The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-06-19
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Amidst the misrepresentation to Viii
Catholics are subjected, We are from time
time grati6ed at the disinterested defen
accorded to us by honest Protestants.
such il the following, delivered by u
Hays Of Cook County, at the late Const
tutional Convention in Illinois. We cal
only find room for the conclusion
| owed it to my constituents, alarge porl
ton of whom have, with their c0-retigt0n1
lists, been misrepresented and slandered on
this floor, charged with the design to over
| throw the free institutions of the country,
and thet by gentlemen who are themselves
seeking to change the constitution Of
State in the interest Of their owuAectarf
schemes. owed it to the cause OF truth
and Justice I owed it to popular rights and
freedom of conscience, now openly At
tackled, and owed it to religion, In whOee|
sacred name, under whose holy garb, thiaI
great wrong and outrage is sought to bel
done.
1 will notice the aspersions upon thst|
portion Of our people who belong to the|
Catholic Church.
I regret that there is not in this body
speak for it. I am not . member of that
denomination, but I can now speak without
prejudice. Starting out with strong bias
against the Catholic doctrines, believing
sincerely the charges which have heard
repeated in this debate, and regarding That
have, after an inyestigstion of ten years,
come to the consftsion that have myself
- in .eysDrj and that the Christian reli-
gi0n has been preserved, and still exists
within the bosom of that Church, and that
the vocation OF it's clergy, and the only pur-
and the salvation of human souls.
The charges made here against the Cath.
olics, and urged with paasionate declarna-
ton, is that they design to overthrow the
free institutions of this country. ask /
where is the evidence to sustain this charger |
challenge investigation. I appeal to his N
tory. From the day when Lord Baltimore \
landed his Catholic colony on the shores Of |
Maryland, and set the example of universal
toleration, down to the present hour. /
wish to know when and where the Catholics \
lave ever failed in their duty to their coun-
'ry, or been found in opposition to her
avs or institutional Was it in the revo- n
utionary war; History answers that thew 4
we're at every post of peril, and crowded
very battle field; that generous Catholics n
rom beyond the seas, Kosciusko, and De III
Aalb, and Lafayette, and R0chambeau, \
lded in our struggle, and with them thous-
nds of our Catholic allies, sent to rs bye
he Catholic King of France. Who could /
ay that we would have gained our. inde-
endence without that aid Was it in the \
7ar of 1927 Was it in the Mexican war.
'aged against q Catholic nationf - Did any /
ne ever hear that our Catholic citizens re-
used to serve the country in that warf
'awler, and thousands with themf Was
in the recent gigantic struggle against
rmed rebellionf Here was the Golden IA
pportunity for all who had evil designs to HI
"a In the overthrow of the Government. Hi
there were the Catholics in that struggle HI
10 they ally themselves with the public Nj
1eIhy, TO obtain advantages for themselves ii
: their religionf Did not every State send
81 thousands of Irish, and German, and N
rench, and American Catholics to the
fence Of the countryf Did any Of them IA
I'm their backs on the enemyf Everv I
70 knows that regiment after regiment Of
Itholics went from our cities. In Chicago
ather Dunno, a Catholic priest, raised
giment. From hundred thousand
aves Of heroes slain in our defense. over
oh of which, if found by their kindred. a
ooden cross would CLEAN white in the
nshlne, come the reproachful words, ait
not true that we, who died for our conn
?, have been traitors to her cause.n who
es not remember the death of the brave
liligan of Chicagof / knew him well:
ave he was as any knight of chiyalry:
re, upright, devout. When wounded
to death, he lay on the field of battle.
} soldiers sought to take him up. what
re the last words of this true and faith
son OF the Catholic Church, now de-
unced as being hostile to American lib
a boys, let me lie, and save the
g." What flag was thatf Was it the
of king or EMPEROR No; >it was the
!, white and blue-the star spangled
nner of the United States-which. in his
ing hour, when the blood was oozing
m his wounds, was precious in his sight
more precious than his own life. Yet
"a sacrifices as these are not enough to
eid the Catholics from this false and un-
rthy charge.
'REsBYTERIANs ON THE VIRGIN MARY
were not little surprised to read in O. I
number of a Presbyterian. paper-TRe
Grtor-by the way, one of the most tall Il