The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-02-01
Church and Republic.

last Tuesday evening to enjoy a rare must
cal treat and to hear Rev. Jos. ". O'Con-
nor's splendid lecture, 1.-THE Catholic
Church and our American Republic.
The following musical programme was
rendered with exquisite skill By Baby
Ions Wave, chorus, Gounod. choir. So
pranos, Mrs. Won Brinkey, Misses Jennie
Galen, C1ementina Meh1, Laura Dickson,
Katie Dolan altos, Misses Rosa Garbar-
inc, Bernadetta Mehl tenors, DR.. Van
derveer, John Huff, Frank Hunter, Joseph
Ki1bride; bassos, Geo. Lippincott, W ].
Shannon, W. Griffin, John T. Murphy;
musical director, ]. L. P. Eckman; &C.
companist, Prof. Lawrence Elberson.
Soprano solo, Ave Maria, Gounod, Mrs.
Won Brinkey; euphonium solo. selected,
J. L. P. Eckman trio, Jesu Del Vivi,
Verdi, Mrs Won Brinkey, Jos. Kilbride,
w. ]. Shannon; organ march, selected,
Prof Lawrence Elberson.
At the close of the excellent musical
programme, Father Lyons introduced the
orator of the evening, paying him the
highest kind of compliment. For an
hour and half Father O'Connor enthral-
led the undivided attention of his audi!
ence, the rushing plentitude of his words,
interrupted only by the outbursts of ap-
plause, fell on the ears of his listeners like
the music of mountain torrent. His
superb earnestness, clearness of diction,
and superior knowledge of the power of
language, holds an audience spellbound.
He began by saying that two most in
teresting figures at present upon the stage
of history, are the Catholic Church and
the American Republic. 1.-THE ohe, the
church of Christ, though centuries old,
possesses an invincible life, derived from
her divine Founder, the Giver of life The
other. the youngest born of the great ma
tons of the earth, rejoices in her youth
and with all the fond confidence of that
period looks forward to immortality" Re-
garding the relations between them, he
said There are those who wish to es-
tablish enmity between them. Can we
show that God has Joined them together
and it is impiety for man to put them as
underr Can we prove that the stability of
American institutions depends upon the
eternal truths taught by the Catholic
Church Can that church make good her
claims to be the great conservative princi-
pie of national life, the mother of true
liberty. the guardian of the national and
social existence, as she is the guide of the
salvation of the Individual man This is a
lofty claim and Americans have right to
demand its proof.
Columbia lifts her starry brow to the
church and says: 4 have freed myself
from the despotic traditions of the Old
World. 1 recognize the right of every
man to ''life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness" All men may worship God
according to the dictates of their own con-
science. What, o ancient church, hast
thou to sayf Thy children are secure un-
der my protection. Many of thy sons have
fought and did for me. respect their re-
ligion. Welcome, ancient and venerable
answer the church says: BE thou blessedl
l applaud to the echo thy generous senti-
ments. Thou and agree upon the funda-
mental principles that underlie the gov
eminent. Esto perpetua. There can be
and there will be no conflict between us
Hear not those who assert that Catholics
cannot be loyal and worthy American
citizens
"a nation is composed of men and
women, and its very existence depends
upon the training these men and women
received in childhood. A nation is held
together by moral bonds. The family is |
the social unit. The Catholic idea of ed
cation has for its beginning and end belief
in and worship for Almighty God. With
out God there is no religion, without
religion no morality, without morality no
country. When the children are properly
trained there will always be country.
Suppose you allow children to grow up
without knowledge of God, or of the moral
law, and teach the children nothing about
the responsibilities of life-not to kill, not
to steal, not to lie, not to honor father and
mother? Suppose their children grow up
without fear of God or man? What sort of
a nation would they form? Not one that
could endure. Loose once the foods of
infidelity upon our land and the flag
would be swept away by the whirlwind of
revolution or the killing tempest |
of immortality. Now, the Catholic Church
takes the child in her arms and says
Who made the world Who made you ? 1t |
is God your Father, and He has made you
for Himself. Love and serve Him all the
days of your life. Obey His laws Be
just in all your dealings with your fellow
creatures. Love your neighbor as your
self. Be upright, sincere, pure, truthful.
God commands all this under pain of
eternal condemnation The Catholic child
hears these lessons daily. They are i'm
pressed upon his memory even before his