The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-02

X
lance OF which they will one day be able to
make great profit. These nations are 80
we'll aware OF this that they are doing
everything In their power to hive the
members OF their nationallties settled In
the United States develop and strengthen
themselves in every particular" LEO Kill.
did not concur with Herr CAHENsLY In be-
lieving that 1t would be good thing ior
America II, like the Continent OF Europe.
1t could DO parceled out among multitude
Of diverse and antagonistic nationalities.
Humorously enough. when the Holy Father
rebuked such disruptive proposals. some
OF the German followers OF CAHENsbY In
this country began to talk about appealing
to BISMARCK. as II the ex-Chanccllor we're
not at this time fully occupied in attending
to his own concerns.
We have spoken Of American followers OF
CAHENsLY. but the truth is that the foreign
izing movement known as Cahenslyism
may DO said to have started on this side OF
the Atlantic. The American organizers and
favorers Of the movement may be distrib-
uted into three classes. They include. first,
the representatives Of the German-Ameri-
can Catholic press who are obviously Inn
PEELED by the instinct Of sel:-preservation
to avert tho substitution OF the English FOR
the German Language on tho part OF their
readers. To the second category OF up
holders OF Cahenslyism belong number OF
priests who came to this country late In
life. who have acquired the English
language very imperfectly. II at all. who
have been unable to shake Off the influence
Of their early environment. and who have
shown themselves incapable OF grasping
American modes Of thought. The German
priests who desire their Pensioners to re-
main German. or at least to postpone as
long as possible the Americanizlng Of their
focks. are to be found chiefly. though not
exclusively. in the archdiocese OF st. Louis
and Milwaukee. To these two classes OF
Cahenslyists must be added some German
American Bishops. among whom Arch
bishop KATzER Of Milwaukee Is conspicuous.
The scheme In which these men are inter-
ested took definite and visible form about
eight years ago. In 1884 a petition signed
by eighty-two German priests was sent to
Rome. Its ostensible aim was to remove
certain alleged grievances under which the
German clergy was said to labor. particu-
larly in the archdiocese Of st. Louis. The
German priests are generally supposed to
have their own way In that archdiocese.
their interests being almost entirely looked
after by a German Vicar-General. AT all
events, the petition presented Mt that time
to the Propaganda was rejected. Never
theless. two years later the Rov. P.
A. ABBELEN, priest OF the arch
diocese OF Milwaukee. went to Rome
and presented a second petition from the
st. Louis priests to the Propaganda. After
requesting the removal Of certain dis
abilities which. according to the American
Bishops. do not exist. he disclosed his real
purpose. and asked that all newcomers to
the United States should be assigned to
churches Of their own language. and that
German speaking parents should be d.
rected to send their children to schools in
which the teaching was conducted in the
German tongue. The significance Of
these proposals was pointed out by Arch
bishop IRELAND and Bishop KEANE. who
happened to be In Rome at the time. The
decision Of the Propaganda was that Cath
Ollie emigrants to the United States were
free to go to any Catholic church they
pleased; and that the children Of German
speaking parents were under no obligation
to go to schools where the German tongue
was tho medium Of instruction.
This time the reply to the petition was
couched In sharp terms Of reproval. 1t was
more than rejection: it was rebuff.
Even then. however. tho adherents Of Ca
henslyism were not discouraged. In the
spring OF 1887 they organized n society
known rs the Observation-Disclosures
Priester-Veren." This society tries to rep
resent the movement as the outcome OF a
controversy between Germans and Irish.
but the true aim is to give foreigr-born
Catholics the control Of the Catholic Church
In America. There has never been
any attempt on tho part OF Irish-Amer-
can Catholics to exclude ecclesiastics
from preferment on the ground of
their foreign birth. They have contend
ed, however. and with justice. that
clerical advancements should depend upon
zeal and ability and not upon nationality.
1t Is obvious that. If the selection OF Bishops
were to be made on national lines. not only
Germans. but French-Canadians. Italians.
Spanlards. Bohemians. Poles. negroes. and
Indians would have right to representa-
ton in the episcopate. They all have
right in exact proportion to their fitness
for the episcopal office. but on the score OF
nationality the only valid title is that of an
American citizen. And he unquestionably
is best qualified to play the part OF a citizen
who can speak the language and appreciate
the institutions OF his adopted country.
Cahenslyism can never succeed in the
United States. 1t Is counter to the spirit OF
this country and the spirit OF the age. 1t
can only hope for recruits among the emil
grants Of foreign birth. who are too old to
seize the opportunities by which their pos
terity will profit. The children and grand
children OF those emigrants will glory in
the name OF Americans. and they will repu-
date scheme whose sole purpose is to
perpetuate here the clinical and linguistic
distinctions OF the Old World.
A Park in the Southern Alleghanies.
The national forest pleasure grounds are
all at the fur West. In Wyoming and Cali