The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-02-01
intellect begins TO develon How base and

intellect hegins to develop. How base and
groundless the calumny that such a
training units men for citizenship Why,
earth. Put the flag in the hands of such
men and they will bear it aloft until death;
for such men the flag means their country,
its homes, its institutions and its affairs.
are enemies to the Republic. Gaze upon
the Declaration of Independence. Among
the names on that roll of immortal fame
you will find that of the wealthiest of the
alton of Independence with their lives.
their fortunes and their sacred honor.
His name ? Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
Roman Catholic.
1--WE traitors to our country Was fight
ing Jack Barry, the father of our American
navy, a traitor? Was the Catholic General
| Shields, a hero of the Mexican war, a
traitor? Were Catholic Generals Mulligan,
Meagher, Kearney, and Phil. Sheridan
,, traitors? Were the thousands of Catholic
soldiers who fell in defence of that flag
traitors 1 should not be worthy to be an
American citizen if cherished one scin-
tilla of bigotry, one spark OF hatred of my
fellow-man on the ground that he differed
from me in religion. But 1 contend that
the Catholic Church is in full harmony
with the institutions and aspirations of
our beloved country. The Catholic be-
lieves in the infallible word of God-that
he Is free moral agent, responsible for
his thoughts, words and actions, a strict
account of which he must render to God
Immediately after DEATH"
Referring to the Pope he said: "The
powers of the Pope and priest are as clear
ly defined by the divine law as the course
of the earth around the sun is marked out
by Him who launched both into space.
Suppose the Pope ordered me to take up
arms against my country. not only
would disobey the order, but should be
bound in conscience to disobey it. He
would transcend his powers. Were he as
a temporal prince to invade my country,
should be bound to oppose him with
force of arms. Nor is this an individual
opinion 1t is the constant teaching of
Catholic theology as well as the obvious
dictate of reason and civic duty.
Cali our civilization has come from chris
tianity, and from christianity in its con-
crete and organized form-the Roman Cath
Ollie Church-the only christianity which
Europe knew for sixteen centuries. Unroll
the bright pages of the history of the
Catholic Church and her sons in the Unit
ed States. On the storm tossed deck of
the vessel that made the voyage of the
discovery we see the form of Christopher
Columbus, Catholic who believed he had
a supernatural mission in his dangerous
enterprise. 1t was Catholic navigators
who named cape and river and bay from
the river St. John to the river st. Lawrence
Ia fact Catholics were the first explorers,
biologists and botanists of this part of the
New World. Catholics were the founders
of colonies which have grown to be states.
The Father of our country eulogized in a
special manner the Catholics for the part
taken in the Revolution. How did Catho-
lies behave in the civil warl Let this fact
suffice. Forty-eight hours after President
Lincoln issued his first call for troops, 1900
men in New York, all Catholics, were on
the road to the front. / see before me in
this church the glorious ensign of the Re-
public. 1 unhesitatingly declare there is
not Catholic man here present who
would not rush to arms to save that flag
from dishonor, or to follow it through the
storm of battle against its enemies. We
so love our country as to be willing to die
for it''
Throughout his splendid lecture he re-
lated in his own inimitable manner an
ecdotes that had pleasing effect. In the
sanctuary were present, Very Rev. Dean
Mulligan, Camden, Revs. ]. w. Murphy,
Moorestown, w. T. Leahy, Swedesboro,
and Mr.. P. O'Connor, brother of the Rev.
]. v. O'Connor, of Philadelphia, and the
pastor of the Sacred Heart Church.