The San Francisco call., 1896-04-24
THE SPIRIT OF
CIVIL LIBERTY.
Father Yorke Defends the
Claims of Catholi.
ciSm.
ITS RECORD REVIEWED.
Champions the Rights of the
People as Against the
Mobiles.
EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION
The Reverend Chancellor Warns His
Hearers Against Sewers of
Dragons Teeth.

Though the rain poured down in tor
rents and the wind blew gale, thousands
OF people braved the elements anc
crowded Metropolitan Hall to the door:
last night.
The occasion was lecture by the Rev
Peter c. Yorke, the second of a series
given by the Chancellor OF the Archdio.
cese under the auspices of the American
Woman's Liberal League. The title oi
the lecture was THE Dragons Teeth, OF
Civil and Religious Liberty" The dis
tinguished speaker was in excellent voice
and for nearly three hours held the atten-
tion OF his large audience. At times he
was quite eloquent, and his well-rounded
periods stirred the feelings of the audience
to a high pitch.
The Hon. J. F. Sullivan presided. Miss
Georgiani opened the programme with a
fantasia of patriotic airs on the piano.
The chairman said that the sentiment
that had brought about this series of lec-
lures was the same that inspired the peo-
pie. in spite of the elements, to turn ont in
such large numbers, standing together as
hey did for the principle of civil and re-
glous liberty. He paid glowing tribute
TO the good work done by women in the
past, and asked where there could be
found stancher friend of woman than
the mother and mistress of all churches
the Roman Catholic Church.
His reference TO the efforts of the Sisters
OF Charity in the course of humanity, and
their brave and self.sacrificing conduct
on the battlefields was loudly appIauded
In introducing the reverend orator of the
evening. Judge Sullivan paid the Chancel-
1or hitting tribute for his courage in
champloning the cause of the church and
the people in the fight for civil and reli-
gious liberty.
Father Yorke received an ovation on
coming forward to address the multitude.
Il am glad to see that the rain has not
dampened your enthusiasm, he said, land
am also CAD TO see your interest in the
American Woman's Liberal League and
the great principle for which it stands
civil and religious liberty, and equal rights
among all men. Applause.
AT the last lecture l showed that all
liberty began with the Lord and Savior,
and with regenerated humanity. And.
coming down to the sixteenth century, l
showed that the fruit which we enjoy to-
day, the harvest that we have gathered in,
how the citizen was taught his rights and
duties; l showed how all this was due to
the old Catholic church and the Popes at
her head. Applause.
Tonight l wish to go a step further
The period that l dealt with showed that
Christianity had won. All nations, though
speaking different tongues, belonged to
the communion of the ancient church.
We come now to a divided Christendom: /:
we come to time marked by religious
rancor, marked by divisions in the Chris
tian household, with brother against
brother and father against son; at time
when the northern nations left the church,
81 fear and tremble lest any word of
mine should give offense, and I do not
wish 10 wound the feelings of any non-
Catholic. lApplause.l 1 Ideprecate religious
strife. If there has been religious rancor
sown in this community, and if we have
had to say some plain truths from time to
time IN self-defense, the fault does not lie
with US as Catholics. 1t was only when
self-interest had conquered justice that we
were compelled to defend our
selves that those who come after
accused You had no Defense
wish simply to make known the facts.
Non-Catholics hate the cruelties OF ages
gone by, and We Catholics likewise hate
them as much as they" [Applause.l
Father 1orke then went on to say that
the sixteenth century had opened most
auspiciously. This country had Just been
discovered and the field of commerce
greatly enlarged. He showed how educa-
tion and the social standard in all coun-
tries OF Europe were rapidly advancing.
Tie field OF letters had been widened,
civil liberty had advanced, ana European
society as whole was developing in the
direction OF safe liberty. He quoted
from Protestant historians to show
that the Catholic church encour.
aged the advancement of civil
liberty. Ihe three great powers were the
people, the mobiles and the king, and while
the church was at times at outs with the
nooies. ana the KING, she never through
all these thousands of years was in conflict
with the people.
"On this scene, so full of promise at the
beginning of the sixteenth century, con-
tinued Father Yorke, "broke what is called
the Reformation-a revolt in Germany
ana other northern countries against the
authority OF the Popes. We find that in
the contest between the kings, the mobiles
and the people at the beginning of the
sixteenth century there was a con-
federacy between the rulers and
the people. Now if you give a
man power to-day he wants more
tomorrow, and the only way to curb him
is by a strong and healthy public opinion.
If the people are not united on questions
of morality, honesty and justice they may
be controlled at the dictatIon of the ruler.
Now, in this country the people are di-
vlded on political questions and those in
power scheme and plot to hold office, and
II they tell the people that the torpedo
boats are blue they will believe it. If
people are blind because of being divided
on political issues, then schemers will plot
against them to gain their own ends.
Nobility grows up like the mushroom
IN the night We have in these United
States class which if not noble. would
like to be-"
Father Yorke pictured the contentment
of Chrlstendom at the time the Reforma-
tion began. He said that Italy was dotted
over with republics and it seemed as
though the spirit of justice was to go out
from the classic shades and extend over
the world.
1T was then." ne said "that the devil
sent rellglous intolerance into the world,
and the neck of liberty was placed under
the loot OF tyrants. For 200 years Europe
was vast battle-ground-an all on ac.
count OF religion: Catholics shot down
Protestants and Protestants shot down
Catholics, and the result was that after
200 years OF warfare we find that the peo-
pie were crushed and absolutism reiened
in Europe. And this was the outcome of
the Protestant Reformation.
$50 in the early days if the Christians
were not united the world would not have
been conquered. They organized into one.
society, with one head they went out into