The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-13

Several Selections-WaS Assisted
by Bauer's Orchestra.
Henry Austin Adams, of Brooklyn,
n. Y, the editor of Donohue's maga-
zine, spoke in the Lyceum theater last
night on Americas Debt to Catholic
ity." The large building was thronged.
Mayor elect Muir occupied one Of the
boxes
Rev. j. j. b. Feeley, Of the cathedral,
introduced the distinguished speaker Of
the evening. lie said he was thank
ful for the kindness of those who had
assisted in any way toward the sue
cess OF the lecture, which was for the
purpose of replenishing tn treasury of
st. Vincent de Paul society. Wh..n 1.~-
tributes aims to the needy pu1r . tNr
city regardless of creed or nt,pH3'-
ity.
Mr. Adams, who at one time was an
Episcopal clergyman, and is convert
to the Catholic faith, was given a very
hearty reception when he stepped TO
the front Of the stage after being IN
troduced by Father Feeley.
He began his discourse by saying
there is no subject on which people
are so easily hurt; no subject so near
and sacred to them as their religion;
and no subject on which it is so easy
to get persons of different beliefs at
swords points. If any one came there
to hear an attack on the great body
of his Protestant fellow citizens they
would be disappointed, he said.
NOT AN ErX PRIEST
Though ! left my Episcopalian
brethren some six years ago to be-
come "a Catholic" he continued, II am
not, thank God, an eX-priest. Though
l have left the great body of earnest
church workers with whom ] formerly
labored because think | saw the error
of my way, l have nothing but the
most kindly remembranceS Of my form
er associates, and nothing but the
highest admiration for the earnestness
and purity of their lives. They are
seeking their way to salvation accord
ing to the light they possess"
Mr.. Adams then sala his subject
would be Americas Debt to Catholic
ity." lie was frequently asked by his
Protestant friends and former co.
workers why he could have taken a
backward step by joining a foreign
church. He found that people outside
of the church generally believe the
Catholic church is foreign institution
and that it is impossible for a man TO
be a thorough and patriotic American
and at the same time a Catholic
He did not come to Scranton, he said
to refute such an utterly senseless
proposition. In passing he mentioned
1t because it is one of the most COM
mon fallacies. For a few moments he
touched upon another commonly ac-
cepted idea among Protestants, that
the Pope at Rome in some mysterious
way directs from the Vatican the
movements and utterances of every
priest and that IL Catholics ever OBJ
tanned control of the affairs of this
country, sad days indeed would fall
upon us. This belief he said, finds
| ready acceptance, because it is shouted
from Protestant pulpits. proclaimed
from their press and taints nearly all
the literature that is written on the
subject.
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.
Mr.. Adams then briefly sketched the
discovery of America by the Catholic
| Columbus, whose theories after being
rejected by the most learned laymen
of his day, found favor with an humble
monk, who obtained for the adventur-
! Gus Columbus the powerful assistance
! of the Queen of Spain.
The work of the Catholic mission
| aries was also referred to and the
monuments they left behind them in
%,
mountains. St. Lawrence, st. Angus
tine, St. Mary, San Francisco, St
John, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara
and many names prominent in Ameri-
can history We're mentioned as show
| ing how powerfully the Catholic mis-.
sionary left his impress on the land
The treatment accorded the Indians
by the New Englanders and his Catho-
lie brethren across the Rio Grande, was
contrasted to show that the Catholic
has always maintained the right of the
| humblest Of Gods creatures to life ant
liberty. While the New England clergy
man preached in his stockade- enclosed
church, with his firearm on the pulpit
ready to reDulse the red man, the
Catholic missionary beyond the Rio
Grande went among the Indians armed
with naught but his crucifiX and I
heaven born zeal to awaken a love fo
God in the breast of the savage. Tht
thousands of civilized Indians in tina
part of the country testify to the frui
the labors of these missionaries hav,
borne.
Reference was also made TO the fac
that Catholic Maryland was the onl!
one among the thirteen colonies wher
absolute religious freedom was per
mitted and to the conspicuous par
Catholics have had in defending tn
country from the day when the frs
gun of the revolution was fired. II
closing, Mr.. Adams said:
political economists say there is on
thing aud only one thing on whicl
society rests and that is the home De
stroy it's God appointed saCredness ant
the country will fall and all the sacret
influences that radiate from the hom
will be wiped away. The only tru
friend of the home is the Roman Cath
Ollie church and the thing that is de
bauching the home is the divorce, II
all this country there is only one vOic
raised steIuty against divorce, only on
church that is irrevocably opposed u
il and that is the Roman Catholi
church. II refuses to justify ii II
any way