The Irish standard., 1886-08-28
our CATHOLIC PATRIOTS.
Al Able Sermon By Rev. j. g. By1ne Of
St. Paul's Cathedral on Last
Decoration Day.
THE VALOR OF IRISH CATHOLICS
The Antagonism Of a. Certain Glass Of
Know Nothings'' to the Oatho-
lie Church.

The following is an extract from the
sermon which Rev, J. e. .Byrne Of st.
PauI's Cathedral, delivered Decoration
day:
Between the years OF 1880 and 1860
there came into existence III this land
of religious freedom party whose aim
was to root out all foreigners and whose
motto was to crush the Catholic faith.
In rapid succession the most infamous
calumnies were printed. the most "aW~
ful disclosures" were invented to play
on the credulity Of those who knew
Catholics only by false report and the
viIest Misrepresentation. The move
ment was also carried into the field OF
politics, and the hue and CRY was raised
by those, whom alone this nation need
fear--sordjd denlagogues. These ara
parodies ON the statesmen, the counter
feits Of the patriot, having all his look
but not of his value, who, to borrow
well-known but just si,nile, like q dead
body sink to the bottom, while there is
any soundness in them, but WlleE they
have gathered in all the corruption OF
the dregs of humanity, they rise as they
rot and polute the social waters around
them. In vain against these did Catho-
lies appeal to the constitution-the con-
stitution was promised to be amended,
or rather destroyed. In vain were the
words Of Washington to Catholics
quoted, II presume that your fellow
cit1zons will not forget the patriotic
part which you took in the accomplish
ment OF their revolution and the estab-
lishn1ent OF their Government, that
part was III truth forgotten. In vain
were representatives Of all Catholic na-
tions shown to be participants in the
e4ol,fsio,s KssE5 ''aa::l;r
Kosciusko, Lafavette-it was useless to
reason with those who were detern.:ns@
to hear and know nothing. The gre;
sacrifice of Carroll was forgotten, the
bravery Of the German and Irish Cath
olics Of Pennsylvania were ignored.
The fertile brain Of the dema gogues
continued to unearth new ''plots'' and
"conspiracies, and thus day by day, q
fresh brand was thrown on the fatal
pile, and all that was required was but
to apply the torch and Catholicity in
America was undone, when suddenly
Divine Providence intervened and the
disatfection Of the South called public
attention fronl the meditated attack on
Catholics to the preservation OF the
country itself. Then, when the war
was declared, all for the first time saw
who was faithful to his country and who
was net. who barred his breast to rebel
bullets and who for few paltry dollars
bought substitute. A great fact then
became evident land Americans are
ever open to the logic of acts), that
these so-called foreigners, whose
head was supposed to be in Rome and
whose heart was thought to dwell on
the Rhine, the Rhone or the Shannon:
were head and heart for this, their be-
loved land. They came from the East,
the West and the North: they honey
combed the whole Federal forces. Nay,
more, that same Archbishop of New
York. who had been the most 1evjled,
was chiefly instrumental in forming
one of the staunchest bodies of men
that ever walked beneath flag re-
fer to the Irish Brigade. Shoulder to
shoulder, Catholics fought with those
who hated them at home, but who
learned to love them in the field, and
they fought with a blind ardor and i'm
petuosity which could we'll up from
the deepest and purest love of country.
A new revolution then took place as
creditable to American people as it was
beneficial to US. Wherever her children
had toiled for the country and left be-
hind them footprints Of blood, the
church could march lightly with an
them and hymn unmolested in her
work Of salvation. We were no longer
constrained with feeble voice to plead
for Indulgence, or to sue for statute
rights, but, standing on the monument
erected by the patriotism of our SOL
diers, We could demand their actual en-
joyment. Right we'll was our position
granted. Wherever the soldiers of war
returned they were received with accla-
nations Of joy as the fathers of their
country, irrespectively of race or re-
Hgion. A few still clinging to blind
prejudice might still call us foreign
ers,'' but the soldier at least who had
mingled his blood with that of his dead
Catholic brother understood thai belief
in Catholicity had just about as much
todo with America, as belief that there
is a God in heaven. New so-called
disclosures might be even more cum
ingly written, but the soldier whose.