The Irish standard., 1897-06-26

with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and for
titude. the president Of the United States,
that this administration may be conduct
ed in Righteousness land be emincntly use
full to Thy people. over whom he presides,
by encouraging due respect for virtue and
religion; by faithful execution Of the
laws in justice and mercy; and by re-
strainlng vice and immortality. Let the
light of'Thy divine wisdom direct the del
alterations of Congress. and shine forth in
all the proceedings and laws framed for
our rule and government; so that they
may tend to the preservation of peace,
the promotion Of national happiness the
increase of industry, sobriety, and useful
knowledge, and may perpetuate TO lis the
blessings of equal liberty.
I'VE pray for his Excellency the Gov
ernor OF this state. for the members of
the Assembly, for all Judges, Magis-
trates. ard other officers who are ap-
pointed to guard our political welfare
| that they may be enabled. by Thy power
full protection. to discharge the duties of
their respective stations with honesty
and ability.
I'VE recommend likewise to Thy I'M
bounded mercy all our brethren and fell
low-citizens, throughout the United
States. that they may be blessed in the
knowledge. and sanctified in the OBJ
servance OF Thy most holy law; that they
may be preserved in union, and in that
peace which the world cannot give: and,
after enjoying the blessings of this life.
be admitted to those which are eternal"
We venture to say that no Christian
church on this continent can boast of
having in its manual of prayers such an
eloquent invocation to God for the well
fare Of the nation and the Inhabitants
thereof as that composed by Archbishop
Carroll. brother of Charles Carroll, of
Carrollton. the wealthiest signer of the
Declaration Of Independence. There are
churches In this country that claim to
be the quintessence of patriotism and the
embodiment Of religious federation that
cannot boast Of having such a magnifi-
cent prayer in their manuals of devotion.
No wonder the author Of this prayer was
invited by the Fathers of the Republic to
invoke the divine blessing on their DELHI
erations in Congress.
Why do not the Protestant churches
have prayer to equal it, or why do they
not adopt it. as they have adopted other
Catholic prayers, hymns and music? Why
do they not adopt 1t for the public
schools? Professionals, Catholics and
Jews could join in its recital without any
friction, or without sacrificing any prin-
ciple or tenet of their respective creeds.
If there ever was non-sectarian prayer
which all good citizens could join in re-
peating, it surely Is the prayer of the
patriotic prelate of the South.
1t will be noticed that Catholics pray
for "all our brethren and fellow-citizens
throughout the United States" and that
instead of claiming exclusive salvation"
for themselves, as enormously charged
against the Catholic Church, they pray
that after enjoying the blessings Of this
life, they may be admitted to those which
are eternal" How much more Christian
this is than uttering diatrihes and calu-
mines against their separated brethren
and fellow citizens" as some Protestant
ministers are wont to do in their pulpit
against the members of the Catholic
faith?
When they are reviled, they revile
not again. but implore blessings on
the heads Of the calumniators who ac-
cuse them of disloyalty to American in
situations. Did the agents of sectarian
bigotry who arrogate to themselves a
monopoly Of patriotism and decry the
fidelity Of Catholics to the republic, while
they themselves are invoking blessings
on foreign queen to whom they owe no
allegiance If they are Americanized; did
these agents, we say. repeat the grand
prayer for civil authorities composed by
tho first Catholic archbishop of the Unit
ed States after winning American indie
pendence from that country of which Vic
toria is the sovereign, they would grad
ually become broadminded, tolerant and
truly patriotic, and cease shouting and
spouting over the diamond jubilee of
England's queen.
President Mckinley and his cabinet;
the members of both houses of congress
presided over by Carrot Hobart and Car
Reed; State governors like David Mars
ton Clough, of Minnesota; and other pub
lie functionaries Of lower degree are bad
ly in need of all the prayers and suppli-
cations that loyal citizens may address
to the Almighty in their behalf.
Like charity, prayer should begin at
home: and at no time in the history of
the country was 1t needed more than
now. Let the subjects of Victoria chant
prayer and praise for their own sovereign.
We have no objection to that They
certainly will never pray for this country
and its rulers; and if they did, it would
be with their lips while their hearts were
far from Him. In the words of Charles
A. Dana, of the New York Sun: Every
American citizen who subscribes to the
preposterous tribute to Queen Victoria
should be marked man. His should be