call its dangers. They insist on being re- j»resentedby one or more (d* their number, in all the societies and organizations formed by the laity. They nuist be con- sulted and if anything be proj)ose(l which is not in keeping witii their views, it cannot be carried through. The (juestion may with a good deal ol pertinence be asked : To what extent should the state allow the priests to introduce into this country the boycott, and thai reign of terrorism which prevails in Homan Catholic counti'ies? Parents are not fret; to do what they please with their chil- dren. They would preli^r to educate them on the same lines as the children of this country. It would be a great benefit to them. If they try. the priest interferes in various ways. First he tries ecceleciastical threats. He withdraws the sacraments of the church. Then he makes use *>i the confessiomd aiul through it, liurrs the business of the offend- ing j)arent or compels his friends to ostracise him. When he dares he denounces him from the pulpit. liy sucli methods, the pecjple who might otherwise be- come independent citizens, are kept within the ranks. The masses, who know no better are kept down, a large part of their earnings taken away from them to build paro- chial schools, churches, and to enrich the clergy. tt^ji ♦ ' F t: up I IH li II 68 }'"///• IIcrifiKje. Whoii Fr. Duf'ro.«sne mI' llolyoke died, he left a fortune of 82.'>(),<)<)0. Soiiu' ludiiths ago, a woman was at the point of deatli in Adiinis, Ma.«s. The Auicriean |ihysi('ian tnld t!ie lius- hainl that if he desired to send for the priest he liad lietter (In XI. hceaiise his wifr wonhl not live long. The priest wa- -riit fur. lit- canu', <'(»nfe."«sed the dying woman, and "put hrr ill a stale ot' gi'ace." Then turning to thi' hus- I'aud he said to him: "IJet'ort; I ean administer the saera- lui'iit you nuist .-uhmit to the conditions laid down hy the ehurch and pay nie ten dollars." Tilt' po(U' nnm in-ged the i)riesi to he merciful and pertorm the cei'cnioiiv liir nothinji'. He uriii'd him not to allow his \\ ill' to ilii' l)eeaiise of their i)overtv. Thev had no hread lor their children and could not jiossihly pay the sum asked. lli« aj)[ieals to the generosity of this "representative ol (iod" wei'e ot none t'll'ect. Taking his hat he rose and said ln' would not "•adminisier the woman" unless paid for it. 'I'he tViends who were in the house, believing :hat the salvation (d'ihi> woman depended on the administration of the Eucharist and lOxtreme L'netion, exerted themselves to collect the ten dollars demanded to iinroduce this poor dying woman into heaven. Instance upon instance coidd he given, to prove that the lioman ( atholic hii'rarchy is more conL'erned about her own nggrandi/.ement than aliout the prosi>erity of the peo[)le she controls and tlu; nation in which they live. It is her interest to kei|i the masses ignorant of the benefits of our nineteenth century life and civilization, and we need expect nothing but strong, concentrated and persistent opposition to all mo\ements that have in view the evangelization and Ajiiericanization of the French Koman Catholics of New England. 77/r / /'(•/(( // 11 n I'unh h 69 III our humble (tpinioii, it is a mistaki' ti) think that the liierarcliy can adapt itself to the comlitie)!! of things which has prevailed for years in this i-ej)ul>lic. The Koinish chTjjy resembles in very many respects, the clergy of the M<.'rm(»n church. They ari' \vi.>i' enough to give expressiiiii, trom tinn' to time, to certain views which seem to accord with those entertained by the people of this nation. The ^lormon hieraj'chv, thou from unscrupulous politic- ians, then it will be the easiest thing in the worldto institute polygamy anew. The Homi>h hierarchv acts )u>t hi the same wav. The end justifies the means for lioth ciiurelies. In order to aj)pease the fears of this nation, it assumes an air of lilieral- ity from time to time, it holds a '^•ongress of laymen or it instructs a priest here and there t(» say he favors the public schools of the land, knowing tliat thousands of short-sighted Protestants will be taken in the iraj). We have seen too imudi of this to allow our>elves to be deceived. As long as the church retains the dogma of papal infallibility, she cannot allow her clergy to instruct the people on other lines than those tliat have Ijeen tbllowed in the past. Both of these hierarchies need to be watched very closely. The French |)riests have always been and lire to-day, the uucompromising foe ot our Protestant, Ame- rican civilization. m CIIAPTKU II, TIIK l.ir.KKAI, \\"lN to the anti-scriptural and irratit)nal donnuis of Rouuinism. The Lilti rul 117//// of tin Lulfi/. 