The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-04-05
0rangemen and Coronation Oath.

| n EIDOM DO we ma Transporting ii
y Canada anything of interest to oul
readers in this part of the United
| States. Our exchanges from that Sec
ton of the continent absorb two parts
American to one part Canadian news,
| thereby enabling the native TO learn
more of affairs in this country than the
American can possibly learn of Canada
and its people. Then, too. the Cana
dams are not strenuous makers of his
tori.
We find in the Canadian Freeman
published at Kingston, Ont, an account
of the doings of grand lodge of Or
angemen, recently in annual conven-
ton at Montreal. The Canadian Free
man is a Catholic newspaper; hence
its object in reviewing the grand lodge
proceedings was to condemn the atti-
tude of the Orangemen for insisting
upon the old coronation oath along
with vigorous protest against any
proposed change of language or omis-
sion in this infamous relic of intoler-
ant bigotry.
What is an Orangeman? Many in
this country. particularly young peo-
pie, even of Irish descent, have not
the remotest idea of what the word
really stands for. Some even associate
il with a society of fruit vendors, for
some business or benevolent purpose,
and the ludicrous mistake may be ac-
counted for by reason of the lack of
T1.iSh HISTORIES in, iIYa Y.ia
and the scant knowledge given to pu-
pills in our public schools regarding
anything about Ireland or the Irish.
There are few, if any, Orange lodges
in this country. 1t is an organization
which cannot assimilate with religious
tolerance, and, therefore, does not
flourish in the states. Not being assoc
ciated in our mind with the various
secret orders in this country, and as
orga MIA tons like the erstwhile XII
Klux-K Khan and White Caps never rose
to the dignity of grand lodges-what is
an Orangeman. and what is an Orange
grand lodge?
In the Americanized Encyclopedia
we find this under the head |
of Orangemen:
"Orangemen-An association of Irish |
Protestants, originating and chiefly /
in Ulster, but with ramifica- |
tons in other parts of the United |
Kingdom and in the British colonies. |
derive their name from !
William III. They are enrolled in |
lodges.
"Orangeism is essentially political, |
i r.,
minds Irish Protestants of their origin
ma Of their common rights under the
British crown. But its original object
vas the maintenance of Protestant as
and too much of its spirit
till survives. BY repeating irritating
and publicly keeping an
liverSaries painful to their neighbors.
have done much to inhame
ectarian animosity; If their cerebra-
ions were private little could be said
gainst them. The first regular lodges
we're formed in 1895, but the system ex-
Sted earlier The Brunswick clubs,
ounded to oppose Catholic emancipa-
ion. were sprigs from the original
orange tree. The orange flowers of
he Lilium bulbiferum are worn in III
ter on July 1st and 18th. the anniver-
aries of Boyne and Aughrim. Another {
reat day is Nov. 9Th, when William
IL landed in Torbay"
1t will be observed that the encycIo-
edia first describes the Orangemen as
n association of Irish Protestants.
his is true, but Americans are often
lisled into believing that the Protes-
ants of Ireland are all Orangemen. .
nd that the Catholics have given them :
his name in derision. The error is ap- y,
aren't when il is pointed out that they
Ike their name from William III. who j.,
as the Prince of Orange. Nor is it ;
ue that all Irish Protestants are Or
lgemen. It would be unjust to charge :
in the abstract, with in
bring the hatred and bigotry which =
lstains the creed of the Orangemau.
e is Protestant only in his mind. I
e has been taught that the pope is =
ltichrist, that Catholics are idolaters.
Id it is his duty to wipe them off the
&c of the earth. II is said that the L
litigation in an Orange lodge pre- II
RIDES an oath pledging the candidate
wade knee deep in Papist gore"
his, however, may come from a heat
Catholic imagination. In the fac +
'nal fights between Orangemen and
Ltholics in Ireland the latter are not \
tirely blameless.
These Irish Orangemen are intensely d
7al to the British crown. So much so y
at instances are rare where one be-
mes a naturalized citizen of the -
lifted States. This is the principal =
lson for settling in Canada. Crom- -
IL and William are their Protestant y
ints, so if anything could bulge their =,
'alty it would be the omission of the :,
,amous insult to Catholics in the -
oath. To their mind it 60
'uld signify the decay of Protestant =;
q. -
The Catholics of Canada are much =,
ercised over this coronation oath. -
d they have right to be, as subjects ~
the person who takes il as their :,
lg and ruler The same feeling ex- ~
5 among the colonists of Australasia. ar
ter awhile the colonists may arouse W,
.ir brethren in England to take ac-