In drawing this brief outline of the pioneer efforts of Catholic journalists we must not fail to notice the deleterious influence exercised by journals relying in a great measure on Catho lic patronage, but whose editors made religion the medium through which much harm was done to the Catholic cause in America. During the year 1822, when the Hogan schism was at its height, the journals of Philadelphia vied with one another in catering to this unpleasant strife. The following papers were frequently em ployed as organs by the schismatic Hoganites: the Democratic Press, the Aurora, the Na tional Gazette, the American Sentinel and Mer cantile Advertiser and the Columbian Observer. Besides the virulent attacks on Catholics con tained in the daily press, there were two weekly papers conducted by the Hog-anites, which defended the position of that party with all the ability of which they were capable. These journals were called the Catholic Herald and Weekly Register and the Erin. Of the former we know little, as there are but a few copies extant. It was the chief organ of the schismat ics and was conducted by E. F. Crozet. The witches' cauldron in Macbeth was not filled with worse ingredients than might be found in the Catholic Herald. So blasphemous was its tone tone toward Catholic matters generally that it must have even shocked the slumbering consciences of the stubborn Hoganites. The Erin has been described in Finotti's (Biblio graphia' as Can angel's name with the devil's tongue." Like every other Irish journal which appeared before or after it, this paper claimed to be a defender of the liberties of Irishmen against persecution. Combating this formidable array of discordant and biased journals, the Catholics possessed one lone journal in Philadel phia which battled gallantly, while it lasted, for truth and justice. It appeared for the first time on Saturday, 22 Feb. 1823, but after a few issues ceased publication. The whole disposi tion of Catholic journalism during the first half of the 19th century seems to have been to promote the harmony of society by removing from the pathway of non-Catholics the ground less prejudices and prepossessions which had grown up into social barriers, due chiefly to the circulation of misrepresentations and calum nies by the enemies of Catholicism in Europe and America, and the supineness of the Catholic body at large in the face of these fabrications. Until the year 1840 the general policy of Catholic journalism was a defense of Catholicism by vigorous appeals to reason and dogmatic principles. The period was above all one of spirited controversy. Catholic doc trines during the epoch were very imperfectly understood by those outside of the Church. There was a predisposition on the part of all sectarian and secular journals to misrepresent her doctrines in every conceivable way. After the year 1840 there began among the non Catholics of the land a formulation of better and clearer judgments, which result had been brought about largely by the successful con flicts carried on by Catholic journalists. The newspapers of this period give a contemporary view of the life and spirit of Catholicism in America. It will be impossible, within our space, to give any detailed information regard ing the newspapers and magazines that have been founded since these pioneer days. At the present time there are being published 128 newspapers, 128 magazines, 30 quarterlies, 2 biweeklies, 9 bi-monthlies and 16 annuals. The State of New York leads in number of Catholic newspapers. The checkered careers of these papers only give us an idea of the trials and vicissitudes of editors elsewhere. In 1848 Thomas D'Arcy McGee started The Nation but the editor soon precipitated a controversy with Archbishop Hughes who withdrew his sup port from the paper and The Nation ceased after two years' existence. McGee's next ven ture, the American Celt, had a rather unsettled career. It was published first in Boston, then in Buffalo and finally in New York It was here purchased by D. and J. Sadlier who gave it the name of The Tablet. Quite a galaxy of famous editors at one time or other enlivened the columns of this journal. Dr. J. V. Hunt ington, Bernard Doran Killian, Wm. Denman, Dr. O. A. Brownson, Dr. Henry J. Anderson, Lawrence Keough and D. P. Conyngham gave some of their best years in journalism to build up the prestige of this paper. During the course of the year 1859 the New York Free man's Journal, conducted by James McMaster, gave Archbishop Hughes considerable trouble on account of the idiosyncracies of its editor. This necessitated the establishment of the Metropolitan Record which continued until 1873. In the dying days of the Metropolitan Record there appeared in New York a pro gressive and practical journalist, Patrick V. Hickey, who edited the Catholic Review until his death in 1889. At that time Dr. John Talbot Smith took up the work and gave to the journal those rare talents