1 We know, tViiin jjcrsonal iiitorcourpo with ii larirt' num- Ijcr <){' odiiciiti-il Roman Catliolics in Canada, that ihi-y havi! no more faith in the sy>t('m than I have. In tiu-t they have lost all faith. Their rmson coiiM not aeerpt such dogmas as traiisstihstantiation. iln' infalliliih'ty of the Pojie, the supernatural power ot' tin- pi'ie.-t, and thev havi' ht-i-ii driven from Koniisli ahsohitism into bhink inliiielity. 'i'he amount otrehirious inditrrrence and of irreliLrion which ex- ists is simply !i])]i!illinnt the whide svstem is nothinir hut deiul externalism, wiiieh appeals to the senses, without reaching the heart or conscienee. TIic result of this stalenf things is very serious, especially iimong the better educated class. Tlu.v ht'conie unbelievers, they remain unconvei-tcd, tiicv lo>c the religious teclio'T and the moral sense becomes blunted, 'i'hen it necessarily follows that all tlieir actions will lie i,'osei-ned by sidf-in- tcrest. If it jiays them lo brciik loo^e irom liume, they will not iicsitatc to do su. They will attend some Pi-otest- ant church. li'they lind that it is more pr<.litable Ibi- them to retain their connection with Ivomanism, they do so. They know that the church is accommodating, that it will not trouble them so long as they keep up appearances, go to confession once a yeni' and iitti'tid mass oiici' in awhile. Provided they send thi'ii" wive- nnd danghtt'rs to conte>.-.ion freqiunulv and pay liberally foi- the' suppoi't of the church. they will be considerc(l .is loyal members of the h()ly Cath- olic church. The majority of the educated I'^rench Canadians bclonL"" to tliis class and there is nothing >trange in the fact that they join with the French (deigy, whom they in thtdr heart detest, to keep the masses blind and ignorant, to j)erpetuate race prejudices and siH)erstitions among them, so that they I ^'l| u TTi < I 72 Foar Ihrilatje. may cniitimu.' to t(t be in New Knjrlaiid wliat they ui-ie in Caiiadii. There iji do help to be expected from the liberal \vin;r <>f the French Canadian popnlaticni, in takinir these niaf*.se.s out of the old rntrt and leadinj; them to adapt them,''elve.s to our American civilization. I'hey know well eiioM;_di that the people would have all to ^'ain by breaking loose from the old regime ; but true patriotism has (K-parted from them, because KcMuanism has destroye/ III- Lnitij, We li(»l(l it t'rnin the !ij)S of tliosu wiio in imhlic arc the opponents of the relonns the Fn-iich I'rntestuut.s are trying to bring about, that tht-v hati; the |)riest>, do not approxe of their sclienies, but dai'e not oppose thrni, brcaiiM' they have I'aniilies who dept-nd on llicni, chiNh'tMi whu lii-td breatl. It' they tlisplea.-ed tht> piiest.s starvation would t^tare them in the face. About three years airo a yomiv' man of Soutlibrid;je, Mass., tohl me with a Lfood (h'al ol' bitterness ol lieart. that lie had been persecuted most crihlly iti-cause at the Kn-nch C'aiKulian convention held at llolyoke, lu- hachool sy>tem ol this country, as against the parochinl x-hools. ''To-day, I am obligefl to keep my mouth dosed. I am married and have young children. Should 1 dare to say »jne word against the cruel actions of the j)riests, well-known to me and to the other>, I would be turned out of my situation the next day. In this land of liberty, the church of Home makes slaves of the "liberals," who itelieve neither in her religious nor in her political creed. I believe fidly in the work of emancipation you have iiiidertiiken." Some are rich and intluential enough to be independent, but they are too cowardly to act ; and eager as they are to obtain higher honors thr(jugli the inllueiice ••! the church, they make obeisance to it. We do blame ami stignuitize this class of our countrymen. We do condenm them for their want ot trn*- palri(jii.