Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-05-28
a Sketch of the New Hall and Its Mis-
siOn--lIow the Undertaking Was Car
ried Co IA Successful Contamination.

lldlH IIl1llpS ana Lewis
II. Hutton, aids.
First Regiment lMnd.
knights Of St. Lawrence.
Knights of st. lIedwig.
Shields Library Association.
Reilly lycctlm Association.
st; Mary's I. 4. h. Pioneer Corps.
Manning Library Association.
WINNER Young Mems Literary Associa.
ton.
Emmct Literary Association.
BrOwnson Library Association.
IIyatt's Military Band.
81. Mary's r. A. Il. Society.
st, Anne's T. A. b. Society.
81; Benedict Beneficial Society
Delaware Council. q. b. l..
Wilmington Council @. B. l.. ..=
Father Mayer Council, G. b. 4.
st. Joseph's Polish Beneficial Society
-. Paul's Beneficial Society.
by short route the procession pro-
cession 20 Fourth and jackson streets,
where the hall is located The side
walks of the streets through which the
procession passed We're throngcd by nd.
miring spectators The societies
reached the hall at o'clock and imme.
dia'cly took positions near the platform
adjoining the east side of the building
At that hour about 5000 people were
congrcgated at the intersection of the
two streets. An instant later Bishop
Curtis, who had been escorted from the
cato Of ST. Pnul's parsonage by 100
young girls all dressed in white. ar
rived and, with cro2er and mitre, passed
through all the rooms of the building.
giving 10 each Christian blessing. At
the conclusion of this ceremony the
bishop, clergy, guests and the united
~ ~ "a .ift la
the platform and while it was filling
the First Regiment Band played "The
Star Spangled Banner"
Among those assembled on the Plat
form were Bishop Curtis, Vicar-general
Lyons, Fathers Fallon, Berminrham,
Dollard, de l2uyter and Mealey, United
States Senator Gray, State Senator
Donahoe, Mayor Harrington, President
OF Council Farra, City Solicitor Lyman,
Receiver Dickey, Park Commissioner
Mention and ex-City solicitor Turner.
Tho orator of the occasion was Charles
j. Bonaparte, Esq, of Baltimore. He
Is one of the leading lawyers and
Wealthicst citizens of the Monu-
mental City and u grandson of the late
Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the
great Napoleon. The distinguished
visitor is pleasant speaker and made
most excellent address. His manner is
atiable and his resemblance to the
famous general great. He was intro
dtuced by the bishop, who in presenting
him said
should with much pleasure introduce
10 You to day amy competent lay exponent
OF tatholcsm Tor the reason that in my
opinion the words of such an exponent
weigh far more with many than the yery
hest uttcrances on the part Of us, bishops
or priests, for ere a speaker can much
sway his hearers they must become con
WINGED not merely that he is sincere
and ~ earnest but that he is DISTINGUISHED
III his advocacy of whatever he advocates;
put wnen we OF the clergy recommend
Gatholicity there is, fear, Il suspicion. or
even more than suspicion, lurking in the
minds of many that we are at bottom
largely, If not altogether, aiming simply
TO protect and enhance our own em6lt-
lnents, whether in the shape of bread and
butter or in the far more valuable
form OF prominence and power and
1t being supposed that we are
manly pleading our own cause
Under the name of recommending
the church II is not wonderful that or
warmth ever when warmeSt and our zeal
when least diluted Notwithstanding come
far short of their due effects. But when
at this time and in this land a layman
goes forth To champion the church before
the world his diSinterestedness is com
monty totally unimpGachabe and hence |
ms hearers presents to his shots at least |
one thickness less of moral armor plate |
than they usually oppose to our lire. For |
TINS reason then, not TO mention others
beside would gladly introduce to you
to-day any sufficient lay spokesman, but |
with special happiness do present to Won
llayman who will himself soon make
evidcnt to you his ability. the dis
interestedncsS of whom is not merely an
Il priori conclusion but of whom all
know, who know him at all, that Of the
church he neither expects or desires any
thing save that he may believe her, trust
her veneratc her, love her, submit to her
and give to her not merely of his exterior
goods but of those much higher goods con-
sisting in the use of an intellect and
tongue the one cultured and trained TO
discern and HE other practiced and skilled
to cXpound the truth. But will not risk
hurting his modcsty nor will | further
duly with your expectations. And there
fore to the members of Rrownson Library
Association and TO all their friends here
present | now introduce Mr.. Charles j.
Sonaparte OF Baltimore an eminent mem
Yer of an eminent bar.
Mr.. Bonaparte spoke as follows:
Indies and Gsnilemen: At the Catholic
congress held in Baltimore some Is
months ago an interesting paper was
presented by the son of the eminent man
in whose honor this building is named. on
1.-THE province of laymen in the chlrch's
work" 1t is not my intention to discuss
the same subject; the limits of this PROV
ince are, in my Judgment, to he fixed by
experience, rather than by argument: GER
tanly no class in the church can complain
of enforced dleness; there will always be
plenty of work to be done by everybody,
and only time can show certainly
in any new field, one order or
the other can labor 10 the better
or at the less cost propose, how
ever, in the little time during which
shall trespass upon your attention this af
Eernoon to deal, not with the work, but
with the workmen, to consider, not what
the Catholic layman does, or did once, or
might do now, in the general scheme OF
the church's mission, but what he is, in
and morally, as We know him
In the United States of to-day. And ! ,,
choose this theme because am disposed
10 believe that he is in some measure mis-
both by his own clergy and by {
his fellow citizens of other faiths. OF
course, what think on such topic con-
,titutes of necessity an enormously wide
from hardly more than in ]
lvidual experience, still ID may be worth ,
the time wasted If | point out certain
traits of character, certain idyosyneracies I
0f thought and feeling which seem TO me !
of Catholic laymen in America, y
and yet which are not infrequently over ]
looked. G
In the first place Catholics appear to ME 6