which have always distinguished his writings. In 1886 the Catholic News was founded by Hermann Ridder. Dur ing the first year of this paper's existence Dr. John Gilmary Shea, the great Catholic his torian, became its editor. Here in the editorial sanctum of the News office, Dr. Shea closed a brilliant career and laid the foundations, for that efficiency in editorial and business manage ment which has characterized the efforts of his successors on this paper. The News is now under the editorial direction of Michael J. Madigan. The neighboring city of Brooklyn Ca made several attempts in tholic journalism, most of which have been short lived. In 1882 the Catholic Examiner was begun. This was followed by the Leader in 1884. Of more recent origin is The Tablet which is now the diocesan organ. The Catholic Union and Times published in Buffalo has always been under strong editorial management. The Catholic Union was started in 1872 by Rev. Louis A. Lambert, a man of vigorous yet well-disciplined mind. The editorship later passed to Rev. Patrick Cronin who was a leader among the journalists of his day. Catholic newsp.Ters have also been established in other cities of New York State, principally in Albany and Syracuse. In Albany the earliest was the Catholic Pioneer in 1853. All succeeding ven tures proved unsuccessful owing to a lack of support. In Syracuse during the second half of the 19th century, several attempts to main tain Catholic weeklies ended in failure. The Catholic Reflector, the Catholic Vindicator and the Catholic Sentinel, each had a feeble existence and ceased publication. At present the Catholic Sun is published there. In Phila delphia the need of a Catholic newspaper was felt more urgently than elsewhere on account of the canker-worm of trusteeism. This led to the establishment of the Catholic Herald in 1833. Moreover the number of religious periodicals increased with such startling rapidity about the middle of the third decade of the 19th century that very few denominations were without a weekly journal in which they could advance and defend their respective views of doctrine and church government. Needless to
say, controversies arose on all sides, which became more bitter as time went on and these finally terminated in 1844 in bloodshed, arson, desecration and destruction of church property. In 1856 the Herald was consolidated with the Visitor, under the management of James McDonald, Charles S. Greene and Charles A. Repplier. It ceased publication about the 'end of the Civil War. Another Catholic Herald was started in 1872 but did not long endure. In 1866 the Catholic Standard was first pub lished. After a series of trials, such as was the lot Of all newspapers of this period, this paper was amalgamated with a rival The Times, started by Rev. Louis A. Lambert in 1892. The new combination known as the Standard and Times, was brought about in 1895. To-day this is one of the most authoritative organs of Catholic opinion in America. The 'only other city in Pennsylvania which has contributed notably to Catholic journalists is Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Catholic was begun in 1844 by Bishop O'Connor. It has always been ably conducted and it is one of the few early Journals .to brave the storms 'of adversity and s grown strong in the defense of Catholicism and its ideals. The summary of early New England journalism is but a panorama of the revivals of religious intolerance. Looking back upon the centuries of Puritan ascendency in America, the descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers had little to be proud of in their treat ment of Catholics. As time went on, a little more toleration was practised but Roman Cath olics were long regarded as the objects of Puritan distrust and their religion considered (subversive of society." With the War of Inde pendence, the condition of Catholics began to improve but in Boston the admonition of Gen eral Washington was required to calm the pas sions and the prejudices of its populace. For years there lingered within the confines of the Puritan heart mistrust and apprehension of the Catholic religion. After the framing of the constitution they threw all their prestige into the Federalist party and succeeded in electing John Adams. Hardly had he gained power than, listening to their promptings, the Congress passed the celebrated Alien and Sedition laws. These imprudent measures caused the hordes of immigrants that flocked to America to seek refuge in the ranks of their opponents, the Jeffersonian or Republican party. To crown their perfidy as a political organization, the Federalists in 1814, through the Hartford Con vention, called a protest against the War of 1812 and recommended that, °naturalized foreigners should be debarred from member ship in Congress and from all civil offices under the United States." Such in brief, forms, as it were, the historic background of Catholic jour lialism in New England.
