The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-25
FLAG AND THE CROSS
Father Cleary Lectures Upon
Country and Religion.
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS
The Lecture Was Interesting and Log
ical and It Was Delivered in An
Effective and Convincing
Manner-A Synopsis.

large audience gathered at the Audi
torium last evening to listen TO the second
lecture by Father Cleary. On the plat
form with the reverend gentleman were
Father De Siere. Rev. S. c. Blackiston,
James III. Lynch, Marco Medin, " lillian
McDermott, John j. o Meara, Judge
Laurandeau and John Capllce. Father
Cleary was introduced by Mr.. Lynch. his
subject was THE Flag and the Cross;
Our Country and Our Religion" The lee
ture was interesting and logical ana was
delivered in an effective and eloquent
manner A brief synopsis is as follows:
THE subject is one of the most ,mpor-
tant and Iar-reaching that can occupy
the attention of an intelligent peop.e. Tie
nag of our country is the symbol IF those
immortal principles which embodied
in the American constitution, the noblest
and sweetest fruit of civilization. his
government of ours, symbolzed by The
nag, is built upon man. not upon fortune
or birth or aristocracy, but upon nan
himself, and it pledges the faith of the
country to mans equal rights. 1t is not
necessary that he should have been born
in America. This country asks only that
he give manly pledge and honorable
promise of adherence to the constitution.
There is an element which speaks with
contempt of our foreign-born citizens, but
the American citizen who ,pnde RS eands
the principles of the constitution asks
no such question. In the trying revolu-
tionary days and the days of civil strife
the foreign-born citizen attested his 10y
atty.
This nation has to large extent been
made strong because lovers of freedom in
all lands have sought the protecting shell
ter of its flag. The greatness of nation
is measured not by its wealth, but by the
greatness of the men it turns out We
look to man for the worth there is IN
him, not for his birth or descent, and we
pledge a nations honor, so long as he is
true to the countrys principles, the pro-
lection of the flag.
There are three constituent clements
authority, liberty and religion-which are
most tremendously blended in our coun-
try. We have authority which is not
built on glistening bayonets, but which
rests on the consent of the governed. We
have liberty which gives every man the
privilege OF doing what he pleasts so
long as he does what is right Then We
have freedom of religious worship. and
the American flag guarantees him the
privilege of worshipping according to
the dictates of his conscience In this
country the government is ours. 1t adj
vances the welfare of the people IN
stead of advancing the welfare only of
special and privileged people. 1t is our
duty to see that never is this govern
mentss power used for the benefit of priv
LEGGED classes instead of for the VIII lie
people. A government will not rise high
er than its source, and a government will
not be more just or honest than the peo-
pie who form it. Liberty does net mean
| that everybody shall do as he please s.
but that every man shall be protected in
his rights If my rights are protected [
am warded off from infringing on the
rights of others Liberty has the sweet
est charm of any word ever uttered by
man, yet what crimes have been COM
mitted i'll its name. Much has come from
a msconception of liberty-from a fail
ure to realize that liberty implies duty
and obligation.
Washington said no country can long
endure without morality and rel gion
Morality rests upon religion and IS It's
sweetest fruit Interference of the gov
eminent with the religious rights and be-
liefs OF the people has made most of the
troubles between governments and peo-
pies. Our fathers declared that govern
ment must not interfere with the rights
of the religion any more than with the
rights of the individual. Accord ng to the
genius of the American constitution there
cannot be anything like a union of church
and state and no church. however pow
erful 1t may become, can interfere with
the government. The constitution pledges
that the government cannot be inter-
fered with by the church, just as 1t
pledges that the government will not
hamper religion. Church and state are
distinct from each other yet not entirely
separated from each other. 1t is the
office of the state to guard my civil and
temporal rights, to care for my body. 1t
is the high duty of the church to care
for my spiritual being. to guide me to my
eternal home. Churchmen make very
poor politicians They should attend TO
spiritual matters. And So TOO, politicians
make very Indifferent churchmen. A mix
ing up of church and state has often been
disastrous to both in the history of the
old world. In England and in Scandina-
via there is union, or connection, so
close to be dangerous. The work
Christ confided to the church was that
of civilizing man and leading him to his
eternal home. If the church prefers any
government. it is the free government
where the church and the individual are
not interfered with and there is a fair
field for ALL
At the conclusion of the lecture all
Joined in singing America"
Consult DR. II. G. Heine, the eye. ear.