4
r.
Wig Ittstriliali edWir Itrftd. -
e
SUBIACO, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1874.
No. 4.
Mentital (filtanings. Le
HENRI VICTOR ROCHEFORT- LUCAY.
MAIIQUIV
DE
THE Stormy Petrel of Communism is again on the wing. Like those obscene birds reeking with the stench of decayed carrion, the very name of this creature of evil omen vet drips with the taint of petroleum. Whenever a French peer goes to the bad 'politically, and sinks down to the level of the gutter, his fall somewhat seems as hopeless and unutterable as that of a woman. It is only a gigantic genius like that of Miraheau that can impart anything like grandeur to such an abasement as is involved in the association of an aristocrat with the cause of ultra; democracy. As for Henri Rochefort, he has been from the outset of his sinister career the martinis sujet of Parisian Society Setting up at an early age for a wit and a satirist, the shafts of ridicule he has ever since been shooting about him indiscriminately, have all of them been malignantly barbed and pitilessly poisoned. So wrong-headed all the while he has been in his miserable ambition, that the only reputation he is at all likely to leave behind him will be that of a sort of lel t handed Diogenes-one who, sublimely unconcious of his own absurdity, has eargerly gone about the world with a Lantern in search, not like his prototype, of an Honest Man, hut of a quite Rogue-himself ! Caged Matchless and trapped for a time by the avengers of the very Republic he contrived to cover with infamy at the moment he helped to call it into existence, this hardly less ominous " thing of evil" than Poe's Raven, whom the American lyrist apostrophises freely as " bird or devil," has just escaped, through the remissness of his custodians, in New Caledonia, whence by way of New York, 'he is now flitting across the Atlantic. Remembering how many glorious fanes were set in a blaze but recently by the petroleum spilt from the Lantern of this later Erostratus, one can only regret that there is not a summary and stringent clause appended to the Extradition Treaties knitting together the great nations of the modern world, by which ally one, of them might be rite delietu empowered to seiz Idwrance, tjais and thurst back a lie decency, of common enemy of order, and of all good government.
t.
FLOOD IN MASSACHU1,ETTS to
A most disastrous flood, of gigantic dimensions took plat e on the 16th of May at Northampton, in Massachusetts. On the upper part of Mill River, a small tributary of the Connecticut, in Hamp-
shire 'county, there are three large reservoirs for the use of the numerouus factories which line the banks of the stream. between seven and eight o'clock in the morning a leak was okayed in the wall of one of these reservoirs ; any attempt to arrest its progress was unavailing. LI a feW moments the ungovernable water had burst from all restraint, and rushed headlong forwards in one impetuous torrent, rising, it is said, to the height of a two -storied house, and, bearing with it, the ruins of house and factory. The first obstacle which it encountered was a grist -mill, which, we are told, it swept away like a match-dox. Four villages have been entirely destroyed with about forty buildings, ten dams and twenty bridges. The loss of human life is estimated at from 150 to 200. In many instances whole families were hurried away almost instantaneously. The
lifeless body of one of the sufferers-a Dr. Johnston-was discovered with his two children clasped to his breast; his wife and infant also perished. Great 'dame is attached to the artficers of the reservoir, who seem to have been actuated by a culpable desire for economy in preference to safety, which, in an undertaking of so vast magnitude, has resulted in such lamentable consequences. A committee of the Massachusetts Legislature has viewed the ground for tie purpose of making a report. ANOTHER ' PAUL REVERE."
tion was perforated. Of this ceremony more need not be said here than that the solemnity which marked it was of a thrilling kind; and Warty came to scoff, they certainly remained to pray. 'the sermon on the occa,iou was preached by that accomplished pulpit orator, the Most Rev. Dr. Conroy, Bishop of Ardagli. his Lordship, having long been resident in Dublin as Secretary to his Eminence the Cardinal, was well known as a preacher, and much was expected of him on that account. It is but the simple truth to say that he realized the most sanguine anticipations in this respect. His discourse was, as a composition, a brilliant production throughout, and rose ever and anon into the sphere of genuine eloquence. From other points of view it was equally worthy of admiration ; hut that which struck me as the most remarkable thing about it was the great force and distinctness with which it brought out the abiding passion of the Irish people for education, united with and based on religion, and the scorn with which they regard the " reforms" at present being carried out in Trinity College, Dr. Conroy's words may be said to have given a death -blow to the now secularized University of Dublin. And so a day passed which is not unlikely to be looked back to as the startingpoint of a fish of glory and prosperity for th6 national. University of
The loss of life occasioned by this awful catastrophe would have been incalculaby greater had it not been for the spirit and courage of an American milkman, one Collins Groves, whose name will, from henceforth, he a household word. Having heard the terrible news of the bursting of the dam, almost immediately on its occurrence Collins Groves, who was on horseback at the time, hurried forward along the valley to spread the alarm. It was literally a race for life, --for life to rider and horse, who toiled on with the roaring flood at their heels-for life to the hundreds of nnconscious villagers ou either side, ignorant of the coming danger-for life to the busy crowds of operatives in the factories, all unconsciously abiding their doom. Like the harbinger of salvation came the galloping steed, while the eager rider waved his arms m Nee DA NOBROUS PLEASURES. gestures, shouted in a voice hoarse with It is a more truism that mischevious eagerness and emotion, " ro the hills, literature is especially dangerous for thin for your lives-the flood is here." At young ; but when its force Li illustrated Skinnersville the messenger was only by a practical incident it deserves five minutes in advance of the flood, specisl notice. A boy eleven years of and at Haydenville barely two minutes. age was convicted at the Middlesex LA twisted at last another herald, having e6s ions of stealing £2 5s. 6d. from a taken up the tidings, troves altered his dwelling -house, and it appears that be course, and, for the first time, beheld was induced to commit this crime by the awful enemy he had forestalled. For a moment he almost despaired of reading penny publications relating the adventures of highwaymen. The escape, but, happilly, this gallant, true magistrate, Mr. itserjeant Cox, very hearted hero was spared the fate from wisely refused to send the boy to a which he had, under Heaven, been the means of saving so many hundreds of reformatory, as he might corrupt other boys, and ho wanted to teach him that his fellow creatures. crime, instead of being a grand or heroic thing, is most degrading. He sentenced THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY, DUBLIN. him, therefore, to six months imprisonA most interesting and truly imment with hard labour, and to be twice portant ceremony took place in the whipped with a birch rod. It is not Catholic University Church on Sunday stated whether the buy had parents last. I allude to the dedication of the living, but it is plain ho had received University to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. some teaching, as he could read these The ceremony was performed by his dangerous books; though it is terribly Eminence Cardinal Cullen, in presence evident that no pains could have been of a congregation which thronged every taken with his moral training. Here is part of the divine edifice, and was coma specimen of what we may expect posed of the elite of the Catholic should the educated heathenism, so population of this Catholic city. favoured by our secularists, become the Conspicuous amongst the most attentive law of the land. How great is the beholders were the Professors of the responsibility incurred by those writers University in academic costume, and a and publishers who deliberately circularge body of students; while of the late such moral poison among the young clergy a goodly array was present, the for the sake of gain will never be known provinces sending representatives as until the secret history of human actions well as the metropolis. The appearance and their motives is revealed. of the University Church was truly delightful ; those who had charge of the WITCH BURNING IN SINALOA. decorations certainly showed that they had a true appreciation of the great act The people of Sinaloa are, for the that was about to be performed, for the most part, Indians, leading very primisplendour and profusion which marked tive lives. Some of their number were their work would lead to the impression suddenly seized by a arrange disease, that the University was dependent on whereupon they imagined they were tstate aid instead of on the charity of bewitched. The afflicted persons accused the impoverished Irish nation. A proan old man and his wife, and an old minent object was the recently erected woman and her son, as the bewitchers. statue of the Sacred Heart by Meyer, of The accused were brought befbre the Munich. This beautiful work of art Alcade, and subjected to an examinastood on the epistle side of the altar on tion. Unhappily, no priest was present, a richly carved Caen stone pedestal and the Alcade acted with great promptwith floreated capital, and was blessed ness. He ordered the poor wretches to by his Eminence the Cardinal at the be burned to death, and the sentence same time that the ceremony of dedica. was carried out. It is horrible. But,
der
PRICE 6. then, these people have only done what was done in England and in the United States in hundreds of instances ; and it must be remembered that the people of Sinaloa are not nearly as well informed as our ancestors were 150 years ago. They inhabit an isolated and dreary country, where modern ideas are slow in entering, and where primitive customs still prevail. The people are chiefly Indians ; and, although they are Catholics, their priests with difficulty restrain them when their passions are excited. Had a priest been aware of what was going on in this village, the lives of the accused witches would most probably have been saved. As it was, the people were left to their own devices; and the deplorable result followed. It scarcely belongs, however, to our English contemporaries, as some have done, to reproach them, or to draw from this one occurrence the moral that the whole Mexican people are a brutal and barbarous race. At the worst, they ate no more brutal and barbarous than the English people were after they had enjoyed the blessings of the Reformation for 100 years. ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS IN
ENGLAND
AND WALES.
A report recently published shows
that in the year ending 31st August, 1873, the inspectors visited 11,094 day schools in England and Wales, to which annual grants were made, containing 15,929 departmens undo* separate teachers, and furnishing accoms modation, at eight square feet of super( ficial area per child, fur 2,582,549 scholars. There were on the registers the names of 2,218,598 children, of whom 820,400 were under seven years of age; 1,321,182 were between seven and thirteen ; 77,016 were above thirteen. Uf these scholars 1,811,595 were present on the day of the inspector's visit to their respective schools, while 1,482,487 were, en an average, in daily attendance throughout the year ; 1,279,220 having made the requisite number of attendances were qualified to bring grants to their schools, 390,999 without individual examination, and 888,221, on passing a satisfactory examination in reading, writing, and arithmetic. 758,268 were actually' presented for such examination, and 456,466 passed the prescribed test without failure in any one of the three subjects. The inspectors also visited 752 schools which do not fulfil the conditions on which annual grants are made. In these schools 52,350 scholars were present on the day of inspection. The night schools examined during the year were 1,395 in nnmber; 45,9173 scholars above twelve years of age were, on an average, in attendance each night s' 41,860 scholars were qualified for examination by having made the required number of attendances during the night school session. Of these 34,217 were actually examined, and out of every 100 scholars so examined 67 53 passed in reading, 7211 in writing, and 62'56 in arithmetic. The inspectorg found 16,810 oertificated teachers at work in the aided schools which they visited, while the 40 training schools, from which the supply of teachers is mainly recruited, were attended in 1873 by 2,896 students. These students (with very few exceptions), And 1,409 acting teachers, were examined for certificates in December, 1873 ; and in ,the following week 2,650 candidates for admission to the 1,514 vacancies declared in the *vatting