-m. They should be go\erned by i)rinciple* and not by sell'- interest. If they would join hand and lioldly oppose the hierarchy, thousands of the i)eople wouhl follow them. However, when there is so nmch ot the ,-ame thing jiniong American Protestants, how can we wonder*' Wo have forme ot't'ii said to k'lul iiu'ii to w- rtect. Doiiij^ this tliey cuiiMot tail to sc.-o how serious it is. The lilti'i'aliziiig iiifliieiices of ^Vinericaii institutions, with- out positive, ai: INll'DUMKl) I'HOTKSTANTS. The sirenyth of Romaiii.-in in any Protestant c-cnuUry, will always be commensurate with the weakness ot" that country's Protestantisu^ Given a well-inlnrmctl, wide-awake, vigi- lent, aggressive christian evangelical church, there is but little danger to be f'eaied from that terrible foe of christian liberty, Ultramontanism. How '"i it in New England? How is it in this country? We do not iiesitate to say that French I'ltramontanism finds one of its strongest allies, in that large army of unin- formed and weak Protestants, which the last (juarter of our centUTV has created. It is not easy to speak theti'uth on so vital a matter with- out giving otr^nce. The mission (,f men wortliy the name, is uo{ however to please, but to speak the truih, kindly and in love, but vet without fear. It is only within recent years that the Protestant clergy and laity of New England have had this Roman Catholic question pressed upon their attention. The ministers of course knew something of the system, but had no spi'ci;'.! li I ♦ Wilt/,: and Ciinif'onind Prtifrsfio,/)- 77 occiifiioii, save 111 exceprioiiiil cases, ',0 i^ivi', oIdsc attention to the doctrines, religi(nis and political, of Lltraninntanisni. )0 tar a,- the V rencli clergy and tlieir plans are concei-iUM d, it may l)e salely said that notiiing vas known ot them initil t!!e tew la.-t yi'ars. It has heel) the privilege of the writer to speak on this topic, in many ot'tlie leading churches of New Kngland, and at the close ot the addresses he has liei-n met iiuaria- My with this statenu'nt : "We had no idi-a of tlie static of thuigs aronnd us. We never kni'W l\(Mnanisni taught such (hmgerous doctrines". Not only laymen speak thus, hut a great many ministers. Tlie pa.-tors o|' our churcht's think they have somefhing el.-e to do tliaii to attack the Koman Catholic chui'ch. Their duty is to instruct aiid edity their own people. This is true and yet it is equally true that a pastor owes it to his people an d to his countrv to inform himself and thus he aide to u form his flock on the dangers which threaten the peace and })rosperity ot' the luition. Without discuseenis so hard (or these nu'n to ad mil that it is po.-sible that they do not know everythin;j:, and thus take the troubU' ol' ascertaining tor themseh'es how much truth tliei'i' is, in those xcry serious charges nijide ajiainst tiie luuuan Cittliolic svslem. We know of scoit's of men w lio were disposed to be vei'v lenient with Ivomani.-ni, who diuiMing its ibi'tress on the good faith of uninfoi-med Pro- testants. The priests knew they Avere blindfolding the people of this nation. Especially has this been true of the Freiu'h speaking portion of the Romish clergy. Nobody knew what they were altout and they have been nble to lay a very firm and broad foimdation on which Ame- rican influences make no perceptible impression. However, a great change has taken place within the last three years. The pulpits of New England and of the wdiole country are now directing the attention of the people to this Weak and Uninfornitd Frofi stttnfs. 79 vital (luestiou. A great deal of valuahle ititoi'inatioii has been given through some of our religious papers. We wish we could say as much of the secular press hut the vast majority of the managers helong to the class of men we purpose now alluding to, aiul which constitute a source <»t danger to this land. This great country, which has fouglit and n'on so many illustrious battles, now has within itself and as j)art of itself, a large and increasing army ofweak-kneed Protestants, who are playinj^ into the hands of Ivomanism, and increasing its strength a hundredfold. This ally of the French invading force, recruits its army from all the ranks and classes of socieiy. To begin with, the