The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-03-15


ought to bring US ont of our own paffo"
sphere. and force ne among our fellow-men,
to labor heart and soul for Others Tor
getting all these things. we seek the
quie;est places and, afraid, as 1t were, II
some one speaks loud WORD against as,
we 90 into a corner and hide ourselves
where we cannot be assailed I'VE, who
have the faith, we. who have the truth, we,
at whose head is Christ Jesus, and on earth
His successor we who should stand be-
fore the world and speak aloud the truth
as Christ Jesus gave IL to US! On my
brethren, this will not answer; TINS Is no,
what makes American Catholic citizens
Why, our religion should but intensity
our Americanism-mAke it stronger aud
bolder and drawer within US. By lite power
we ought to be able to show to the noble
American people what the Catholic Amer
lean is the best of citizens, obedient to
the laws, conservative of public morals,
faithful in every duty, kind towards others,
but bold and brave in upholding the truth.
wish to speak Of our duties as American
Catholics, and every one is an American
whose home is here. God gave this land
to the oppressed of Europe. No one has
monopoly of it. 1t belongs to Gods poor
people from every quarter of the world;
and every one that has come to this land
and has said. as lie stood upon its soil,
" This is my home, this is my land. here
do make my dwelling place, one
is an American. Then, American Catholics,
in this broad sense, owe certain duties to
the country in which they live; and these
duties to their country 60 hand IN hand
with the duties they owe to their religion
and one of these duties is the duty Of
union, of rganiza;ioo, of comb nation. We
have 10 secrets; our work is as open as
the dav. Into our councils can comeevery
oae. We have nothing to hide, nothing
to conceal. We ask favors, no privi-
riOf-s n ci.fz Catholic
offensive ask for ourselves and for the
poor-for the children of all meD-but es-
pecally for those 4" of the household of
the Faith. AS we look out over this great
county, we see wonderful organizations.
In the sanctuary the religious Orders are
doing their work well and admirably, and
are spreading in 4 manner to surprise the
world. Bot what are your Bishops and
priests your Brothers and Sisters 7-why,
you can count them and we are millions
OF people and yet. though we are millions
of peop'e ia the United States, our inhu
euce aud Our power, even in matters of
common good, count for nothing. They
count for nothing, because there IS lack
OF union and Organization among the Cath
Ole laity OF the co1ntry. We see, OF late
years, the beginning of the work these
Catholic Unions aud Catholic Associations
beginning OF the work. 1t is time. II is
time for the Catholic laymen OF the lard
to take their stand before society and
before the country. Have We not
heard the expression, until we are tired
hearing it: " Oh, the priests want
this the people don't want it :"
We have been listening to this IN.
til we are cred hearing it; and many good
people were willing t" let Others say snc'
words. for they seemed to have truth Il
them, because the people left the whole
work to the bishops ard p!iests. Why
even in the school question-in the matter
of the education of your chi!dren-many
supposed that it was an affair altogether o
the priests; whereas il is the concern
business. and affair of the people-of The
men and women, the fathers and mothers
of the land. A change, then, is coming
a change adapted to the circumstances o.
the times. Wefnd before usin the country
that mighty power, public opinion. Tht
duty OF Catholics, everywhere, is to fiut
out how to meet that public opinion, how
to create sound public opinion, how to re
sist the calamnies of the enemies of God:
Church and we are to do it just as we fine
men do it in other affairs every day.
Continued on eighth paSe.l