The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-04-08
FIFTH EDITION.
"REIIGIoN AND THE REPUBLIC"

Tho Above Topic was EIoquently Gis-
cnssed by Father Dennis j. Flynn
Before the Grand Army of the Re-
public Last Night in the Opera
House.
The audience that met at the Opera
House lust night to hear Rev. Dennis
). Flynn lecture on the subject OF RE-
iigion and the Republic" was not q
large one. but 1t was appreciatiye. The
novelty OF Catholic Priest addressing
Grand Army meeting, lent addition
al interest to the occasion.
The platform was periodically deco.
rated with flags, and upon II were
seated number of the members of
the Grand Army OF the Republic. Col
onel William b. Norton presided at the
meeting and In very betting man.
ner introduced the Rev. gentleman
who was to lecture.
Tho subject OF Fathor Flynn's lecture
was, Religion and the Republic"
Those who missed hearing 1t missed a
treat. In an eloquent manner no re-
ferred to the settlement OF this coun.
try and tho glorious and successful
struggle of the people to gain their
liberties. He then turned his attention
In review to some OF the evils to which
the people OF this country are subject
cd.
The eloquent lecturer then MAIN
tanned that the one great thing need.
full to insure the prosperity and per.
petuity OF this great country was the
one great factor or agent, religion.
We must have, he said, profound
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of a Supreme Being,
and our dependence on him. IN abid-
ing realization on our part that we are
O Christian people; that Christianity il
the law OF the land. the basis OF our
public and private life. We must UNI
derstand more clearly every day that
We must worship this God in the man
ner He wishes US to worship Him, as
far as we honestly, In good faith, I'M
dcrstand our duties.
Religion, the revealed religion by
which Wa give to God that worship
which Is His due. and which like wise
teaches us our duties to our fellow
men, is and must be the surest hope OF
our success. If our republic be based
on this, rs on its cornerstone moth
In & can place in jeopardy this land OF
ours so signally bleet of Heaven. He
serves his country best who serves his
God.'
Amongst the dangers enumerated by
Father Flynn to our country was the
greed for gold that makes corpora.
lions grind down their employees and
| makes trusts crush out smaller corpo-
| ration5.
lie looked upon the eiyls of the di.
voree system as fraught with great
OWLS to the morals of the nation. He
looked upon absolute divorce by
which the divorced party Is allowed to
marry again during the lifetime of tho
ness and dlssolubllity of the marriage
tie which is as old as the Garden OF
| Eden.
Remove the conditions with which
| God has surrounded marriage, and by
one fell swoop you legallze the worst
passions that can degrade tho human
heart. Destroy tho indissolubility and
sanctity of marriage and you destroy
the home, the foundation of society.
Under our present system married.
man may discard his lawful wife as no
would an article of old clothing for
something new. This leaves him
simply the creature of his unbridled
lust, in search of nothing but its graf
| iicutiOn.
We are very much exercised about
the suppression of polygamy in Utah,
and yet we legalize divorce, which Ia
nothing more than polite name fer
polygamy.
lie would have the people taught
that marriage was sacred and THAI
death was the only releasing power.
| III this principle were acted upon we
would have fewer unhappy marriages.
The looseness with which oaths were
administered and taken was another
pregnant evil of the times. People
should DO taught the sacred character
of an oath, and then we would hear of
less subornation and periuring OF Wit
nes5e5 and iurymen and less corrup-
ton in public office.
Fnther Flynn having finished his leo
ture bowed to the audience and turn.
ing around to the members of tho
Grand Army seated upon the platform
said:
'Letus thank you for the honor you
nave done III aseing me to address
you. by inviting "A Catholic priest to
address you you display to the world
that 10 religious prejudlces rankle In
your hearts. This act of yours, fol-
lowing upon u similar one last Deeem.
Ter, does credit to your honesty and
Intelligence.
Twenty or thirty years ago such
puDlc affair as this would have caused
no little comment, bur TO day thanks
to the spread of knowledge and good
Will, it causes no surprise.
Thank God, that with such liberal.
fair. minded men as you are. 1t is no
longer necessary for Catholics to
prove their loyalty to their country,
Tor that Is written in every page OF
our couLtry's history.
Father Flynn then referred to tho
discovery Of this country byCatholics,
and they were Catholics who searched
and settled the country from Quebec
along the lakes and down tho Mssiss-
ippi to Louisiana. leaving the sign OF
st, (sninQ 10 hundreds of settle-
ments.
He eloquently portrayed tho loyal
part Catholics took Ia tic Revolution.
Their names were upon the Magma
Charta OF Independence and in every
struggle in Which the nation was en-.
gagged; Catholic and Protestant blood
ran in the Same channel
lie appealed to the memlers OF tho
Grand Army TO attest the loyalty OF
his Catholic comrade who fought and
fell s.y his side ip the war for the pro.
sefSatlun OF the Union and the glor-
ious stars and stripes. Faith
or Flynn was loudly choersd as he
made these remarks.
In conclusion he said: "The trucr
am TO my religious convictions the
more L will love my fellow man.
What movement is there that tends by
legitimate means to elevate our peo-
pie in which cannot and will not take
an active part, surrenderlng my place
to no mnn. l am man and therefore
am no stranger to that which concerns
the welfare OF a man. God grant, then,
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