Protestant clergy furnish a goodly number. Ksj)ecially is this true of the ministers of some of our large, wealthy, aristocratic churches, of which our leading politicians, law- yers, merchants, j(jurnalists and others are members. It is our desire to be fair and use common sense in tlu's<^ matters. A minister cannot alwavs do just as he would wish. There is a time for everything under the sun. IJy doinj; a certain thiiiii; at tlu'- wroni; timeairood purpose mav be defeated. To bring up the Romish ([notion, the French r\angelistic movement too soon in some of the churches mentioned, might not be wise. This said, may we not ask whether the time has not fidlv come, for the church of (Jod t" unhud its banner and liravelv meet this foe of (rod and man? Is there anvthiny to gain in this weak and over-prudent policy whi(di has pre- vailed in many of those centres, capable of giving the very assistance needed, in this great moral('onllict ? Do we ima- gine that Rome does not detect the weakness and cowardice which prevails? She sees it otdy too clearly, nuikes full use of it, and despises us as she ought. I 'iti t ;^>: t .'• f r— I !!• !!i|i 80 Yonr IJrrit wcaltliy mail iii niir citv 'ttate orihinirs in the professional ranks. J. a vyei's not only kci'p alonf but rather show favor to Roni- ani-m. I rememlu'i- t\'"o 'jemlemen in a INIassachuseits city wJKj would not remain connected with t!ie French l*roU>taiit cvaned to Lrive 8100 to the same work. lint refused to siizn his name Tl lese men were a 11 nronu- nent memiiers of Protestant churche m This I'ear of Kome. on the part of l*rotestant Americans, iikes slaves of them, places fetters around their hand.- and feet, which must make the nation blush. A\'e are riiiht in savin;;' that the Freiu'h anti-Protestant an( 1 A merican movement receives stron^i help I rom this MUirce In the lii'st jilace these nun are unwillinir to aid u> in our elfoi'ts to i'\anii\di/ce the French. They are afraid that it should be known that tiiey have ludped. Then thev must have an e.\cu>e Ibr their refusal, and in formulatinir it, thev become the defenders of the Homan Catholic )owi'r Not only do many Protestants refuse to help us in this Avork of assimilation, but for the same reason ituations to these worthy men and women, whom the (Jos- ]iel ol' Christ had made better Christians, more iniellijrent and reliable worknu'ii. The reason for this stranrije treatment has already been triveii. Ivome wouhl hear of it and the business ol these employers wouM sutier. These coMNcrts have sought refuge against fcucli persecu- tion in the land of the free, or it might be more accurate to say, the country which once was the land of the free, for of late, it is with some ditliculty that French Protestants tniil situations, especially as clerks in stores and offices. The American merchant wants to catch the French Komaii Catholic custom, and gives the preference to the Freiudi Catholic. Thus it is that a premium is jjlaced on a French Canadian young man's connection Avith the old media-vul system of (Quebec. As a Protestant we cannot write those things witlujut blushing. A few weeks ago I received a letter from a Christian Avoman, who has left the Church of Home, to embrace the teachings of God's Word. Thrown helpless and penniless out m th(! cold world, hated by Rome, suspected by I'ro- testants, in a moment of discouragement she writes : " My life is sad and lonely beyond all you could imagine. I ill J • '»ti I I: HI! I c^mm l! l»\ %, <•<> to help to build a IJomish college, lie refused to givi! a cent to build the French Protestant Americau Col- lege ot Springlield, Mass. In a town of Massachusetts, three members of a Congre- gational clnnch gave lately 6I0UO to build a French Roman Catholic church. In Detroit, a priest came to a merchant and asked 850. The merchaiu refused. The priest said : ''AH right, liut you need not expect another cent from us." The money Avas given. The question ■we ask with an anxious heart is this one : Is there any occasion to fear for the future of New En- gland in view of this state of things, which is ten-fold worse than has been depicted? We ask again, what is to prevent Rome from realizing her plans? She has a strong, well-organized clergy, Avork- ing like