The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1872-11-17

zen Of State-conseQuently and pre- emf.
nently tho social epil. The greatest curse
~ we look upon him In bis family rela-
tions-conseqnently the domesGc evil. The
greatest curse il we look pom him 40 one
who Processes any fixed religion--conse-
quently the religious evil. Behold the bur
den OF my argument; behold the three
points In which desire to put this subject
before you. ,'t..s-.
And first of all, assert the obligations
OF the man as q citizen Of the State, "a q
membe of society governed by lava. His
hrst obligation is to obey the laws and yield
to them an intellectual and manly obedi-
ence,; to assert the dominion and the oh,.
impotence of the law as the very quintes-
sence of freedom, and to uphold his rights
40 citizen and to maintain them within
all liawful limits; and to help 20 preserve
the State that protects him In life and
property; and 20 edify his fellow -citizens
by the example, Of n manly aud effectual
life in obedience to laws. ds ,.5ia
Now. my friends, these are the real pri.
mary obligations that the State puts upon
us. Aud remember that next to the rell-
gion that sets q man right with his God,
and keeps him right with God, the very
highest blessing that God can give to any
man is to place him in free, liberal, and
cons'derate government, and order of State
policy-to place him in State whera the
governing powers will pay that tribute to
the in tellect of every citizen, as to consult
him individually before they lay upon him
the obligations of law. There have been
Governments and States where the law by
which the people were directed was the
mere expression OF a despot's aud tyrant's
will. There have been GovernmeAss
where the law, by which eitizeasswere
of high reason, animated and guided by
benevolence, but was rather the expression
of the caprice, whims, oddities and eccen-
tricities of perhaps the vilest monstsr, and
the worst man in tho country. Such was
the Government and such was the law that
told the Catholic parents of Ireland that it
was no longer lawful for them to educate
their children. Such was the Government
aud such the law that told the Catholic
priesthood of Ireland that it was no longer
lawfal for them to go to the Holy Altar aud
celebrate the Mass. That law was not the
reflex of religion, nor of reason, nor of
justice, nor of mercy. 1t was the accursed
that ever appeared upon this earth, and her
name was Queen Elizabeth--Queen Besa.
But, my friends, 30 come home to the sub
ject at once--the snbject Of the State-you
men who are here iistenipg TO me are, many
of you, American citizens by birth and by
blood; but, surely, there are also many
listening to me who, like myself, are men
Of Celtic blood aud Of the Irish race-not
English bat Irish not Norman but Celtic |!
My own name of BurlEes IL 10 true, is o
Norman name, but it is q name that came
down to me for 700 years, from sires and
from mothers that knew to bleed and die
for Ireland and, thanks be to God, man
gets more of his nature, and Of his heart,
and of his blood from his mother than
from his father and my mother was q
McDouough from Connemara, and spoke
as pure Irish ever Hugh O'Neill or Red
Hugh O'Donnell could-as fiery in their
tempers as ever st. ColumbkilI was-and
he ,cds an Irishmon-as poor as England
could make them-aDd God knows that
was poor enOugh-and as proud as Lucifer,
and as Catholic as st. Peter.
Well, my friends, to you especially who
have been brought up in tho traditions of
persecution and almost Rlavery-to you
who in this land breathe and inhale the
glorious air of America-to you! who
know the epringy step of freeman, that
| you were never able to lay upon these
shanrocks at home-to you, ] say, have
| you not realized the magnificent truth OF
my assertion This glorious and grand
| Amefica-ohl may every blessing in the
bosom Of God come down upon her fmpe
rial and more than Imperial head aud heart
This great land, this noble Consultation o
freedom, will not impose q law 1pon th'
| least of you, her citizens, unless she are
asks that man, by his vote at the hastings
whether that law 10 to oe made OF not
che will not as much as nominate civi,
magistrate to rule, until she first asks youl
own opinion and it is for you to decide
who shall be your Governor. She takeG
into her grand Republican council every
citizen In the land, and she elevates him to
the highest principles Of obedience and
law, by Transforming every citizen OF her'
into o Iawgiver. 10 It NOT cot Was evel
since the world was crested-were there
ever more magnificent sight than 90 many
millions Of freemen living In harmony and
Ipeace together, and no man abusing tht
freedom chat this glorious country giVel
i hiR7 sAid no man ab1sing bis troeaoD
" must alter tbat exPFsssi0Ri there ia on