The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-06-28
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.
An Eloquent and Patriotic Address
by Rev. James CIearY.


The address by Rev. James Cleary
Monday at ST. Johns Catholic
church hall, on "American Citizen
ship" was a most able one and great
ly enjoyed by all present. Rev. Cleary
is good speaker and he paid an elo-
quent tribute to the republic and it's
institutions and declared that Ameri-
can citizenship was the grandest
honor man could have conferred
upon him. He opened his address by
citing the case of Mr.. Onahan, dis
tinguiShed citizen of Chicago, who
was honored by the Pope year or
two ago and who in an interview with
representatives of the press upon the
subject said he would not exchange
his American citizenship for any
foreign title that could be conferred
upon him. Our citizenship, he said
is built upon manhood. Man here
receives distinction because of his
worth and not because of some acct
dental circumstance of birth as in
many of the nations of the old world.
The rights enjoyed here had been
pledged by the fathers of the republic
to all and carefully preserved by the
people, because it is a government of
the people. Elsewhere these rights
were deemed privileges and enjoyed
only by the few. Here every man
follows the dictates of his own con-
science. He said he mad the utmost
disgust for the word celebration" as
it is commonly used. 1t had no place
in the republic. This or that belief
did not exist here because it was
tolerated, but because of natural
right pledged by the fathers. No one
religion is tolerated, for all have
equally the same rights.
Some of the truest citizens of the
republic had been born in foreign
lands, while some of its worst ones
were native born. Benedict Arnold
was born in Connecticut. Gen
| Shields in Ireland. No one would
question as to which was the most
| honOred American citizen.
The three elements for good
government, he said, were: Authority
Liberty, and Religion. We have all
| these. In foreign nations authority
is often looked upon with suspicion
because it does not rest with the
people, but here no such suspicion
exists because it is Of the people
There was no stronger government
than ours, though it is of the people
! the mob, as has sometimes been
twittingly said by leaders abroad
But they had been amazed at the
strength it had exhibited lin times OF
danger, when it had put down riotou'
and anarchistic demonstrations anc
meted out punishment to the offend
ers.
Besides authority we have the
broadcast liberty. Every citizen car
do as he pleases so long as he observe:
| the rights of others.
Referring to the third element
Religion-he commented upon the
wisdom of the fathers in effectually
separating church and state, and il
granting perfect religious freedom tt
all men and creeds. Good government
and religion should always exist to
gether, but should never become
mixed, for he did not believe church
man could become a good politician
nor politician a good churchm an
He referred to various dangers which
stand in the path of good govern
ment, but had the most implicit con
fidence in the ability of the people tt
protect the republic from all harm
and declared that the dangers we con
front were not as great as some of thu
problems which have been met ant
solved.
In his closing remarks he paid ;
most eloquent tribute to our form o
government and to the flag.
The ladies of the church served ic'
cream to large number of people be
fore and after the lecture.