I might multiply instances where this to his brother: Come, let us descend false spirit of toleration has led the together into the fields of liberty—but community to assist the propagation of it is only treasonably to murder him doctrines destructive of its own exist- there." ence; but let those I have stated suffice for the present occasion.

may

A favorite argument in the mouth of those who would stretch toleration Macaulay asserts that "the experi- beyond its legitimate limits is that it is ence of many ages proves that men better for a government to endure the be ready to fight to the death, and evils engendered by certain systems of to persecute without pity, for a religion, belief or unbelief than by interference whose creed they do not understand, with them to invest their followers with and whose precepts they habitually the dignity of "martyrs." A measure disobey." That cannot be denied, of prudence which under some circumbut neither are we to forget that on the stances is worthy consideration, but other hand men are often lax in up- which has been too often insisted upon holding their beliefs, not because they in cases where it should have had no have any doubt as to being in the right weight. Whenever the operation of a but because they make of their own just law has resulted in creating an failings a miserable apology for shirk- undue sympathy for the offender, an ing the logical conclusions of their explanation will generally be found in principles. It is a piteous spectacle to observe one who professes Christianity holding his hands out to its bitterest foes and pluming himself upon a liberality which is nothing more than a mixture of cowardice and ignorance. With such a man principle is but a though the sans-culottes might have matter of politeness and convenience, and I doubt if he is to be classed much higher than the persecutor described by Macaulay.

the fact that it was only after an exhibition of weakness that the law was at last enforced. Had Napoleon been in Louis XVI's place on that memorable day of the tenth of August, there would have been no Reign of Terror,

had a host of "martyrs" to mourn for.

One of the causes which lead a people to calmly contemplate the introduction of dangerous influences among them is an unwarranted confidence in their own strength. And when the

One thing must not be forgotten, and that is, that the unworthy claimants for toleration who so play upon our hour of peril comes, when the influences sympathy that we ignore our judg- they have weakly tolerated, gaining ment, will not tolerate us when through power, threaten social disorganization our good services they get the upper and anarchy, a great majority of lawhand. They cry out for the freedom abiding citizens find themselves at the of speech and the freedom of the press, mercy of a few desperate adventurers, but woe to us when they become the as was the case in Paris during the masters and we the suppliants. As Commune. And while the cause of Lacordaire puts it, "The combat be- order must assert its ascendency soontween truth and error is always that of er or later, a work of destruction can Cain and Abel. Cain constantly says be accomplished which may take years

Gentlemen, I am aware many will refuse to recognize the importance I am disposed to attribute to the question

to remedy but which might have been public places. We shall have none of prevented by a far-seeing and a firm, it. As God knows our hearts we hate uncompromising enforcement of the error-not men. As God upholds us law. This policy of temporizing, of we shall battle to the last against a false toleration, has been responsible for toleration transformed into license many of the evils which have cursed which would open the doors of our mankind. prisons and send forth their criminals The authority needed to prevent as the propagandists of a hideous abuses of toleration cannot be exerted revolution! unless sustained by a healthy, vigorous tone of public opinion. Our laws have already suffered in some degree from injurious legislation-the disgraceful of toleration as affecting the future of divorce laws, for example-but there this country. It may also be objected is still power in them to protect us that I have not developed the real issue from the advances of pernicious underlying all the popular delusions doctrines. and fallacies of the age. As to the We need not wait till anarchy and first objection I have only to say that disorder proclaim to us the policy of looking about me, observing the drift those who are warring against Chris- of public opinion, and the ease with tian society. We know their plans and which infidel notions and schemes obtain must prepare accordingly. Rash a foothold, I cannot help thinking that action may precipitate a contest which history is repeating itself amongst us seems to be inevitable, and there is with startling rapidity. As to the too much at stake for that. But over-second objection that I have not gone zeal is not the weakness to be feared. to the source from which this false It is this playing into the hands of the spirit of toleration proceeds—that I enemy this miserable, counterfeit lib- cannot deny. It is true that men are erality, the product of our ignorance becoming tolerant of error because they and slothfulness-that we have to themselves are falling away from the struggle against or we shall be the truth. But it is also true that there agents of our own ruin. As citizens are vast numbers of men with reverent of the republic we are pledged against minds and hearts who, while they tyranny, and that tyranny which, would shrink with horror from infidel under the insidious guise of progress and materialistic attempts to drive God overrides our law, which threatens our out of the world, are in reality aiding homes and our altars, which is under- and abetting these attempts. And mining the foundation of our liberty they are induced to do this not as sacand peace cannot, must not be toler- rificing their principles but upon the ated. Let it slink into the caves and false plea of tolerating anything and dark places of the earth. We shall not everything that claims the right of free follow it there as they did of old, and speech and of a free press. It will be bring it to the rack and the axe. But remembered that I am addressing those it must not show its brazen face in our who, thank God, are safely sheltered

