The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-04-15


fought under, and his mortal remains
surrounded by his now aged companions
OF the long-extinguished camp-fres. The
Church gives her blessing to such devo-
ton, and in every country honors the
heroes and patriots Of the country.
.As long as the Il. A. r. remains as it
at present is, and always has been, an
organization OF patriots for the perpet-
uation OF our national institutions and
free government, 80 long the members
can rest assured that no obstacle will
ever be raised against them by the her
archy of the Catholic Church.
NO RESTRICTION ON CATHOLIC MEMBER
| For this timely utterance desire, on
behalf of the 5Oo,0OO members of the or
der, and of the other 100000 who are not
yet within it's ranks, but who are eligible.
to thank you.
At the national encampment held in
Portland, Me-, March Is, 1885, Comman-
der-in- Chief John s. Kountz, Toledo,
Ohio, incorporated in his address re-
port of q committee consisting of Com
rades w. S. Rosecrans, of Washington;
M. r. Mcmahon, of New York, and John
G.. Linehan, of New Hampshire, which re-
port contained the following paragraph:
"In fulfllment of the duty assigned
me correspondent with other members OF
the committee, and thereupon addressed
letters to the Primate, the Most Rev.
Archbishop Gibbons, now Cardinal OF
Baltimore, and Archbishop Ryan, OF
Philadelphia, stating to them that while
we did not expect to ask any endorse
ment Of ecclesiastical approval OF our
society, we are anxious t have its ma
ture so understood that it might be
known TO all confessors that Catholics
might, lawfully and with good confidence,
be members thereof"
In response to their kindly suggestions
I furnished ample explanations, written
and printed, showing that our associa-
ton was for the noble objects of cultivat-
ing among it's members the spirit of fra
ternity, charity and loyalty, and in it's
nature temporary. also conversed with
other archbishops, bishops and theolo~
CLANS, and have the pleasure to inform
you that it was the opinion of every one
with whom I conferred that the society
of the Grand Army of the Republic, as
now org anized and conducted, is not, in
the ecclesiastical meaning of the phrase,
"a secret society," and that Catholics
! may with all good conscience belong to
it.
congratulate our order that, in the
opinion of such dispassionate judges, We
have builded, as we intended, an associa-
ton SO broad, liberal and just that it MY
be worthy the great Republic for which
we have periled our lives, and for which
so many have shed their blood, I con.
graduate you also for happily having
undertaken the work of eliciting those
expressions of opinion SO important to
the honor and future welfare of our Or
der. w. s. RosEcRANs,
Chairman of Special Committee.
These friendly expressions from you
and other distinguished members of
your church are of so much importance
to the G. A. r. and other veterans of our
late war, that propose to disseminate
it to all parts of our nation with the
hope that it may lead many who have
not yet done so to join our order. Very
respectfully yours,
A. Ct. WE1ssERT,
Commander-in. Chief, G.. A. r.
To Father Keenan,, Fond Du Lac, Wis.