The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-08-04
Tn. Ca,ho,ie. md the President.

1t has been so often asserted that the Catholics
imimieal to our free Republican institutions, that
the priesthood naturally sympathize with mon
arehica form of government and that the spread of
Cathocity should be checked, that il is pleasing To
note the genuine. hearty expressions of regret and
sympathy uttered by the Catholic people aud press
upon the attempt ON President Garfeld's life. They
are more worthy of notice, too than they would be
perhaps if the great majority of that faith did not
belong to the opposite political party.
Numbers of the bishops and clergy have spoken or
written the subject. Among Others Bishop
Spalding and Bishop Dwenger sent telegrams OF
sympathy. The Bishop of Alton, and the Arch
bishop Of Philadelphia, sent circulars to their priests
d.ploring the crime and ordering public prayer, and
the most beautiful communication that has met our
eyes relating to the crime, is the letter from the
Archbishop of Baltimore, who says TO his priests:
..You in common with all others have heard with
anlazement and horror of the attempted assassina,
tion of his excellency the President of the United
States. 1t is scarcely possible to imagine n decd
more appalling to men more iniquitous before
God, for if it is such crime to slay even private
of one who, while representing whole nation, Is
also to matters temporal, the highest yicegerent
of God himself in the land and the act of the
sin is the more heinous since he had neither pri-
vate grievance to nvenge nor the sembanee OF
public wrong to redress. And our detestaton of the
wretch who has stricken down our head Is yet more
increased when we add to the official dignity of the
sufferer, his accessibility and aifnby To all, and
his committing, like his predecessors, his personal
safety entirely to the good will and good sense OF
those over whom he presdes. Well may We stand
aghast when in this crime, andtn another crime per.
petrated few months ago. we see the mischief OF
which d single individual is capable when he has
once ceased to fear God, to vaue man, or to dread
the consequences of giving free scope to his own
passions. In the fact, then, Of this most hideous
deed, called upon to express our loathing
of the crime and our deep sympathy with him whom
this crime has placed in such great suffering and
such imminent peril, for while the Catholic church
is happily above all parties and is far from the
wish take to herself the decision of the very tran
sent and rule not very momentous questions as TO
which Of these at issue, yet none more than the
Catholic church inculcates respect for every duly
constituted authority, more reprobates or threat
ems everything by which authority is assaied. You
will therefore with all the power at your command,
urge people to pray during mass and Mt other
times, for the recovery of his exccllency, and on
Sunday next should he then still survive, you will
say in his behalf before after mass, and together
with all your people, the litany of the saints, as at
once entreating God to spare his life and also as
making act of expiation for crime which apPer-
tains to a nation, and not only concerns, but
furnishes us all