The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-07-15
An ADDRESS OF THE POPE.
REPLY To THE SPEECH OF JUDGE THE
ARD ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THEARD'S SPEECH.

PILGR1Ms-JUDGE THEAKD's SPEECH.
Following are the addresses Of
Judge Theard and the American pill
grims to the Pope's reply, both of
which are from the current number
of the Catholic Review:
Most Holy FATHER: You behold
at your feet the American pilgrims
from different dioceses of the United
States Of America and Canada. We
have come from free country where
true liberty is thoroughly understood,
for there we suffer no persecution,
but on the contrary, enjoy full liber-
ty of conscience. We have left our
country, our homes and families, and
our temporal affairs to come and kneel
at your feet, to offer you our hearts,
our fortunes, and, if need be, our
lives. 1t has been our fervent desire
to behold. face to face, that glory
which is not of earth but is a reflec-
ton Of God himself, and that cross
which sheds a halo Of glory around
your august head. Our tongue fails
to give utterance to the sentiments
of our hearts, which throb in unison,
expressive of our submission, res
pect, and love for your Holiness. -
The greater your affections, the stron
ger wakes our love for you. But our
consolation is in the fact that you are
suffering the lot of the just, for only
thejust suffer persecution. We pray
God nevertheless, that your chains
may soon be removed, that the eyes
Of your prosecutors may be opened,
and that seeing their error they may
restore to you the States of the
Church, to which the Holy See has
an indisputable right and title, estab-
lished by the sword of a Pepin and a
Charlemagne. Since our country is
especially cousecrate to the immacu-
late Virgin, We have thought it meet,
MS preparation for our visit to your
Holiness, to PROSTATE ourselves first
at the grotto of our Lady ofLourdes,
who deigned not to call herself as
,"Concei we'd immaculate" until your
definition went forth to the world
! Cur blessed mother in herself Con
ceived immaculate seems to have
| had in view three objects: To con,
found unbclievers, to have homage
rendered to the truth Of the immacu-
late conception, and to prove to scep
tics your own infallibility as head Of
; the Church, since it is in consequence
of your definition that this dogma is
now an article of our 'credo." Il
that continent which has lately
sprung up as it were from the ocean
and from which we come, the Catho
; lie religion has increased wonderful
! ly, nay miraculously. Let not oul
: love for you be a matter Of surprise
: You are the first and only Pop,
whose sacred feet ever touched ou
: soil. When from every quarter o
! the earth such demonstrations of low,
| and obedience are being made, let u
, hope that the hour is not far away
J when there shall be but, one flOcl
} and one shepherd. We, the first pill
5 grims of America, have come to thi
: Holy City, not to offer you rich gifts
] but sentiments Of love and obedience
] which are infinitely more precious
/ We are ready to make every sacrific
r for you and our holy religion. Ma,
: God preserve you long as the hea'
4 of the Holy Church. You have see
| the years Of Peter. May God pre-
serve you to witness the triumph O
:, our Holy Church. And now, Hol,
e Father, PROSTATE at your feet, we asl
your love, and humbIy beg you t.
7 bless our country, our families, AM
e ourselves, and humbly pray you t.
accept the small presents which W
| lay at your feet.
F., THE ANSWER OF HIS HOLINESS.
f At moment when the Church o
= Jesus Christ is assailed by SO man,
a different enemies, at moment i
S which the world would wish to cove
< the Church with mist and darkness
f at that very moment God, with hi
= omnipotent breath, dispels the dark
n ness and the mist, and shows to tn
e world the beacon which guides II
e pilgrims on this earth, and point
s out the course which leads to til
d haven. All the different enemies er