The Irish standard., 1901-02-16

men to march in the ranks of Washing
tons half-Starvcd and half-clad conti-
mental army. Freedom of thought, free
dom OF conscience, and no taxation
without representation were the can
did principles for which they fought
The church in this country will never
occupy its rightful place as a factor In
our complex yet simple system of gov
crnmcnt until the priest and laymcn
get closer together. The priest is the
general in command of the army. He
should know his soldiers, know them
personally, know their children, know
them at their homes, upon the street,
at social functions, at public gatherings
-rvcrywhprc. He should Sympathize
with their hopes and encourage their
ambitions, and in every feature of So
cinl and national life should be as de-
voted to the Catholic layman as was
Napolron's imperial guard to their
chief On him rests the responsibility
OF shaping the policy of the church,
whose principles are everlasting Alone
he can do little. Nothing can be ac-
compliShcd by force or coercion, and
without loyal and generous support and
cooperation on the part of the Catho-
lie layman, his influence is merely NOM
mai, II not negative. Tho lHynnan and
priest should love, and help, and en-
nf
other They should be as brothers,
anxious and watchful, not only for the
spiritual, but for their temporal well
fare as well. There should I've no bick-
erlngs, no dissensions. "IIc serves God
well who serves Gods creatures" The
priest, in Il certain sense, is thrown in
competition with the brightest, most re-
fined, diplomatic and cultured intellccts
or any age. The Catholic layman
would. and of right should, look upon
his priest not only as Il competent in
tcrprctcr of Gods holy gospel, but as
an cxemplar in social refinement, mod
crn tact and diplomacy, and as being
in touch with the forms and usages
accepted by the best elements of mod
rrn society. The layman bclicvcs that
that priest does the most good who is
touch with the hopes, aspirations and
ambitions of his own flock His flock
TO him, in things secular as well as
spiritual should be n matter of first
concern. The Catholic layman would
be slow to adopt or revive the "know-
nothing" spirit that disgraccd the early
pages of our country's history, but
would simply suggest to those who ad-
minister the affairs Of the church the
words Of Polonius of old to his son
Lacrtcs:
"The friend thou hast and their adop-
tlon tried,
Grapplc them to thy soul with hooks
of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with enter
tainment
or each new hatchcd, unncdg'd COM
radc."
-AO o"S"o'S iiah !IhS u AISAI "
claim recognition in this fair land We
first see him crossing the great ocean
and planting the banner of the Re-
dccmcr upon the New Continent. We
see him at Valley Forge and at York
town. We see his name upon the Dec
| laration Of Independence, that pro-
claimed freedom from kings and ty-
rants. We see him with Perry on Lake
Erie, with Jackson at New Orleans,
| and with Grant, Sherman and Sheri-
dan. We see him in civil life in the
| councils OF state and Of nation; ut the
bar and upon the bench Of the highest
tribunal upon earth; we see him in the
schools and colleges, in the laboratory,
ana in the busy marts of trade and
commerce. In all, he has acquitted
himself crcditably.
The Catholic layman believes that
the Catholic people should cultivate
broader fraternity among themselves.
They should get better acquainted with
one another. and implicitly trust each
other in everything. He believes that
nothing should be done. either within
or without the church, that would even
by Implication convey the thought that
The Catholic people were inferior in in
tcllcct, morality, vcracity or integrity.
There is nothing about the principles
of the church that is inconsistent or
incomDatblc, While her children are
loyal to the church, they are likewise
loyal to the state. The Catholic in
America implicitly believes in the SEN
timent expressed by distinguished
son of the church, Of going forth with