The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-01-29

ercise OF religion when, therefore, the
members of this association the A. P. A.,
solemnly swear before Almighty God
! that they will violate the principles
underlying the government OF the United
States thew are that instant false to their
allegiance to the constitution of our COM
mon country, and are consequently
guilty OF high treason. They are evil
IDENTIFY treading on dangerous grounds,
and were they to meet with their just
deserts they would be promptly indicted
by the grand juries of the various states
in which they have had the brazen inn
pudence to raise their heads. A
third objection to the organiza-
ton under discussion 10 the low
and dastardly means employed to effect
its infamous purposes; mlsrepresenta-
tion--or rather downright lying-is APP
parently relied on TO prejudice the
/ ignorant, and the unoffening Catholics
are painted in the very worst colors that
venom and rancor and the most cruel
bitterness can suggest; they are held up
as enemies to liberty, to education, to
morality, to civilization; their priests
and nuns are monsters OF iniquitv, they
| are elowly but surely undermining the
basis upon which rests the very life OF
the nation; their allegiance due not to
the country that shelters them, but to a
foreign power which seeks through them
to obtain full coutrol over this govern
ment: that foreign power known as the
pspal court has even gone go far as to
Issue mandates ordering the Catholics
of thie country to organize and massacre
their non-Catholic fellow citizens and
so on. ad nauseam.
The only reply that l or any other
Catholic priest IN this country can offer
to all these cruelty infamous assertions
is that the man or set OF men making
| them is guilty of the foulest and most
damnable calumny so far from being OPP
! posed to liberty, morality or education,
we regard them as the essential con-
stituents OF all true civilization Our
priests and nuns are to say the least, as
pure and God-fssring as any other class
| OF citizens. Our common country we
love and uphold and are willing
! to uphold against any power on
earth, not excepting even the papal
court. The pope of Rome, to whom we
owe simply spiritual allegiance, does
not and cannot interfere in any way
with our political and other duties as
citizens of this great country. Were he
| to attempt in even the remotest de-
gree to subvert single one of the liber-
ties andprivileges enjoyed in common by
all American freemen, l, for one, though
Catholic priest, and | may add, every
other Catholic priest in the United
Stai5s, would oppose him as bitterly and
as strenuously as would any other class
of American citizens. AS to the charge
that all Catholics were ever ordered or
could be ordered by the pope or any one
else, to organize in subversion of the
liberties of our fellow citizens, or
to imbrue our hands in their
blood, the only reply have to make is
that no one but fool. or one possessed
OF the very quintessence of diabolism,
could even dream OF such an accusation.
do not know that have much further
to remark regarding the shocking and
disgusting association. In proportion as
its acts and nature become more thor
oughly known to the American people, l
feel confident that the latter's good
sense and love OF fair play, and sturdy
honesty. will evoke so decided verdict
of Reproduction that this thoroughly I'M
American association. the spawn OF that
disreputable parent, Know n othingism,
will find its occupation gone and, like
the ignoble thing that it is, will quickly
stink back to the obscurity whence it
emerged.
l cannot, however, dismiss the So
called American Protective association
without calling attention to the semi-
religious cloak in which it seeks to hide
its hideous purpose. In the oath pre-
scribed toits mem bers, it draws sharp
distinction between our Protestant fell
low citizens and Roman Cathol CO. Ac-
cording to that oath Protestants are to
be favored politically, socially and every
other way and Roman Catholics are to
be prescribed. Here is direct bid for
whatever religious prejudice may exist
in the minds of one class OF citizens
against another. The differences of re-
igious belief that distinguishes these
two classes of our fellow citizens, may
be. and no doubt are, thoroughly
honest. and under the constitution OF
the United States we are en-
titled to cherish these differ
ences. In this divergence OF
belief there is nothing to prevent each
class from being good and true and loyal
citizens of this commonwealth. In
spite of the differences In question they
may live, and as a matter of fact have
lived, in perfect amity and union and
just here, under the pretext OF religion
God save the mark-comes a sneak
ing, hypocritical organization, prating of
its zeal for the gospel OF the meek and
merciful Saviour, to cast the brands of
hate and strife among brethren. Lead
ers of the A. 2. A., you have come too
late to succeed in your devilish pro-
iects. interruptions and dishonest,
you have already unsettled the
minds of many kSell-meanipa bnt