The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-07-17
OUR GALLANT TARs.
Splendid Demonstration at MarseiIIes
in Behalf of Religious Liberty.

Splendid Demonstration at MarseiIIe
in Behalf of Religious Liberty.
Not an American of any creed or n
creed but will alternately feel hi
blood boil with Indignation and hi
breast swell with pride as he reads tn
details of the now famous encounte
between American bluejackets ant
jeering French infidels at Marseilles.
A graphic description OF what hap
pened in Marseilles has been furnished
to the Catholic Columbian by an In
| d1anapoliS boy, gunner on one O.
| Uncle Sans ships. The navy rule.
prohibit men in the service from writ
ing to the press on matters that occur
in the service, particularly matter:
with an international tinge. He very
properly asks the Catholic Columbian
not to print his name. Our contem-
porary complies with the request, but
gives his own story of the occurrence.
which will be gladly read by every
Catholic, for the action of 1,20O boys in
blue, OF whom only 4S6 were Catholics
serves as splendid example of Amer
lean love of religious liberation. The
Catholic Columbian's friend wrote as
follows:
THE very first Sunday after we ar
rived in Marseilles about 200 of us Cath
Ole fellows went to the cathedral to
early mass. We marched down the
main streets on our way, and a large
crowd of people followed. