girl, while they are exposed to a persecution such as no Catholic government, king, or despot ever attempted to force on the consciences of their dissenting subjects, not even Queen Mary, of England, excepted; for the so-called persecution by Catholic princes has never been to compel men to adopt a new religion.  Protestants in Europe and here attempt to compel the adoption of their false tenets by those who are neither desirous nor willing to adopt them, and who already profess a true religion.  This is what makes a vast difference between the persecution your “Madiai” suffer, and this ten times worse persecution which many an otherwise honest and kind-hearted American farmer allows to take place in his family.  The Day of Judgment alone will reveal to light what trials, crosses, and real persecution Catholic servant men and women have to endure in remote and country places from the bigotry, hypocrisy, and cruelty of ignorant, unfeeling farmers and their wives, goaded on, no doubt, and urged, by low, base, and brutal parsons, who have scarcely enough to eat, and who envy the priest the comparative independence which the liberality and true Catholic charity of his flock enable him to maintain.

By these remarks I am not to be understood as saying that good-nature, justice, and even generosity, do not govern the conduct of the American people.  I am aware of their kindness, hospitality, and philanthropy; but these fine traits of character are obscured, perverted, and rendered abortive, whenever the demon of sectarian influence touches them with her black rod.  And, like the Jews, while they are persecuting the Holy One of God in his humble members, they think they are doing a service to God.  Such is the effect of the poison, in the shape of religious instruction, infused into the minds of this noble people by the lying and ignorant teachers that they allow to instruct them.  The American people are generally so busy, so intent in making a fortune or a livelihood, that they have not time, as they cannot have the inclination, to pay much attention to religious training.  Hence it is in the science of the soul and salvation, as in that of medical science, the number of impostors and quacks is infinite.

The following dialogue between an Irish Catholic servant and her evangelical mistress will serve faintly to illustrate what is the weekly, if not daily, recurrence in tens of thousands of families all over this “free country”: 

“You can’t go, that’s the amount of it, Anne,” said Mrs. Warren to an Irish Catholic servant maid of hers, who heard of the priest’s being at the shanties on this morning.

“Why so, ma’am?” said Anne.  “All the girls of the country around are allowed to go; but I never get a Sunday or holy day to myself.  It is too bad.”

“Why don’t you come with us to our meeting, where all the decent folks go, and none of your Irish are present?”

“Many decent folks go to ‘Old Harry!’” cried Anne, in anger.  “Is that the reason I must go too?”