The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-06-28
The CHURCH AND REPUBLIC.
Historically, Analytically and Prophet
ically Considered by Well
Known Layman.
CHRISTIANITY AND CONSCIENCE.

What the Church is Dong to Nee,
Existing Evils and to Solve
Great Problems.
The following Is an abstract of the
paper on 1.-The Catholic Church and the
American Republic read before the
Brownson Catholic club recently by
VIM. r. Markoe, Esq:
One hundred years ago there was
founded in the Western Hemisphere,
on the shores Of the Atlantic, an infant
Republic, christened the United States
of America. with the immortal George
Washington asits first president. With
an area more than three times as large
as ali the most civilized nations of
Europe put together; containing more
than halt of all the fresh water on the
globe, with agricultural resources suf-
ticient for sustaining one billion inhabi-
tants, and population that had doubled
itself every twenty-four years since 1885,
could any one doubt for a moment the
future greatness Of our country or it's
vast influence for good or for evil in
shaping and controlling the destinies Of
the world?
Had God any great designs on Amer
lea and would he protect it from the
evils that had wrecked all the other
great nations of history in order that it
might fulfill it's destiny2 Let us see?
Wonderful to relate, only six months
after the founding OF the republic, one
hundred years ago, there was founded
in the Western Hemisphere ON those
same Atlantic shores, a spiritual repub-
lie called the Roman Catholic Church,
with the illustrious John Carroll as its
first bishop. These two republics had
grown up side by side and walked hand
in hand for a hundred years and the
marvellous growth Of the first was not
more phenomenal than that of the
second. The enemies of this spiritual
republic declared that she was anita
gonistic to the American Republic; that
the two could not live in harmony to-
gether, and that one or the other must
succumb. Strange, indeed, if this were
true that two such vigorous antagonists
had not long since engaged in morta.
combat! There was no foundation for
the charge in history. The speaker then
reviewed rapidly the history of CathO-
licity IN America from Columbus down
to the late Catholic Congress at Bal
timore.
General Washiagton's respect for the
Catholic Church was shown from his
remarkable order as commander.in-
chief of the army forblddlng the burn
ing of the Pope in efigy at Boston.
The establishing of the Catholic hier-
archy in the United States on the IRE
commentator" Of DR.. Franklin while
acting as American minister at Paris,
was shown by a reference to his private
diary. The Fundamental principles of
the Declaration IF Independence had
had been taught for centuries bv the
Fathers of the Church, and our repub-
lican form of government bore strik-
ing resemblance to certain features Of
the rule of the Dominican Order where
could be found the three great divisions
of government into the executive, legis-
lative and judicial, the mutual indepen-
dence of states under one general goy-
ernment, the cabinet officers, and the
four years term Of Office.
It was fact, not generally known,
that portion of the ground upon which
the Capitol at Washington now stands
had been donated for the purpose by
q distinguished son of the Catholic
Church, Charles Carroll Of Carrollton.
There was therefore no antagonism be-
tween the Church and the republic.
On the contrary, it was claimed bv
the friends Of Catholiclty that as God
created a new soul for everv human
body born into the world. SO in like
manner the American republic was no
sooner born from the womb of time than
He created a spiritual republic to be it's
constant companion and safe guard if 1t
would prosper and endure.
''The Father of his Country" had said
that virtue or morality is necessary
spring of popular government" that
treason and experience both forbid us
to expect that national morality can
prevail in exclusion OF religious prin-
ciple::" and that while just government
protects all In their religious rights,
true religion affords to government its
surest support. 3 ii .s.
The speaker then entered into. an
analytical argument to show that every
virtue was prod uced by some religion;
either By Paganism or Christianity.
Pagan virtues were good to- 3 certain
point; but were insuf1ic cient to secure the
perpetui1ty of onr u republ blican form ofa
saI