Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-09-05
CATHOLIC CONGRESS
Opened al Chicago BY the following Speech
from Cardinal Gibbons.
It will Cure.

CHICAGO. Sept The failowing is chs
address Of Cardinal Gibbons, IN openi"s
the great Catholic congress in this city 10
day
! What an inspiring and counseling spaS-
tacle is this. Whetner | consider the wet
mss of your numbers, or our representa-
tive character--for you represent almost
every state aud diocese and esty OF VIA
| Uni1n--or Whether conte Hplste the intel
lig, nee whica oeaus on your faces, can
not but ,xclsim This is sight well calea-
lated to bring jo, and gladness to the hearts
American Catholics.
| During the past four months millions
visitors have come from all parts of IN
uniiel Stat 5 ; nay, from esert quarter oi
the globe. to contemplate on the Expo,in d
grounds the wonderful w.rks of tnan. They
sne- not ~bich TO admire more--the col"s
sal dime ssions of the buildings, OF their Ar
ci,itectural beauty, of the treasur' OF ar
which they contained. The caskets and hi
gems are well sorihy of the nations Il, :
brought item, worthy OF the indomiahl'
spirit of Chicago. Let us no longer cal
Chicago the Windy City. but steal thu
city of lofty inspirations. Let us no longe
call Chicago, Porkopolis, Let ME chrisiei
her with another name, let me call hH
Thaunatopolis. the city OF wonders the cit,
of nnracles. An think that Mr.. Davis
| with his associat,s) may be called H.
| Thaumauturgus of the Columbian Expos
ton enterprise.
| While oth,r visitors have come to coa-
template with admiration the wonderful
works of man, with the image of Wd
stamped upon them, you have come here Il
contemplate man himself, the most woud' Z
ful work of God, with the image of G
stamped upon bin.
Others are stud, Jag what man has ac
copplished in the material world. You ar
10 consider what man can accomplish It
the almost bouDdless possibilities of / l.
| .piritual aud intellectual nature. You vii
take counsel together TO consider the be,
means for promoting the religions anc
moral, the social and economic v ell -bei,
of your fellow citizens.
| Ii is true, indeed, that your deliberations
will not be stamped with the authority -
ieg sla,ive enactment-, like the proceedings
"f Congress aud the DEGREES of a nation,
council. Nevertheless they will go fu
towards en'ig'tening public opinion a
moulding ani shaping public thought /
| the great religious, moral and social qu
| iiops of the day.
When look into your earnest AMI int
| ligent faces, | am aim st deferred from ~
| parting to you any words of almoniticn
| But you know w,l II that we elerpymen ar
in the habit of drifting unconscously in,
the region of exhortation, just as financie
drift into the region of dollars and cent
and figures. | may be pardoned thereto" E"
for giving you word of advice. Ia ~
Your discussions be ever mindful of tt
saying of st. Vincent Ierins: "M nce,S-
Sariis uaitas, in dabijs Hbertds, IN omhi
bus cdrids.' Happily for you, childr
of the church, you have nothing to di.cu
10 matters of faith, for your faith is fix
and determined by the divine Legislate
and We cannot improve on the creed .
| Him who is 1.-THE way, the truth and th
! life
But between the calm and luminous 10.
| gion of faith and the dark and chaotic re.
gion of error there lies a vast field for FREE
discussion. | should be very sorry thu
any member of this congress should attemp
10 circumscribe this free space by erecting
his little fence of ipse dixits, and saying :,
all others, am Sir Oracle; thus far yo,
shall come and 20 farther.
| Let all your proceedings be marked b
courtesy and charity, and by spirit of
| Christian forbearance toward each other
Never descend to personalities. Many
delicious speech has lost its SAVIOR and be.t
turned to gall because few drops of Wit
perstion has been injected into it. IT,
editice of moral and social improvcmen'
which you aim TO build, can never b.,
erected on the ruins of CHARITY
| Perhaps the best model of courtly dig.
I Lair kl,.t L
you is the Hon. William Ewart Gladstor.
the Grand Old Man. l happened to be ii
the House of Commons in 1880 when MIR
Gladstone was p,ime minister, as he il 10
! lay. very long debate was going on ,e
garding taxation. The ministry were u
favor of transferring tax from the gr, u
| to the malt and of relieving the farmer :.
| the Expense of the brewer. 1t was meas
ure that would bring joy to the heart of L,
archbishop of st. Paul. young lord -,
| the opposition side was making drea,
speech, to the effect that it was better to !,
well enough alone, and that the relatiu
between the tax collector ami the tax pa1ei
| we're of an amcable character an
should not be disturbed As SOON .
| it was announced that Mr.. Glad
stone was going to speak, the Hous,
vas inflamed with enthusiasm. He va,
greeted with cheers. He had spoken bu,
few words when he was rudely interrupt,
by the young lord. Mr.. Gladstone gtae-
fully bowed to his opponent. receded a f.~
steps and sat down. When bis lorisi IL
| had finished, Mr.. Gladstone resumed Ii,
speech. He dissected / IS opponent with u
Damascus blade. His lordship cheerful,
submitted r.. la npa
| blade was pointed not with poison, but WI
honey. have studied the subject .i
finance. ssId Mr.. Glad stone, under s.
Robert Peel | have sat at his feet =,
Saul at the feet Of Gamalial. am an d
man and have not the sanguine temp
ment of my honorable young friend. Az
as for me, never expect to see the day
| shen the tax collector and the taxpa,
shall rush into each Others arms and en-
brace one another.
God afsnt that tur fDndest anti jpsiio
of your labors may be realism, anil that
Invocation today Of the divine bles.i"g
| which is so full of hope my be CROWN
at the snl of your SESSIONS By TIE ID, TN
full of joy AMI gratitude for the success
this congress.
And a AZ earnest Of this happy result. /
hold in my hHd letter that 1 rec-iy, d
from the Holy Esther, in witch he bis-s.
this congress. Nay his ble..iny ant III,
blessing of Col ,ninat, this ass. u,Li,
May il enl'g,ten your minds and waiu
Jour hearts aud De harnnger of peste
AMI cone ord ID all your deliberations.
Solemn high ma-- at st. Mays church
marked the formal Opening of the Column
bian Catholic Congress OF the Unit Stas, 8
this morning. At the conclusion OF u.
service those in atten lance r pared TO he
art institute where, during the entire wesk,
the largest and most comprehensive gath, r
Jog ever he'll under the suspices of any
single decentralization viii be Id.
There were fully 5000 persoa, in the al.
dience when Secretary Onsbsn called q e
gslheIing to order ia tie hail OF CDlambcs.
Archbishop Feitan of Chicago velcom
the visitors TO ths Worlds Far AMI to tie
Catholic Congress-