The Irish standard., 1898-01-15
A CRITICISM ON CRAWFORD.

In his recent lecture in this city ON
Pope Leo XIII in the Vatican" r.
Marion Crawford. the novelist, was re-
ported by morning paper as follows:
TO these who believe that the Pope was
interruptions, he pointed out that if he
desired he could inaugurate the greatest
conspiracy in the history of the world
for political purposes, because of The,
strong ties which bound Catholics TO-
gether. But he had never thought Of
doing so.'
The editor of the Irish Standard was
uresent and remembers that Mr.. Craw-
ford substantially said what is attribute
cd to him. We thought at the time
that such an utterance was injudicious,
to say the least of it. and that NJ.
Crawford was mistaken in claiming for
the Pope the power of influencing the
politics of those who recognize his
spiritual supremacy and bow in obedi-
ence to his mandates as the vicegerent
of Christ upon earth. What Senator
Hawley said Of G. W. Smalley is appl-
cable to F. Marion Crawford. He has
lived so long in Europe that he does not
understand his own countrymen. lie
certainly does not understand his own
co-religionists in this country if he, be-
heves for moment that at the bidding
OF the Pope Of Rome they would enter
into a conspiracy for political purposes.
The Catholics of the United States, and
or other nations as well, do not take
their politics from Rome. The Pope Is
too wise a man to demand obedience
from Catholics in political affairs, and
If ever he went outside the domain OF
faith and morals he would soon dis
cover that he does not possess the pow
er or authority Ito inaugurate the
greatest conspiracy in the history of TIE
world for political purposes" despite the
fact that the Catholics are bound TO-
gether by strong ties. Mr.. Crawford is
correct in saying that the Pope had
never thought Of doing so.
In by-gone times in Ireland The Pope at
the suggestion Of the British govern
ment attempted to check the popular
movement headed by O'Connell, but that
great and good Catholic layman, whose
heart was given to Rome after it had
ceased to beat, cried out in vehement
tones, which reached the Vatican: I'VE
ORR fyov
our politics" In later days when the
Irish people We're led by the Protestant
Parnell, the Pope issued a manifesto of
political nature, which caused the
Irish Catholics to redouble their SUBJ
scriptions to the Parnell testimonial,
and had the tendency to reduce The con-
tributions to Peters Pence. In still
later times Mgr. Persico was sent by
Pope Leo to Ireland to report to him on
the agrarian war then going on between
landlords and tenants, and how did the
Irish receive the papal envoy? Dillon,
Davitt and O'Brien, three Irish Catho-
lie members of paliament, called mass
meeting in the city OF Limerick, and in
no uncertain tones declared that they
did not recognize the right of the Pope
or his envoy to mcddle in the political
affairs of their country.
When a weak Catholic nation like
Ireland has assumed an attitude of hos.
tility toward papal interference in poll
teal affairs, we can imagine how vo-
ciferously of the Catholics of America
would cry out against papel dictation iii
the political affairs of this country. 4.
Marion Crawford knows more of ro-
nance than of politics if he thinks thaz
the Catholics of the United States are ot
the same political convictions. even if
they are bound together by strong fra
ternal ties No archbishop or bishop CT
the United States would tolerate the
interference of their spiritual superior
at the Vatican in the civil affairs OF this
nation. and whether the Pope desired it
or not he could not get them to enter
into any political conspiracy whatso-
ever. And granting, for the sake of ar
gumert. that they would obey him in
trying to carry out any gigantic scheme
Of a political nature. they would soon
find themselves without any followers
from the Catholic body.
We speak plainly because of the err
roneuos notions entertained by non
Catholic citizens ON this very subject.
Such unwarranted assumptions OF Mr..
Crawford place Catholics in false
light. and it is the duty OF the Catholic
press to set the matter Alright A cor
respondent of the Minneapolis Times al
Redwood Falls. Mimi. is somewhat
alarmed at the utterance OF Mr.. Craw-
ford, but we assure him that the great
novelist does not speak for the Pore,
and that American citizens OF tbs, Catho-