Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1897-07-01
FOUNDATION OF TRUE CITIZENSHIP.

Cleveland recently Archbishop
Ireland spoke upon 1.-THE Sure
Foundation Of True Citizen
ship" He said, in part:
"The greatness of America is
her democracy. America, as no
other nation, honors manhood,
consecrates its rights and gives
it the freedom to develop its pow
ers and satisfy its ambitions.
America is the nation of the peo-
ple-governed for the people, by
the people-and to become one of
the people of America it sufices
to be a man. In this country all
men are equal in citizenship;
there is no civil or political privi-
leges for the few; there is no
civil or political inferiority for the
many.
The peril of America is in her
democracy. have myself
fullest faith in the democracy of
America, because l have faith
in the people of America, and
because the democracy of this
country has amid terrific trials
proved its right and power to live.
l have faith, too, in the future
democracy of the world, because
the manifest evolution of
humanity is toward it, and the
Being who moves humanity
makes no mistake.
l admit that democracy re-
quires delicate and constant care,
that it's safety will be the reward
only of never ceasing vigilance.
So little is democracy a creature
of common growth in humanity
that under penalty of loss of
freshness and vigor, and even of
final decay, it cannot be aban-
doned, unprotected, to struggle
by itself for existence amid the
prejudices and passions of the
race. Those who prize it will
anxiously follow it, pledging to
its veal the best thoughts of the
mind and the warmest affections
of the heart. Whence will come
to democracy the potency of i'm
morality?
With revereneed pronounce
the sacred word-conscience.
Conscience ruling, Americans
will be a law abiding people, for
righteousness commands obe-
dience to law and proclaims that
the law of the supreme governor
of men and of nations-Almighty
God. Americans will respect the
rights of their fellow citizens; :,
conscience bids them know that
one lives for himself alone, and
that society, with its rights and
its institutions, is of divine mold.
Without conscience, without soul.
A nation without conscience is a
nation without soul. The sooner
the earth is rid of it the better it
is for humanity; nothing good or
great can come from it. The
brightest pages in our history
sprung from conscience; Ameri-
cas- immortal heroes of valor and
of patience in days of war, heroes
of charity and of virtue in days
OF peace were inspired by con-
science. Conscience led Ameri-
cans to redden with their blood
hundreds of battlefelds to pre-
serve America one and indivisi-
BILE, and to make her banner the
banner of freedom for all the
children of her soil. Conscience
will lead Americans today and !
tomorrow to watch jealousy over
the life and veal of their coun-
try; to spread through the land
social happiness, to make Ameri-
ca the fairest and best of the ma
tons of the earth.
Whatever the differences of |
condition arising from inequality
to talents and opportunities, all
men and all classes of men, must
be allowed their own; else all is
chaos and death. There shall be,
desnita those iDeuua1ities- no 90 1