St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-06-19
LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

by the principal of the schools in this
place, Fl. E. Cunningham, reached
this office too late for publication
last week:
Dear Sir In reading your paper
of June 5 | find that a reverend gen
tleman of this town, under cover OF
an address to the @. A. X. on Me
mortal day, went wholly out of his
way to make an attack upon the
parochial schools, and to insult the
members of the Catholic church who
form at least one-third the popula-
ton of this village. 1t is surprising
that, while advocating the principles
and advantages of American citizen
ship, the speaker should so far forget
himself as to become SO un-American
in his remarks No Catholic prelate
has ever demanded the substitution
in general of parochial for public
schools; nor has any sought to inter
fere with Protestant, Jew or infidel
in the matter of educating their own
children. If non-Catholics prefer, for
their particular use, schools of the
prevailing type, Catholics proclaim
no war against them. But, as to
our children, we demand similar and
equal considera ton. We do object
to having Protestant, Jew or infidel
suited to the exclusion of ourselves in
the matter of instructing the offspring
God has chosen to confde to us and
not to them. We protest against
non-Catholic majorities ignoring en-
tirely our preferences; and even with
regard to our own, attempting to
| override conscience.
| On the one hand we behold a dis
position among thoughtful Protes-
| tants to draw nearer to us, to eX-
tend the hand of Christian fellowship
| and to seek an alliance with us in
movements for the higher welfare of
| the people On the other, the more
bigoted portion of our separated
| brethren are rather inclined to form
a compact with infdels and secular
lists in warning upon the Catholic
| church. AS usual, their chief object
of attack is the religious school, but
where we stand upon that subject is
| 100 well known to be repeated.
| However, to show that we are keep
! ing up to the standard required of us
| will give an extract from sermon
of a well-known minister, who, in
speaking to his congregation on Sun
day, Feb. 16, the Rev. DIR. Heber
Newton, of the Church of All Saints,
Madison ave, New York, said:
Il want to help you to reasonable
view of the Roman Catholic church
in the United States, that thus, in SO
far as we can, we may swell the force
OF public opinion which shall extend
to this great church in her most tax
ing problems, the charity of Chris
t1anS, while it demands from all
Catholics the loyalty of Americans.
The services of this church to man
kind have been immense. In the fall
of the Roman empire there seemed
no power left to preserve order and
to civiIize the barbarians who were
pouring over into the empire, carry
ing devastation with them. The
ecclesiastical framework of the en-
pire held together when the political
framework fell to pieces, preserving
society, maintaining social order,
keeping alive the body polite. But
for the church the modern world
would have been an impossibility.
Through the dark ages the Roman
Catholic church preserved what little
there was left of culture In the mid
die ages this church proved the nurs-
ing mother of the new born life of
humanity.
The Roman Catholic church EFFORTS
from us our unfeigned admira ton
for her powers of organization and
her skill in management.
Professionalism in its missionary
work seems the bushwhacking of a
mob, while the onward movement of
this great church is as the tramp of
a regiment. The Roman Catholic
church is to be admired for her won
derful cultus for the training of men.
Nothing in antiquity is comparable
for a movement in the sphere of re-
ligion with it. Nothing outside of it
in Christianity is its peer in this re-
spect. What is there of the era vings
of man in the realm of religion that
is not met in this system. The Rom
an Catholic church commands from
us our reverence for her special Gull
ture of saintship. How raw and
crude seem our provisions for that
imperious hunger of the human heart
for sacrifice for remuneration of the
world, for absolute consecra ton in
comparison with what the teachings
of this great church have wrought.
Her history is long bead roll of men
and women of whom the world has
not been worthy. And still today
such types of self-a bnegation as have
J. h. H. IL
Professionalism in a Cure d. AIRS and
q Father Damien. The Roman
Catholic church demands of us adj
miration for her comprehensive spirit
Here is church within whose spa
cious walls all races gather, all class
es ningle, all varieties of men feel at
home. With magnificent statesman
ship she has ever adapted herself to
new circumstances and proven her
self ready to change with the changes
of men"
Let we Catholics be what me may,
Irish, French or German, it matters
not, we know as we'll as any other
class of American citizens where our
duties belong. We will work for our
country in time of peace and fight for
it in time of war as we did in the
past. When [ say our country, |
mean of course, our adopted country.
| mean the United States of America.
After passing through the crucible of
naturalization, we are no longer
Irish, French, or Germans; we are
Americans. Our attachment cannot
be measured by the length of our
residence here. We are Americans
from the m moment we touch the Amer
lean shore until we are laid in Amer
W. e. ..,o--