The Irish standard., 1908-11-21
ROOSEVELT AND LuTHERANs.


ROOSEVELT AND LUTHERANs.
1t is not likely that President Roose-
volt will pay any attention to the let
ter addressed to him by two Lutheran
ministers. representing the New York
City synodical conference of the Evan
selical Lutheran Church of America" :"
in which they agree with him that it is
Al right to vote for "a Unitarian, q
jew, a Methodist or any other religion
ist'' for the presidency, save and cx-
cept a Catholic. Other clergymen of
various denominations. on being inter-
ter on religious federation in politics.
expressed themselves in hearty accord
with his utterances. 1t remained for
the Lutheran body of 5000 clergymen
in conference assembled to display
their narrow bigotry toward Catholics
We cannot believe that "the 100000
and more Lutheranv of this country"
as they say. are as bigoted as they are.
Vet they deny they are fanatics for OBJ
;ecting to a Catholic for the presidency
and ask
Are you not aware of the fact that
the Roman Catholic church has again
and again, for centuries back, and down
to modern times. through it's official
head and other authorities. denounced
as wholly wrong and as things to be
tolerated only so long as they cam
not he changed, the completed separa-
ton of church and state, full religious
liberty. freedom of conscience, OF
speech and Of the press, and that,
moreover, it procldims it's teachings
ond principles to be Interchangeable and
boasts of being semper idem?' Are we
not then compelled to maintain that a
loyal Roman Catholic who fully un-
derstands the allegiances required Of
him by the pope. can never sincerely
subscribe to the federal constitution,
nor if he does subscribe to it, never
can be expected to abide by it, enforce
and defend it?"
Volumes have been written on the
questions raised by the Lutheran min
listers in their letter to MIR. Roosevelt,
and it is safe to assert that il he an
swers them at all he will reply in the
negative, for what they assert in their
questions is a fiction and not fact.
These falschoods referred to were long
since exploded. In Great Britain conf
missions were appointed by the gov
ernment as late as the beginning OF
the 10Th century to investigate these
questions. and such eminent Catholic
divines as Dr. Doyle were examined by
the foremost theologians in the Church
of England. This was in the DAYS
" hen the Duke of wellington was
prime minister. and it is related Of
him that when asked If they were ex.
amining DR.. Doyle. he replied that DR..
Doyle was examining them.
If anyone takes up the Congressional
Globe of fifty odd years ago he will find
that the same statements made by the
Lutheran ministers We're debated pro
and con by members of Congress. This
was in knownothng times when big
otry was rampant against Catholics.
OF course. President Roosevelt, who Is
. historian. has read the debates, and
he knows that what the Lutheran min
listers say is not true so far as Ameri.
can Catholics are concerned.
No more loyal man than Archbishop
Hughes of New York figured in the
Civil War. and If the ministers turn to
Appletons Cyclopedia of Biography
they will read that he was the friend
and adviser of Abraham Lincoln, who
sent him to Europe to exert his influ-
ence to prevent England and France
from aiding the Southern Confederacy.
The fact that Catholics fought and bled
for the preservation of the Union is
sufficient reply to the ungenerous re-
marks Of the Lutherans anent the di-
v!ded allegiance Of Catholic citizens.
No need to enumerate the names of
Sheridan. Rosecrans, Shields. Meagher,
Corcoran and other Catholic generals
who distinguished themselves i'm that
four years war. 1t is said of Rose
Grams that he was daily in the habit OF
reciting his beads
The Irish Standard is averse to re-
ligious controversy of any kind. and
believes that every person is entitled
to- life. liberty and the pursuit Of hap
r:ness," no matter whether he is a.