Boston, being the chief metropolis of New England, presented a fair field for the Catholic journalist. As early as the year 1829 the Jesuit or Catholic Sentinel was established. This lasted under various names until 1836. During the course of seven years this journal had the following titles: The Catholic Intel ligences, the Jesuit, the Irish and Catholic Senti nel, Literary and Catholic Sentinel and the Boston Pilot. In 1837 it suspended publication and after some months Patrick Donahue sum moned up sufficient courage to give Catholic journalism in New England another trial. The Pilot was the , name given to the new journal. It was at first a national, rather than a religious paper. The Irish of New England read it be cause it containel news from Ireland. They helped to build up the circulation of the Pilot. In 1842 Thomas D'Arcy McGee, whose brilliant talents were but in their dawn, became the editor. Another editor of some note was Rev. Father Finnotti, who assumed charge in 1852, but his diary states that he had no great loIe for Patrick Donahue, the publisher. In tem the Pilot was fortunate in obtaining ices of one who has done more to elevate Catholic journalism from mediocrity than any one preceding him, John Boyle O'Reilly. His genius as a writer was recognized both by the religious and secular press and the influence, therefore, of the Pilot became nation-wide. Two editors that maintained the high standard set by O'Reilly were James J. Roche and Katherine Conway. Among the numerous other papers that soon followed the Pilot, we may mention the Catholic Observer (1847), edited by Orestes A. Brownson, the Republic in Sacred Heart Review (1888), Connecticut Catholic in 1876 which afterward 'became the diocesan organ with the name of the Catholic Transcript. Another well-edited New England paper is the Providence Visitor. Scattered throughout the South various newspapers have from time to time been published, most of them being forced to suspend publication after a few years of precarious existence. The Catholic Mirror of Baltimore, started in 1849, had considerable influence before the Civil War, but after that time its prestige waned although the paper was issued until 1908. The Catholic Guardian, of Louisville, began ip 1858 but lasted only four years. The Catholic Advocate of earlier days was revived in Louis ville under the name of the Central Catholic Advocate. In 1896 it consolidated ylith the Midland Review but despite the combined cir culation and the services of the versatile editor, Charles J. O'Malley, it died after four years. In New Orleans the Morning Star was con ducted by Rev. Abram Ryan and James R. Randall, two poets of considerable ability. In Memphis the .Southern Catholic (1874) sus pended and gave place to the Catholic Journal. At Saint Louis the Western Watchman (1865) has survived mainly through the personality of Rev. D. S. Phelan, who, like McMaster of the Freeman's Journal, was a free lance in Cath olic journalism. In Ohio, the Catholic Universe established in 1874, and the Catholic Columbian (1875), as well as the Catholic Record of Toledo (1905), are still doing excellent serv ice for Catholicism. The earliest venture 9f Catholic journalism in Illinois occurred in 1852 when the Western Tablet was started in Chi cago. Several feeble efforts were without suc cess until the New World was established in 1892, with Charles J. O'Malley as editor, reach ing the acme of its greatness under his super vision. In 1895 the Western Catholic was started at Quincy, and is still being pub lished. In recent years Indiana has established two newspapers, the Indiana Catholic, under the able editorship of J. P. O'Mahony, and Our Sunday Visitor, published by Rev. Dr. Noll. This latter journal has done much in allaying persecution and in counteracting the influence of anti-Catholic journals. Its cir culation at the present time is by far the largest of any Catholic journal in the United States. Our Sunday Visitor has a circulation of close to 2,000,000. The interests of the arch diocese of Detroit are looked after chiefly by the Michigan Catholic.