The Irish standard., 1892-09-17
PURE ELOQUENCE.
The Mastery Grafton Of Daniel
Dougherty at the American
Catholic Congress,
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
It's Broad Seal is Stamped for Ever
On the -Four Corners of the
Continent.

Continent.
On Nov. IL, 1889, the following magni
fcent impromptu address was delivered
by the late Daniel Dougherty at the
American Catholic Congress in Balti
more:
I am profoundly touched by this, the
honor of my life. This Congress is an
event in the history of the Republic, ar
era in American progress. an advance in
humanity. move of earth towards
heaven (applause). Called to yonr pres.
ence, theme after theme comes flashing
through my brain and swelling in my
bosom. A single exultant thought ]
shall give utterance to, and then resume
my seat.
We Catholics-Roman Catholics zap.
plause), American Roman Catholics
(great applause), proud, high spirited
and sensitive as any OF our conntrymen--
have silently submitted to wrongs and
injustices in manifold shapes and from
time immemorial. Away back to colonial
years Catholics suffered the direst cruel
ties. Talk OF the slaves of the South in
ante-war times, why they were treated
like high-bred guests when compared
With Catholics in colonial days tits the
damned spot that will not out The
only religious martyrs who ever stained
our fair land with life-blood were Roman
Catholics (applause). Spurned with
suspicion, disfranchised, prosecuted for
opinion sake, hunted as criminals, and
punished with death by infamous laws.
We have from time to time been SIAN
dered, vilifed, and maligned in news
papers, pamphlets, and books, in speech
and sermon, sectarian assembly, political
convention, and even III the Congress of
the United States. We have been pro
scribed at the ballot-box. The highest
honors of the Republic are denied us by
prejudice that has all the force Of a
constitutional enactment. In integrity,
intellect, and accompl shments the equal
OF our fellows, yet the instances are
rare when Catholics are rendered exalted
distinctions. The exercises of our holy
religion as right are refused the suf-
fering, the sick and unfortunate in many
institutions of charity, and to criminals
in prisons and penitentaries. Though
the rank and file of the army and navy
are largely of our creed, the chaplaine
are fewer than the fingers Of one hand
1t is said that Catholic Indians have
Protestant teachers. Churches have
been burnt, converts have been pillaged
and libraries destroyed. Aye, political
parties in the past have sought to de.
prive us of our political rights, and We
are branded as tools of foreign poten.
tate, and unworthy to enjoy the name o1
Americans.
The time has come, not for our seek
ing, but in the course of events, when
We, the Roman Catholic laity of the
United States, can with propriety speak
can vindlcate ourselves, not by harsh
words, heated retorts, nor defiant threats
but calmly, yet firmly; charitably, yet
proudly, conscious Of the integrity oi
our motives and the impregnability o1
our position {applause). We assert that
we are pre-eminently Americans Zap
plausej, that there would be no America
that the Continent would be to-day un'
known, had it not been for the Roman
Catholics and the Roman Catholic
Church (applause). That that liberty
which is the essence of all liberty
freedom to worship God was first
established in America by Roman
Catholics and Roman Catholics alone
It was priests, aye, Jesuits, missionaries
who first sought and explored our land
penetrated into the wilderness, tracked
the streams, and gave sainted names to
localities, bays, lakes and rivers zap.
plause). The first worship here of the
true God was the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass (applause). Catholic nations were
the first to come to the rescue of the
Revolutionary fathers in the war against
the greatest of Protestant powers zap
plause). A Roman Catholic was among
the ,signers Of the Declaration of Inde.
pendence (applause). The name of Arch
bishop Carroll is forever linked with Ben.
lamiD Franklin IN the mission to Canada
(great applausel Catholics have given
heroes to the Republic in every war and
! il every battle, on field or food; Catho.
lies lies have sealed their fidelity with their
lives. And now the Roman Catholic
laity of the United States, for the first time
u, Congress assembled, are here to pro:
l laam to 81 all The world that their country