a mighty army. She has the masses under her. She has those whom your schools liberalize. They have lost faith in her but it suits their purpose to keep on good terms with her. She is lieli)cd by a veiy large number of uninlbrmed Protestants, and iinally there comes that army of Protestants, unworthy the name, who care more for wealth, honor and position, than for the safety of the na- tion. All these combine to aid her and they belong to ^ Weak and Uninformtd Proti-st'Difs. Ho what iiro callo'l the liiglier class of society, where wcahli and influence lie. We can but ask the God of nations to arise in his miglit and awaken an interest in the good men and woini-n whose attention has not been drawn to this matter, that tliey may help us Christian "foreigners" in this great evangelistic work. Does it not seem strange that it should devolve on those called here "foreigners," to plead with the descendants ot the Puritans and Pilgrims, that ilu>y may jirotect their dear old New England from the moral nuu intellectual bonda'a' of Komauism, which Avere worse than Southern slavery. I PI A • 1 ■(- it- ;ed in hirL^e numbers and have so tilled in tlie ranks of this party as to control all its movements. Tiie Republican l)arty, whicli once deserved the name of *' Cirand old party," because of the signal services it has rendered the country, has singularly degenerated in latter years. In fact it lias alinost hillen frcjm grace. Its wavering and inconsistent poli{;y on the temperance question has fairly disgusted a very hirge number of staunch Kej)ublicans. So true is this, that thousands who do not fully agree with Prohibitionists, abstained from giving their vote fur Republican candidates at the last elections. What is true of the temperance question is ecpudly true of the Roman Catholic issue, closely connected as it is with the li(pior trafHc, which is very largely in the hands of Romanists. There is too much truth in the now famous statement : "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion." That the of llilS Iter Silf-Sivkintj J'c'.iticians. 85 three liave gone and still gu t(jgether, history conchisively proves. The rt'sults of the elections of the fall of 181K), the defeat of so many Repuhlican candidates, should not be considered as a democratic victory. It is i-atht-r a solemn protest made by the true and lionest Rcpul>licans of this land of the Puri- tans, against the political corru{)tion by which tlu! party is now over-run. Let the Ivepublicans face bravely and s(|uarely the great moral issues of the day, let them cease making of rum and Komanism their allies, and they will get back tlu- large pro- hibition vote atid the lai'ger number of conscientious men, who now abstain from Noting, because they cannot and will not make an alliance with two of the greatest foes of Protest- ant republican institutions, rum and Komanism. This republic is fast hastening to the position which the Dominion of Canada has reached. This J>riti>h colony receives its politics from Home. This is no I'hetorical phrase. It expresses a truth. In the Pi-ovince of (Quebec no government can stand Avhich would rel'use to obey the cardinal, his bishops and priests. In Ontario, the so-call- ed liberal party owes its tenure ot ollice to the Koman Catholic vote. In the other provinces the Komish vote is not so important. AV'hen it comes to Dominion politics the Province of Que- bec holds the key of the situation. She can dictate to the Prime Minister of the Dominion, lie does not dare op- pose the wishes of this K(jman Catholic i)rovince, because its fifty or more votes, would throw him out of power. We repeat then, that Home dictates to the Dominion of Canada, what its politics shall be. We are fast hasteninj» to this humiliating position in this land of freedom. ■itl if \n V I m iiii t ■ I \t \M mm if ill .11 li!.: m ifii 86 yo?rings to light its dangerous principles, reports clearly and fully the damag- ing discourses which some of tlie leading minds of this country have been giving of late, the Romish boycott will be ai)plied and the long list of Roman Catholic subscribers and advertisers, will dwindle to nothing. For this reason the secular press of to-day does not deal fairly with some of the most serious problems of