St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-28

1886 Rev. Abbelen presented to the
Roman congregation a petition
calling the attention of that
body to the general condition
| of the German-speaking Catholics in
the United States. If Mgr. Ireland re-
ferred to this petition have only to
| state that said petition. with the answer
| of the Propaganda thereto, was made
| known through the public press in 1887,
TO show that Mr.. Cahensly could thus
| have gotten fnll knowledge of it and
could even have copied it or made it the
basis for similar document, which he
is said to have forwarded to Rome.
But as we have no authentic copy of
the LucerDe memorial comparison is
impossible. We have coed reason for
distrusting mere reports from Rome.
Most OF the dispatches are manufac-
tured, e. g., the one cabled not many
months ago stating that the holy father
was dissatisfied with the latest Domina-
tions of American bishops. Soon after,
this dispatch was shown to one of the
highest authorities at Rome, who ex-
claimed: 'C'e niente di vero"-there is
no truth in it.
Mgr. Ireland further states that
"The Amerika, st. Louis daily Ger
man paper, is fed on Verein food"
This also is untrue. The Amerika
was founded fully fifteen years before
the Priests association, and has abso-
lutely no connection whatever with the
Verein, nor is the Verein in any way
makes. Lastly Mgr. Ireland stig-
matiZes the VereIn as exotic. To re-
fute this reprOach will state: | am an
American, and am proud of being one;
| am loyal citizen of the United States
and as such | claim all the rights and
privileges all other citizens enjoy;
above all | claim the liberty of not be-
ing forbidden the means of a higher
state of culture which knowledge of
two or more languages will certainly
afford.
l am as good an American as the most
blue-Dlooded Yahkee can be. although
not by birth, but by naturalization.
Ii the accident of being born on Amer
lean soil alone constitutes an American
then let us turn over all our states to
the aboriginal Indians, for in this way
they were and are the only legitimate
Americans. Then the first Europeon
emigrants to our country had no right
to style themselves Americans, and, if
they had 10 right themselves, they
could not transmit it to their descend
ants.
What l said of myself, as far as l
know, l can state of ali the members OF
the Priests association. A good many
of them were born upon American soil,
the rest swore off all allegiance to any
foreign power, and became citizens of
the United States. If AIRY of the men,
bers should so far not have taken out
their papers, my first advice would be
to do it as soon as possible. Now, |
think the following is fair and logical
conclusion: If each and every member
of society is All American, how is it
possible TO style the ensemble all exotic?
There are neither Germans nor Irish
in this country. This is true. Poland
ers. Frenchmen, Spaniards, Italians,
Germans, Irish and Britons, all are
united by the bond of the one grand
and glorious American republic. But
IS 1t possible to give up individualities?
10 shape all citizens in one mould?
Is 1t crime to love the dear country
of our fathers and ancestors, and per-
haps of our own birth? Is it not more
than unnatural to ask man to deSpiSe
and hate his parents from the time he
has gained bride whom he loves with
his whole heart? Or do we deserve a
reproach for keeping up the use of our
German language whilst we. love and
speak at the same time the language of
this country, which is, to say the least,
~ D'0SSA Aoh7 Nos7O VI Oulo q tliOlOuSn
and scientific knowledge of which it is
Impossible to acquire without knowl-
edge of the other sister, the German?
No, this can be no reason to brand the
Priests association as an exotic. Nay,
it is American above all, and it is the
American air that is most congenial to
it. 1t would have only to be brought
forth in the atmosphere of our glorious
American constit!On, which guarantees
liberty to all-liberty of thought, and
liberty of the form of expressing
thought, i. e., languagei liberty of asso-
citation. liberty of religious wOrship-to
make it really and truly American.
Any attempt to infringe this liberty is
absolutely un-Amerlcan, as is the
futile attempt to lay the Cahensly me-
mortal at the door of or within the halls
of the Priests association.
REV. WILLIAM FAERBER,
Rector Of st. Mary'S Church.