The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-05-12
40. H. AT OMAHA.
The National Convention Now in
Session in Nebraska's
Metropolis.
BISHOP SCANNELL'S ADDRESS.
To Promote the Welfare Of all Our
Fellow Citizens Should be
Our Ambition.

Fellow Citizens Should be
Our Ambition.
The delegates and visitors to the ma
! tional convention of the Ancient Order
of Hbernians at Omaha were astir at an
early hour Thursday morning and at $50
O'clock the Second Infantry band took
it's stand at the head Of q procession des-
tined for st. Johns Collegiate church,
where mass was celebrated and sermon
delivered by Bishop Scannell. Follow
ing the band came company OF the
Catholic knights of America with green
plumes on their helmets and their neat
fitting uniforms glittering with gold lace,
After the knights came the delegates
four abreast, fine body Of men decor
ated with the souvenir badge of the con-
vention, and the badges OF their various
states. The entrance to the church was
decorated with the national colors and
souvenir programs with the greeting,
''Cead Mile Failte," were distributed.
When the services began the church
was packed to the doors and an overflow
stood on the sidewalks. The grand al
tar was in blaze OF candles and the ser.
vices we're conducted with all the SOL
| emnity and magnifcence which charac-
terizes high mass in this Church.
Bishop Scsnnell's address was as fol-
lows:
extend to the representatives of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians cordial
| welcome to Omaha, and I do it with
much pleasure, because I believe am
in the presence of men who have in view
lofty purpose and are guided by safe
and sound principles. Your purpose is
to keep alive the memories of past that
is dear to You and to recall deeds and
virtues that are worthy of imitation; and
that you may do SO safely and proftably
you put yourselves under the guidance of
holy Church, you ask her blessing and
you promise to obey her laws. In unit.
ing for a purpose so noble you avail
yourselves of right which the law of
nature itself guarantees to you. Men
may form associations or societies for
the attainment of lawful ends, and it is
manifest that the interests, for example,
of religion, of race or nationality, of Ian
guage and of many temporal concerns
may be better promoted by united than
by individual efforts. Moreover, men of
the same race are naturally drawn to-
gether. The bonds which unite them
ara strong ones. They have much in
common; they are marked by the same
racial or national peculiarities; they have
characteristic temperament; they share
in the same traditions, and they are CO.
heirs of the deeds and virtues of their
forefathers. It is therefore natural that
they should be drawn together and
should seek to bind themselves to what
is good and great in the past. Nor is
this in any way Inconsistent with the du-
ties which they as citizens owe to their
country; indeed it is g guarantee that
those duties will be all the more Loyalty
performed. As that man is little likely
to be model husband or good father
who has no love for his parents or re-
epect for their memories. so we may we'll
doubt the loyalty Of those who are lack
ing in veneration for the past, He who
conceals his origin, however humble it
may be, who disassoc1ates himself from
his race and denies his honest forefath-
ers, is without nobility Of soul and will
be poor citizen in the day of need.
The conduct of such man is unnatural.
As long as men have human hearts and
human affections they will venerate
the places in which they them
selves or their fathers and mothers were
Graded; they will keep sacred the mem-
cries that cluster around the ancestral
home: they will love the ancient tongue
Of their fathers. The captive Jews wept
by the rivers of Babylon when they
thought of their beloved Zion, because
they had human hearts The French
man speaks with pride of beautiful
France, the German Of his Fatherland,
the Scotchman of his home in the High
lands and theEnglishman Of Old England,
because they are men and their hearts
are human. And for the same reason
does the Irishmsn think with affection
of Downpatrick and Kildare and Glen
dalough aud Gougane Barra. If these at
fections and memories interfered in any
way with the duties and affections which
as citizens you owe to the United States,
then indeed they would be deserving Of
censure. But such is not the case. Ven
Grafton for the past is one thing, civil
allegiance is quite another thing. The
citizens of this country owe no allegiance |
to France or Germany, England. or Ire
land. They owe it to the United States.
And the allegiance which they owe is an
undivided allegiance. And in the dis
charge of their duties as citizens they
s. lc% "a