St. Paul daily globe., 1893-09-05
( sions by TIE Deum full of JOY and graf
itude for the success of this conven-

ing to the congress, praying the AL
mighty to assist and illumine 1t and ell
rich with the treasures of His choicest
gifts its deliberations and conclusions.
A COMMUNICATION was also read from
the papal delegate, Archbishop Satolli,
stating that pressing business prevented
him from being present on the opening
day of the congress. 1t is understood
that he will be in attendance tomorrow
Considerable significance was attached
by many to the choice of temporary
chairman. The selection, as expected,
fell upon Judge Morgan j. O'Brien, of
the New York state supreme court,
delegate from Archbishop Corrigan's
territory. Addresses on special topics
chiefly occupied the remainder of the
day, the first being by Edgar II. Cans,
of Baltimore, on the "Relations of the
Catholic Church to the Social, Civil and
Political Institutions of the United
States" Other addresses were by Father
Elliott, of the Paulist order; Walter
&. Smith, of Philadelphia; Judge Mar
tin +. Morris, of Washington, ID. c..
Richard Clarke, of New York; Mary
j. Onahan, of Chicago, and George Par
sons Lathrop.
The first address of the congress prop
er was on the relations of the Catholic
church to the social, civil and political
institutions of the United States, by
Edgar II. Cans, of Baltimore. He said:
1--WE come i'll no apologetic attitude.
ltwaS to the genius and bold Intrepidity
Of
CATHOLIC NAVIGATOR
that we owe the discovery of this conti-
nent. The bones of Catholic Americans
whitened every battlefield of the Amer
lean Revolutionary war, and the names
of noble Catholics nave from that time
until the present been woven into our
national traditions. We stand not upon
the defensive. We claim that a man
may not only be Catholic and true
American citizen, but that if he is
good Catholic he is the best and most
loyal OF all citizens.
The church has no direct relations
with any special form of civil govern
ment. Her empire is over the soul and
the conscience: her power moral, not
physical power. Her kingdom is
spiritual kingdom, and not of this world.
Her mission of saving souls is mission
to the whole of humanity, and wonder
fully is her organization adapted to ac-
compllsh the purpose. Such being the
nature and such the mission of the
church, it is idle to talk of her as being
foreign or un-AmericaD. These terms
can be properly applied to those organ
iZations only which have for their object
participation in the civil government
of the world. Is it un-American TO say
that there is a sovereignty higher than
the sovereignty of the people? Is it un-
American to acknowledge subsection to
God and to His government? The
American people are not, we think,
prepared to admit that atheism, infidel-
ity and irreligion are part and parcel of
THEIR INSTIT UTIONs.
From whatever point of view we eX-
anime our grounds. we find them sup
ported and sustained by the church.
The Declaration of Independence de-
clares that all men are. created equal.and
gives each man an equal voice in the cou-
duct of affairs by discouraging ranks and
classes, and by insisting upon perfect
equality before the laws of the land.
But this democratic equality pales
and practiced by the church. In her
eyes all men are equal. because they are
the sons of the same Father, and joint
heirs OF the heavenly treasure. Before
her altarS there is no precedence. Any
poor boy has right to aspire to seat
in congress, to be vested with the judi
cial ermlne. or supreme honor, to Oc-
cupy the chair once filled by Washing
ton. So also in the COtholic church.
Many of the most famous pontiffs have
been taken from the lowly walks of life,
whilst the cardinals have received their
honors, as a rule, solely as the award of
merit and learning.
Have we not in this beautiful land of
ours most notable illustration of this
truth? An humble American citizen is
an august prince of the church. In him
we have living proof of all the princl-
pies for which we have been contend
ing. He is prince Of the church. and
yet, is he hostile to democracy? He is
infused with the very quintessence of
the Catholic spirit; and yet, is he not
the very incarnation of true American
ism? He knows full well the pleDitude
of his
SPIRITUAL POWER,
its high dignity, its wonderful authOri-
ty; and yet. is he an enemy of Ameri-
can liberty? The whole country knows
and acknowledges that within the en-
tire confines of the republic there is no
more ardent, patriotic nor more enthu-
siastic supporters OF our American III
Stitutions than the gentle, modest. Illus
triOuS James Gibbons, cardinal arch
bishop OF Baltimore.
An acute and profound critic of our
American Institutions has recently said:
at may be thought that nation which
uses freedom well can hardly have too
much freedom; yet even such nation
may be too much inclined to think free
dom all absolute and all-Su fficient good:
to seek truth only in the voice of the
majority; 10 mistake prosperity for
greatness. Such nation, seeing moth
ing but its own triumphS and hearing
nothing but its own praises, seems to
need a succession of men like the prOpll-
cts of Israel to rouse the people out
of their selt-complacency to refresh
their mOralities, to remind them that
life is more than meat and body; more
than raiment.
We have among us our prophets of
Israel, GivInely commissioned, as were
the holy men of old, to guide, instruct,
ennOble and elevate the nation. And
the American people will have achieved
their highest glory when they seek the
words of wisdom and truth from their
IlpS-when they voluntarily submit to
the gentle ministrations of the priests
and bishops of the holy Catholic church.
JUDGE MARTIN F. MORRIS.
of Washington, D. G., in discussing the
independence of the Holy See," drew
the parallel between the city of Rome
and the city of Washington and the
District of Columbia. He said:
'The government of the Union might
perhaps have been carried on success
fully within the territorial limits of
some one of the states of the Union, as
was indeed done temporarily in the be-
ginning, when the capital was located
first at New York and afterwards at
Philadelphia. But the better to secure
the freedom of the government and its
independent action, the founders of our
constitutional system most wisely
deemed it proper and even neces-
sary to segregate the small territory
of the District of Columbia, and to
devote it for all time for that pur-
pose. 1t was not their idea to create for
the government which they established
any imperial domain. but simply to ill
sure its independence of action. Now
Willie the possession of temporal power
as such by the church is not only not
necessary to it, but is i'll its nature in
luriOUS TO the OuritV Of itS ayictanna