The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-24
AT METROPOLITAN HALL
G. T. Bruce Delivers a Stirring
Address at the Good Citizen
ship Nesting.

ship Me Stlng.
There was large attendance at the Good
Citizenship meeting at Metropolitan Hail
yesterday. Chairman Outflow made the
opening address, then short prayer by
the Rev. Dr. Rabing, followed by patriotic
airs, instrumental and vocal. G. T. Bruce
of Los Angeles was then introduced, his
speech being as follows:
We never tire OF Boosting of the grandeur of
our country or the limitless resources of its
wealth. That country is richest however,
says Ruskin, which nurtures the greatest num-
Der OF good people? Warshlps, magnificent
fleets, cannot make country great. The ques.
tion then is why is America influential alone
in this the Western Hemisphere. 1t is because
our Government Is organized on the divine
right of the people to govern themselves.
Our heritage is civil and religious liberty.
Our Government stands alone in the privileges
II extends to its citizens; equality is one of our
fundamental principles. An Englishman said
to an American: "You have no noble fami-
lies" The reply came, "You are now talking
TO one OF the mem bers of the royal families Of
America. Our Government is essentially one
of the people. for the people and by the peo-
pie"
The Roman Catholic church is the curse of
our Nation. She retains the hope of ultimately
ruling the world Now, as to our public school
system. Be not deceived by honeyed phrases
the slaves of Rome do not N ind their
words. Rome is an enemy to progress, TO civ
ilization, and is to-day marshaling her forces
for one grand onslaught For individual Cath
olics have not the slightest Ill will.
Monsignor Bouland, Frenchman by birth,
but now citizen OF the United States and an
eminent Episcopal clergyman. and man eel
ebra ted for his scholastic attainment, was for
many years distinguished represent tive of
the Romish church.
AT the time of his separation from the
church, which was in. April, 1883, he was
private cham berlain OF His Holiness Leo XIII,
canon OF st. Michael the Archangel, Rome
presldent-general OF the Ayocats OF Pierre in
North America, canon OF the Metropolitan
Church OF Rheims, member OF the Academic
des Arcades in Rome, commander OF the Holy
Order OF the Holy Sepulcher, and director gem
eral OF the organization in Nor tn America OF
ST. Peters Pence.
In Bishop Potter's allocution at the time he
received the Monsignor into the Episcopal
church, l find these words:
Possessed OF q gift of speech and learning far
above the majority of his fellow-men Monsig-
nor Bouland rose rapidly TO distinction in the
Roman Catholic church, his future was par
ticularly bright, and the highest honors of the
church were in his reach"
Before Monsignor Bouland was formally re-
celved into the Episcopal church his creden-
tlals were duly signed by Cardinals Gibbons
and Riordan. He then addressed the follow
ing letter TO the Pope:
NEW YORK, April IL, 1888.
Most Holy Fdtfer:.I have the honor 10 inform
your holiness that from to day (mv Economical
standing being perfectly regular and unuue stoned1
deliberately, though SorrOwfully, separate myself
from the Romish church for the following reasons
l. Doctrinally il is no longer possible for me To
believe the teachings OF the Syllabus and the dog
mas proclaimed at the last Vatican council.
z. Politically can no longer admit the preten-
sions OF ultramontansm, claiming, as it does, ab
soute authority, not only in matters religious but
1 political. Such pretensions history proves to be
Roman hierarchy constitutes in the United States
q danger ever on the increase.
More than one hundred years ago LAFAYETTE
| to whom CUR Nation is deeply indebted, wrote
these words TO Morse: az the liberties of the
American people are ever destroyed it will be
by the Roman clergy"
When Lafayette wrote these words he had
experienced the workings of the Roman clergy
in France. He knew that they would hesitate
at nothing. He saw in the priests scattered
over this country in those early days fore.
runner OF the condition which now confronts
US. Ten thousand priests are sworn not to
obey the laws OF our. country in temporal
affairs, but to obey the behests of an Italian
II is not possible Tor man to be loyal Catho-
( lie and loyal American.
What are the demands of this church? The
! Pope claims entire jurisdiction over the world
He sets himself up the earthly representa-.
tive OF God. Now, strange as it may seem
every one of his claims are against the Consti
tuition of the United States. In all encyclica
issued some time ago are found these treason
able words:
| But If the laws of the State are in open contra
diction with the divine law, if they command any
thing preudicial to the church, hostile to the
duties imposed by religion. or violate in the person
of the supreme pontiff the authority OF Jesus
a crime to obey them-a crime fraught with da n
ger 10 the State itself.
| Do you tell me that Catholics would take VI
| arms in defense of our country if the Pope de
| clared againstit? In 1886 the present Pope
! issued a decree, in which occurs this sentence
THE judicial functionaries must refuse ODE
= ence to the State and the laws of the country
| Wnich are in contradiction with Roman Cath.
! Ole preceptS."
| What does this mean? The Popes subor
dinate the state to the church. If any govern
! m ma re hlest m
eiies. ' '' '''''' anu ''t'' s0oo OA'i'
Bishop Gilmour of Cleveland, Ohio, has writ
ten:
! "Nationalities must be subordinate to reli
gion (meaning his own, of course), and w,
must learn that we are Catholics first and citi
The late Cardinal McClosky OF New Yorl
said:
Catholics in this Republic are as strongl,
devoted to the sustenance and maintenance O
the temporal power of the holy father as Cath
| olics in any other part of the world and If i
should be necessary to prove it by acts they ar,
Pope Plus TX, in an encyclical dated Angus
8. 1864, denounced what he called:
/ THAT most pernicious and insane opinion
| the right of every man."
/ Proposition Is of the Syllabus curses thos,
who claim the right of free opinion, and il
one OF his cardinals which appeared in full il
the London Times of April IL, 1879, and from
which quote one sen ence:
"His gradual increasing insistence on thu
restoration of the temporal power is prompted
by the increasing conviction that until the
i Roman pontiH regains earthly sway in thu
City he cannot prohibit liberty of worship and
| instruction"
Cardinal Gibbons said in 1886, as reported b,
the Baltimore Catholic Mirror: "In no coun
try of all the nations of the earth does the
blessed father find more loyal children thar
among the clergy and the 1aity of this free
republic"
Cardinal Gibbons was born under the blu,
dome of liberty and the protecting folds O
this dear old flag. There are ten million Cath
olcs IN America devoted to the Pope. Wher
| they have grown a little-when Gibbons Il
Pope, which is not improbable, he might issu,
a letter like that OF Plus to Maximilian. which
Is as follows: "The Catholic religion must
! above all things, continue to be the glory ant
the mainstay OF the giant republic OF the west
TO the exclusion of every other dissenting wor
| ship" This letter to Macmillan can be fount
in Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia for 1865
page 749.
Have satisfied you that the Romish church
| is opposed to freedom OF conscience? III we are