from the doubts and distractions of the its forms, but I have contented myself time in the bosom of the Catholic with calling their attention to a law of Church. They at least can stand upon society, the necessity for which comes firm ground and logically uphold a under their own experience and obsertoleration which shall not be contracted vation. If I have succeeded in unsetuntil it becomes persecution, for that is tling any careless notions they may an extreme to be avoided, as we love have entertained on this question of the truth-but they cannot, on the toleration, and if in studying out the other hand, consent to extend the limits of toleration until it degenerates into the merest license. I am aware that they will have to go farther and deeper than this in defending their princi- measure the attention with which I ples against modern liberalism in all have been honored.

true nature of liberty they are led to a further examination of the great truths underlying all human government, then indeed shall I have repaid in some little

THE THREE CHICKENS.

A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY.

Three chickens went hopping on the ground,
Out on the ground when the sun rose high,
Each went from the coop with a terrible wound,
A head chopped off and a ticket to die,

But men must work and women must eat,

And tender spring chickens make very good meat,
And Christmas-time is coming.

Three roosters they set up a terrible squawk,

And they stretched out their necks as the fowls went down,

And they looked at the hens and tomahawk,

As much as to say, Don't do it up brown!

But men have stomachs and women must eat,
And nice chicken pie is hard to beat,

And Christmas-time is coming.

Three corpses all cut up went into dish,

The crust was put on and the edge scollop'd down,

As juicy a pie as the stomach could wish,

When the oven had baked it all through, nice and brown,

For men must kill and women must eat,

And good chicken pie is a very great treat,
When Christmas-time is coming.

MEMORY AND HOPE.

A NEW YEAR'S VISION.

BY J. C. REEVES.

All day long, by the mystic sea
Whose waters verge on Eternity,

On a cold, gray rock, that stood alone

Where the winds and the waves made desolate moan,

Two maidens stood. And the raven hair

And dreamful eyes and dejected air

Of her who gazed on the ships that sailed
Far into the blinding mists that veiled
Sailor and keel from the eyes that fain
Would look in the face of their lov'd again,
Bespoke a soul that would oft recall,
From Memory's silent but throngful hall,
The joys that died, and the hopes that woe
And pain had nipp'd in the long ago.

All day long, by the mystic sea
Whose waters verge on Eternity,

Two maidens stood. And the golden hair
And winsome beauty and hopeful air

Of her who looked from the shore and the sea
And the clouds that lower'd so gloomily,
To a rift of gold in the sky that gleamed
As though 'twere an angel eye that beamed,
Told of a soul that was brave and true,
When Duty said there was work to do;
Of a soul, whose hope, like the ceaseless flame
Of an altar-lamp, burned ever the same.

"Ah me," said she of the raven hair,
The dreamful eyes, and the languid air,
"If in from the wastes of Memory,
No desolate hopes came back to me,
To taunt my soul with their vacant stare,,
Their pale, wan faces and ghostly air,

My life would be as the tuneful lay
The birdlings warble the livelong day;
And never more my thoughts would be
On the phantom ships and the moaning sea!
But woe is me! as the old year dies,

The ghosts of hopes that have died arise,
And visions of wasted moments press
To add to my spirit's bitterness,
Till waking and sleeping moments seem
The phantasms of a horrid dream,
And life no more hath aught for me
But the pale, wan spectres of memory!"

Answered she of the radiant hair,
The healthful beauty, and winsome air:
"Sister! God in his mercy gave

For every sorrow a Lethe wave,

That none might want, if his heart were strong,
Of true contrition to mend his wrong.
But never have dreams performed a deed
That man in the annals of men shall read,
And never have sorrowings near the grave
Of their buried hopes stretch'd forth to save
A wandering sinner, nor passed the Bread
Of Life to the soul that would fain be fed;
But to strive and fail and strive again
Is never to spend one's life in vain,
For the highest law to the truly great,
Is the heavenly mandate, 'Do and Wait.'"

All night long, by the mystic sea
Whose waters verge on Eternity,
Two maidens stood, till the roseate ray
Of morn told of the new-born day.
Then spake she of the raven hair:
"O glad New Year, to a soul of care
What bringest thou, that I may not see
The pale, wan spectres of Memory?"

Answered she of the golden hair,
The sparkling eye, and the joyous air:
"O pale, wan sister! unto thee
The New Year bringeth an argosy
Of golden moments, and each its own
Sweet fruitage hath, if the best be done;