MR BARROWMAN'S PHILOSOPHY

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 41, 10 June 1878, Page 2

MR BARROWMAN'S PHILOSOPHY

TO THIS EDITOR OF TUB TIMES. Sit— Mr Barrowmun having constituted himsolf tho champion of, and protoo lor of tho rights of labor in Now Zoaland, ho would do vvoll to eulfcivato a hotter acquaintance with history boforo ho again rushos into print. Ho says in his lottor, that Rqmo foil from its greatness by if h pooplo disoading labor, and loaying that to thoir slavos, To use hii own ovprossion, I demur to that proposition, and maintain that tho Uoman Ernpiro fell hooaitfo of tho inhoront weakness, and tho principal of dissolution whioli all nationß not fouudod on Christianity possess within thomsolvea, nnJ that Mr Barrowman and nil othor secularists nre— no doubt unobnsoiously— by thoir ndvooaoy ! of ft Godless system of oduoation, doing thoir utmost to bring us haok to tho samo condition which produced tho downfall of tho Roman Empiro, Lot vs tako a rotrospoctivo glanco at tho picture of sooioty wlion Christianity was introduce \ Horo is what tho grout Spanish philosopher snys of it ( ' Oovorod with fino ftppoaraqcos, but in footed to tho heart with a mortal malady, it prosontod au imago of tho mostjropugnant corruption, voilod by a brilliant garb of ostontation and QPHfleuo<n Morality was withoijt reality, monnors without mbdosty, and roligion without CJod, Idoas woro' at tho nioroy of prcjudioos, of roligious fanaticism and philosophical sub!otios< Man was a profound mystory to himsolf, ho did not know how to catimato Ins own dignity for horoduood it to tho lovol of brutes ; and whon ho attempted tq oxaggorato . its importanoo, ho did not know how to con fino it; within tho limits markod out by roason and nnturo ; and it is well worthy of observation, that whilo a groat part of tho human raoo groaned in tho most fibjecfc Kovviludo, horos nnd ovon tho most abominable monsters wore clo» vatod to tho rank of Gods,' Ho goes on to nay ' Such olomonts, must, sooner or later havo produced sooial dissolution. Evon if tho violent irruption of tho barbaians had not taken plaoo, sooioty must havo boon ovorturnod, fan it did not posaoss a fertile idoa, a consoling thought, or a beam of hope to prosoi'vo it fcom ruin.' As soon as Ohristianity and paganism, mot faoo to fnoo tho superiority of tho former was rondorod palpablo, not only by its doctrines thomsolves, but in tho inaunor in which it propagatod thon;. Jt

might onsily bo imaßinocl that a religion, so wise nnd pure in ita teachings, and which in propogating thorn nddrossod itsolf dirootly to thohoart and mind, must quickly drivo from its usurped dominion, tho religion of imposturo and falsehood. And indcod what did paganism do for tho good of man P What moral truths did it tonph P How did it ohpok tho corruption oftnannors P ♦As to morals' says St | Augustin • why havo not tho Gods ohoson to tako caro of thoir adorors, and provent thoir immorfllitios.' Man easily forgets moral truths whon ho is not constantly roraindod of them, or if they romain in his mind, they aro liko atorilo woods and do not fortiliso tho heart.. It is thoroforo good and highly salutary for parontß constantly to com munioato tho in.struotion to thoir children and that it should ho mado tho principal object of private education, but it is nocossary morcovor, that thoro should bo a public ministry novor losing -flight of it, diffusing it among all classos and agos, ropairing tho nogligonoos of families, and loaving roligous impaossions, to resist tho ravages which tinio and tho passions would othorwiso invariably produce; It is quito truo that tho Romans degradod labor and maltroatod tho slavos, but it is equally truo that tho Christian Church elevated tho formor and manumitted tho latter, and to rolato all that Christianity has done and continues to do for mankind would bo tho tusk of omunorating all tho boau,lios that adorn modoru civilisation. Thoy still exists in « undiminishod vigor,' directing her energies towards tho samo end, tho tomporal and spiritual wolfaro of mankind. Tlio dnzaliug odifico of Europoan civilisation is horn. Tho credit of removing that obstaclo to nil social progress, tho disgusting leprosy of slavory, belongs to her. It' wo reflect on tho vita* lity and fruit fulness of this civilisation wo shall And therein now and poworful olaims on tho part of Christianity to tho gratitude of nations. To sum up in a fow words tho vast and interesting picture which tho prosont civilisation prosonts to us, I shall name n few of its groat ■characteristics. Tho individual animated by n livoly nonso of his own dignity, Abounding -in activity, porsovoranco, enorgy, mid (ho simultaneous development of all his facultios t woman olovated to tho rank and oonsort of man j tho gentleness and conslanoy of family ties, an admirable publio conscience, which suru vivos tho shipwreck of privato morality, a goneral mildness of manner which makes acts of violence vnry uncommon, nu irre* sistiblo londoncy, somotimos ill'dircctod, (o improve tho condition of man, a seorot impulso to protect -the -weak and succour the unfortunate » noosnu politon spirit of universality, and a genorous impntionco which longs toantieipnlo tho futiuo. Such aro Ihofoaturps which place it in a rank immensely superior to that of nil othor oivi'isations ancient or modern, Will Mr Barrowman havo this stnto of thinfts rovcrsod P In contrast compare tho Eastern nations with this ; behold them hko an impure pool which tho heat of tho sun is about to dry up ; sco tho sons and successors of Maliomct and Omah on their kneos at tho foot of Europoan powers begging a protection which j policy soinotimca affords thorn, but only with disdain. To Christianity thon is duo all tho ad« vantagos wo derive from modern civilisation, and which prevents tho torrent of sensuality from overflowing with all its caprices, from bringing about tho most profound disorganisation, from corrupting tho cliaraotor of European civilisation and peroip'fcating it into that fearful abyss in wliieh tho nations of Asia havo boon for so many conlurics, If ' hats aro not raisod to servant girls,' why doos not tho ' working man ' load off with tho example 'We court and apo tho rich in drosa and habits'* Well, when Mr Barrowman stands again 'with bettor results ' lot him appear within tho ' hall of wisdom ' in a suit of moleskin, when its walls will reooho with his voteo and speech. ' pleading; watching, nnd nurs« >ng ' tho rights of tho working man ' lot him boar, in mind that ' language is tho dross of thought,' and as tho noblest being, a most graceful action would bo degraded and obscured in v garb appro* priatod to the rudo employment of rustics or mechanics, no tho most heroic son (A* monts would loso thoir efficacy, and tho most splondid idnaa drop thoir magniflx oonco if convoyed by words used ooniji inonly upon low nml trivial occasions, dobasod by vulgar mouths, nnd conta« minatod by inologant applications, Your's truly, A Hater op Bunkum.