The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-26

NNHEIMHNH 49, - " @MEANH ANA -
once. II IS 70 fhis thought that ] desire
especially 20 invite your attehtion for
= Few moments.
1T will not be doubted that the more
enlightened the American becomes, the
more American he becomes; the more
American n becomes the better Chris
uRn be must necessarily be; and the
better Christian one becomes the closer
he becomes welded 10 the meaning and
Inspiration OF the American nag.
In our country more than In any
other reasons OF special Importance
urge upon Is the necessity OF encour-
aging and dIffuslng the advantages OF
higher education and OF making u as
complete and sound as possible. HUI
man society Is passing through, q pc
Rod OF deep and wide reconstruction,
Social conditions are being leyeled ~.
ward. Privileged classes are passing
away and lingering vestlges OF caste,
feudal arrogance, and autoerate Cae-
carism evoke only protest and indigna-
ton.
ONLY NATURAL INEQUALITIES.
Natural inequalities have to be ac-
copied but artificial inequalities cannot
longer exist. In this condition OF
things grave dangers must be guarded
against; but there are also weighty
principles OF right which have TO be re-
spected. To escape the one without ig,
noring the other is q duty which pru'
depee must foresee and provide for
Now how are these tendencies. 10 be
dealt witty How is the future 10 be
wisely moulded? In a word by encour-
aging this tendency upward. And how
Is this levelIug up 10 be accomplished?
Through education. Elementary edu-
cation must be made more universal
and It's level steadily advanced. Larger
numbers must be promoted from ele-
mentary into secondary education I'LL
the numbers In the schools be rlyaled
by the numbers In the colleges. The
advantages OF the highest education
inust be brought within the reach OF
every child Of the masses TO whom has
been given the highest quality OF brain.
The day is past when II could be pre-
tended that the finest quality OF brain
could oniy be found in the privileged
claFses.
intellectual power Is a gift which
the Creator dlspenses as He will, and
wherever He has given II, He has given
with II u right to Its fullest develop
ment. And the day Is past. II, In fact,
the day ever was, when privilege and
| conVentloEality could look down on In
tellectual pre-emineRce.
INTELLECTUAL PRE-EMTNENcE,
Therein lies the highest respectable
lty, the loftlest influence, a dignity be-
fore which artifcialties OF position
must bow, a power which even the
might OF wealth cannot lastlngly with
stand, Place these advantages gen.
! erousiy within the reach of every
whom Providence has made fit for
them; bring them especially within the
reach OF the gifted poor; let II be dis
tinctly understood that poverty shall
not debar any one from the intellectual
pre-emlnence for which God has fitted
him; let the offspring OF the sons OF
toll mount to that degree OF learning.
and its consequent responsibility and
influence for which their natural en-
dowments fit them. Thus better than
in any other way will the social prob
lem OF the future be solved and human
society be leyeled up. Thus will the
charges Of inequality be stopped; not
by violence, which only entails reaction
and worse disaster. but by the gentle,
Irresistible force of the true and the
Just.
WHO under the new order OF things
can doubt the perpetulty OF our gov
eminent and It's institutions and the
steady, lasting growth OF patriotism
among all classes?
ITO the careful student. educated
along this higher plane. the love OF
country must necessarily come next to
God. The school bell will be to him but
the echo OF Liberty He'll. To use the
words OF an eminent prelate, From the
portals Of the school room let him go
forth to enter upon the duties OF MS
vocation proudly bearing in the one
hand the book OF Christian truth and
in the other the constitution OF the
United States"
THE FLAG PRESENTED.
Then. on behalf Of the Blessed VIr-
gin Sodality. Miss Sarah Connolly pre-
scented the beautiful flag, for which the
voting ladies' OF the society had worked
SO faithfully. Miss Connolly said in
preserving the flag:
"On behalf and in the name Of the
! young ladies' sodality Of the Blessed
Virgin attached TO ST. JOssph's Chthe-
dral, / present this beautiful flag 20
you, asking you TO place II over the
grand building dedicated TO the nublime
cause OF education, before which we
stand to-day. In no selfish spirit OF
[ comparison 10 we say Il, but We Cath
NANIE NAEAu ~ ~ VIZ ~ tAA WV $50
generation for that nag and the old
land over which It waves, on every
page OF American history Il written the
proud deeds OF American Catholics.
The first act OF religious worship In
this new world was the sacrifice OF the
mass when Columbus descended from
the Santa Maria. The first blood Of
1 fered for the civilization OF this coun-
try was that Of priests on the shore OF
RappahRnock and on the banks OF the
Hudson.
Catholic names mark the progress
OF the FIRST explorers everywhere from
the Atlantic to the Pacific; from the
ST. Lawrence to the gulf Of the great
Mississippi, which waters the valley OF
the nation. and once bore the name oil
the River OF the Immaculate coneep.
tlon. Chief among those who risked
their lives, their fortunes and their sa-
cred honor In signing the Declaration
OF independence were Catholics. The
white fleet OF cruisers that we are so
proud OF to-day are the representatives
OF that navy which was founded by the
Catholic Barry. II was a Catholic ma
tion-Frpnce-thnt helped IS 80 gain
our liberties. Our faith was no hin,
drance to our patriotism in the strug-
gle with the Catholic nation OF Mexico.
In the battle for the Union Catholic
names are bright with glory and VIII
never fade, and IN any future battle
Catholic hearts will beat with as high
a patriotism as any other In the ma
ton, Though they offer from Us ia all
else, we honor and love those who love
this country. And we wlsh to empha-
size the fact that. taught as we are,
that the power to rule us Is God given,
we shall never fail to Offer II u deep
est reverence, and loving the country
az our native land, we viii be ever
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