Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-28
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SOLEMN HIGH MASS CEIE-
DRAFTED BY THE COUNCIL.

Bishop spaIding Sets Forth the Interest
of the Catholic Church in Forwarding
the COuntry's Pros Osperity-Richmond
Democrats Make Merry over 2I9
Pound Plum Pudding.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 27.-A solemn public
session Of the Plenary Council was held
to-day at tne cathedral, when pontifcal
high mass was celebrated by Archbish-
Op Lamy, of Santa Fe. Archbishop Heiss.
of Milwaukee, delivered an grafton in
Latin on the Dignity OF the Priesthood
after which Bishop Spalding, of Peoria,
preached Thanksgiving sermon. He
said that the ''pTactice which with US
has now grown to be national of appoint
ing one day in the year for general
thanksgiving to God the Creator and giVer
OF all goods, has seemed to the fathers of
the third Plenary Council of Baltimore
cOnsOnant with the principles of the faith
and with the prOmptings of the heart of a
Christian people, and they have therefore
determined to recognize and commend in
"A public and solemn way the custom
which declares our dependence on God,
both as a nation and as individuals, while
II tends to strengthen the spirit of graft
tude and to increase our conf
dence IN His all-wise and fatherly
providence. The appeal made by
the civil authorities of our
country, asking all citizens to cease from
work and business on this daY, and to
raise their thoughts to God while they
bring to mind the great and numberless
blessings which He continues to shower
upon them and their country, is a call to
which we gladly hearken.
OUR COMMON COUNTRY.
"In common with all others we have
here home and country in which we en-
JOY the rights of freemen, and OppOrtuni-
ties to use the powers which God has
given us in a way never before granted to
men, nor offered to them now even
except in the United States. Whatever
fills the heart of our fellow cOuntrvmen
with JOY and pride when they contemplate
the marvellous growth and eVer-increasing
prosperity OF our common country sends
thrill of gladness through our Catholic
hearts. We are part of this great people,
and whatever is good for our country is
good for us. Catholics were the first in
this world TO proclaim and put in practice
the principles of religious federation,
and they viii be the last to deny
or violate the Christian chart of
freedom Of conscience. American Catho-
lies shed their blood for our independence,
and the aid Of which we received from
the Catholics of other lands was the Pro-
Nldentlal means which enabled us to come
forth victorious from the struggle and to
establish ourselves as a free and separate
people.
CATHOLICS IN THE EARLY DAYS.
Catholics, who bore the chief part in
the founding of this great republic must
ever feel that it is their duty to labor to
make it perpetual. The church holds the
tuilness of Gods supernatural bOuntIes
and the republic is His richest earthly
gift to His children. Both have a world
wide mission to purify, elevate, ennoble
and enlighten them, to free them from
slavery, whether of soul or body, of heart
or mind. The republic gives liberty to
the church, the church strengthens the
spirit Of obedience and devotion to the re-
public, and both cooperate to make pre-
vail the viii of God, which is righteous
ness, peace and goodness"
4 reception and banquet was given to-
night by the Catholic Benevolent Le-
giOn Of Baltimore to Bishop Laugh
lin, OF Brooklyn, who is the
spiritual adviser 20 the Supreme Council
OF the order. Among those present were
ArchbishOps Gibbons, Elder of Cincin-
natl, and Lynch, of Toronto, and Bishops
Ryan of Buffalo, O'Farrell of Trenton,
McNierney of Albany. Becker OF Will
mingtOn, and others. About 300 persons
participated in the festivities, which con-
TIMED until late OOUr