the age : The duty of the state in the education of its future citizens ; tl'e dangers arising from tlie parochial school system ; and the union of church and state : the assimilation of the va- rious nationalities in this rej)ublic. These and kindred questions are not dealt with in all their bearings, and in suggesting solutions and remedies, the religiou^ asjject is too often ignored, although it is well known, that every- thing hangs on that. The Roman Catholic religion is the irreconcilable foe of the Constitution of this nation, and a press worthy of the name American, should not be either so intellectually or morally Aveak as to ignore so vital a question in its discussions. ;t Stlf-StckiiHj Politicians. 87 Some of the leadiii;^ thinkers, men whose iu(I;^'moiit, wisdom and piitriulism are l)eyi>Md (luestion, have (hiring tiie thi'ee past years, been discussing these living issues, he- tore vast audiences, in maiiv ot' our hir<'e cities '1' le press has been giving the meagerest rejjorts of these timely and masterly address(.'s, selecting those parts which it was not very important to iTjxn-t, hut ignoring the very points on which the people need information. N cry often a re- port of this kind is gi\en : '* .Mi'. X made a harangue a-'ainst the Church oi liome, deiiouncin!.'- it in the severest terms. Tl le I'acts, arLrumeiits and weig ditv c onsM lerat ions urged by thest; taithful and patriotic speakers, did not re- ceive as much as a passing notice, because the C'hurcdi of Rome would not like it. At a great and i-epresentative gathering, an address was made on the dangers whicii threaten New Kngland. One of the leading })aj)ers of Canada stated the next day, that by reason of the facts given, it was unequalled in dramatic force and power. A leading B(»ston j)aper reporteil this address and anorhei' (,t' similai' ini])ort, which had occupied over an hour, in the sj)ace of ten lines, but gave to a mild tl U'ee-miiHites cruu.-ism o f t ie>e -peeches, ta\draole to Rome, a c(jlumn and a half, with headiiiLi's in lar"e bold tyi)e. "NV'e know what answer is gi\en by the secular press, when such criticisms as these are ventured. We are told that these Daners are business enteri)rises and mus tb e con- ducted on "business princijjles." It would Ije unbusiness- like to sav too umch a oin- ol'tlio allie> d' Koniaiii.sni iiistt'iKl of bciii^ ill) opjioiiciit (pftliMt (laiigeioiis jinwer. This is prc'-iiiiiiiciitly tiMif of party pajnTs. Tliry mit in mortal 1fi'r()r Ic.-l tlay sliDiiId (lil'cinl llir Kdiiii-h pi-wci' ami thus cause thi! hi>s of the solid Knuiaii Catholic \(iti;, to the pai'ty they uithold and slavisjdy serve. AN'Iiat is true of the pri'ss is thtuhly true of our politicians, from tile jn'c-ident , down. In v'lvw of the I'act that the two LM'eat polilical j)arties o( tiiis country ai-e pi'etty evoidy \i'niui- oi'tlu' state and till' mayor dl" tin- ciiy in wliicji tlifv nuTt. 'I'lir IfadtTs, v.lio tluniMJs cs ar*.' as a rule sflf-scckin^' {)()litirians, lind no dillicnlty in obtaining' I'avoi-s tVnni Imili jioliiical jiartit-s. The Fi'i'iicli |iaj)i.'i's tlicy juihlisli, !_'ft aiUei'ii.-cnu'iits lr w itliont aii\' \(iv LMfat tlHirt. It |)avs tlii'iu. Tla'Sf inci-cliaiits will '/i\v iionian Catholic cK'rks ]ila(TS in tluii' .-tore- I'atlicr than to French I'rotestaiits. It jiays licltci'. It is unni'ccs.-ai'V to say more, in tlii< dii'cction. Our contention is lliat New I-Jiiiland i> thri'atciu'd. French I'llramontanisnt i> the toe that has resolved on comjuering thi\-e Puritan >tates. It is ustron^ijiowerhy itself. Were it unaided wo mijrlit jierhaps all'ord to lanyh at its jiretensions. Hut facts go to ,<-lio\v that the very forces upon which Protestant New En- gland relii'.> ior defiMise, ari; either abjectly inditlerent or worse still ai'e, l)y reason of fear and through selt-interest, in league with the enemy. Our j)ur{)ose is to arouse j)i;l)iic attention, to lead intUien- tial ministers in I'M-ry religi(uis body to examine this ques- tion and act in accordance with the light they are sure to obtain ; to lead Christian ))(ditician> to assist those who with the best of niotiw.