t against it at the wrong end.

In a letter to Cardinal Barnabo written in July, 1863, Father Hecker
gives an account of how he went to work to secure and interest a
non-Catholic audience:

"For several years past it has seemed to me that some more effectual
means should be taken to reach the Protestant community. This last
winter I ventured with this view upon an experiment. In three
different cities I gave, in a large public hall, a course of
conferences on religion, one every evening from Sunday to Sunday
inclusive. The expense of the hall was paid by the priest of the
place, the lectures were all free, and addressed exclusively to
Protestants. The halls were crowded at each place, and that my
audiences might be such as I desired to address, I begged Catholics
to stay away. At the close of one of my lectures there were present
twenty-five hundred persons, chiefly Protestants.

"My method was as follows: In treating any doctrine of our holy faith
with a view to convincing my audience, I considered first what want
in our nature it was related to, and to which it addressed itself.
This want being discovered, I developed and illustrated it until my
hearers were fully convinced of its existence and importance. Then
the question came up, Which religion recognizes this element or want
of our nature, and meets all its legitimate demands? Does
Protestantism? Its answers were given, and found either hostile or
incomplete. Then the Catholic Church was interrogated: and she was
found to recognize this want, and her answers adequate and
satisfactory. These answers were then shown to be supported by the
authority of Holy Scriptures.

"The interest shown by my audience was remarkable, and the effect of
this method was equal to my hopes. My experience convinces me that,
if this work were continued, it would prepare the way for a great
change of religion in this country, more particularly at the present
time, when the public mind is favorably disposed to consider the
claims of the Catholic Church."

The "want in our nature" appealed to was often in the political
order, such as the love of liberty or man's capacity for
self-government. This he dwelt upon at considerable length in the
opening part of his lecture, viewing it as a philosopher would, and
extending its application, as far as possible, to men generally. He
thus chose his criterion for comparison of the two claimants in the
religious world. His triumph was, therefore,