-, are struggling to bi-ing about thi; unifi- cation ot the races in thisiepuldic. by the ditru-iion of Cliriat- i;.n education and the inculcation of right principles of iroverument. :|J| l| 1 . f • i ' if. -M (in I CHAPTER V 111 :| I ENfilXES OF WAKFAIJE SECTION I. THE KOMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The strength of Roiiifinism lie.-* largely in its perfect or- ganization. Like a mighty army, this chureh marshalled by generals and sul)-oHicers, all subject to one supreme head, marcnes ni unison. It does not carry on its woi'k in a (1 hap-1 lazard w 1 'ly itl las well-detined j)lans, and cxocutes them with great wisdom. A perfect system pi'evails in its i'eligi(jus and educational work and as a result ol'this wise course of action success attends her elVoi-ts. "What is true of the Roman Catholic church as a whole, is eqiuilly true, ot'tlie Freiudi wing of the hierarchy. The very lirst thing the clergy dues is to plant the French Roman Catholic church wherever it linds a group of French sue a kin U" peop peo| lie h ii'";e enouizli to warrant them m ilomg so de There have been dilhcidties in nuui y parishes in New i^ngland by reason of the fact that the various dioceses ^vere under the control of Ii'ish Ijishops, who insisted on . ? tK' placing Irish priests over French Canadian parishes. It has been felt that it was in the interests of the papal church to accede to the demands of the French in so far as ecclesi- astical authority was not jeopardized. During the last few years a hnrge number of French churches have been built and priests from Canada, France and Belgium have been placed over them. Very often these priests are of questionable character ; they are sent here after liaving disgraced their calling in Furope or Canada. The French priest of Ilolyoke who died a fen- months ago, was time and again found in a state of intoxicaticjn on the street and even at pul)lle iratherinus. The Frencli Caiholic church is one of the strongest forces to keep the Frencli Caiuidians of New England away from our American life. There the children are taught the good old doctrine "out of the Churcli of Home no sal- vation." There the people are warned against Protestant influences. They are urged to remain true to t!,t-ir old faith and to all the traditions of K(jnuin Catholic Quebec. They are warned against what is callc' HeriUuje. SECTION III. Tin: I'KKNCII ROMAN CATHOLIC TIIESS. A third and very powerful uj^ency used by the French Roman Catholic party to keep this portion of our immigrant population under the old regime, is the French ])res8. Nearly every city and town of importance and in which the French people iiave gathered in sullicient numbers, has its French weekly paper. Cities like Lowell, Fall River, llolyoke and Worcester, have had as numy as three such ])ublications at once. The editors of these publications are with few exceptions, personally known to several of our F"'rench Protestant leaders. We are perfectly well informed as to their religious views, their personal preferences, their secret attitude to- ward the clergy. The information has come eitlier from their own lips, or from persons who were once associated with them, but who having learned better things, have left them to follow a more manly, honest and honor- able policy. Most of these men belong to that class of French Cana- dians whom the teachings of Rome luive cither made or left indifferent to true, personal religion, in the tirst j)lace, and from that state of mind and heart have easily drifted into irreligion and infidelity. In this respect the history of Romanism has repeated it- self in various countries, is now repeating itself in Italy, South America, Canada and New England, and will go on repeating itself. The Romish system either crushes the intellect and conscience and makes bigots and slaves, un- able to exercise independent thought, or it leads to a revolt of the conscience and intellect against its grinding absolut- ism. If in the transition period the simple truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be presented to the dissatisfied mind and heart, an acceptance of them may be reasonably E)i(jint's of ]Va)'/ari-. 99 taly, 11 go the uu- evolt iolut- t" the isfied lably expected. If not, this internal revolt leads iirst to religious inditlerent'c to he followed \ery soon by sneering inlidelity. Nearly all our so-called IJonian Catholic journalists are Romanists in name only. They have k)st all taith in the old system. When a better faith might have saved them from spiritual shipwreck, it was not ofl'ered them in Roman Catholic Quebec, and now they are abjectly inditlei-ent to all religion. Self-interest is the ruling power in them, and the all-absorbing question is: "How shall we gain influ- ence? How shall we make money?" The answer is soon found : By joining issue with those who have power over the French masses. By helping them to retain their power over them. It is well known tliat the priests for the j)resent, control these masses. There are to be sure, signs of dissatisfaction and the power of the hierarchy will go down sooner or later. But for the time being he who would have influence with the French masses must be in sympathy outwardly with the hierarchy. The conclusion is easily drawn. The French paper must in all things be the mouthpiece of the clergy. It is only necessary to glance over one or two issues to become more than satisfied that such is the case. The editors and proprietors are under the necessity of submitting to the dictates of the priests. They do not dare to give expression to an opinion or conviction, not in har- mony with the views and tastes of the Romish hierarchy. Tlie expression of an independent thouglit, the mildest crit- icism of the church in matters political and social, leave alone religious questions, would mean the speedy death of the rash journalist. He must ever keep in mind that his readers are the slaves of the priests. One word from him 'i •IJ i ■'M 'II I r ( 1 ., .! i; (■ I ^1' » I Mi 11 I H : IWO Y'lur ILritaije. wuiild 1(1' ciiouLih to retluco tlie subscription list to the low- est t'\piTs>ioii, ill a very short time. When we consider what an inlhujiice the [)ross exerts, we can readilv iinderstaud the harm that is (h)iie umoii'; the French peoph' by papers eondueted on these principles. AV(! have more than once been astonished at the boldness displayed. I'lider the stars and stripes, I'or years, unprin- ('ij)le(l men have be(!ii insultinir, deridin^s misrepresenting all those Institutions which this nation loves as much as life. As lor the sacred truth.- u\' tlie religion which the American nation pr(;tesscs, they are dragged in tlu' nmd constantly. The masses arc made to believe that Protest- ants lielievi' ill neither Go nuiltitu- des, when public opinion is guided by so disreputable and raislciuling a journalism ? They cannot l)ut liave feelings of hatred and rebellion toward the land of their ado])tion, Avhich will break out sooner or later. Unless they are enlightened Ijy the Gospel and by a French press imbued with evangelical principles and with true American ideas, these multitudes nuist re- main, not only foreign, but must develop into dangerous enemies of the countrv thev are taught to hate. We think we have reason to be concerned for the future. The momentum of these various forces, now at work in New England, is far greater than is imagined. The French hierarchy are in especially favorable circum- stances to carry out their ])lans. They hold all the wires and can pull them at will. They are supposed to be an insigniticant power ; they can do their work very largely unnoticed because they use a foreign tongue. We fear this country will have in New England, some of the troublesome experiences old England has had and is E)iiji)i(jfi of War/arc. 103 now hiiviug, in Canada. Nothing hut the uvangolization uf tlie Fronch Caiwidians can prevent thi-ni. A.s this is now the great ini.ssionary problem ol" Canada, so will it .soon be lor 2^'ew England. SECTION IV. — TIIK FRliNClI NATIONAL CONVKNTIONS. The church of Konie, as has already been stated, has Cor centurieti, believed in the principle of cenirali/.ation. It has been powerful both as a religious and political organi- zation, because it has acted on the princi{)le that strt-ngth lies in concerted action. The French clergy have not been behind the rest of the hierarchy m this particular direction. They very soon saw that the million of French Canadians scattered over this country, would be a very insignilicant factor in moulding the de.'?tinies ot this nation, if there were no \n>\\d (»f uni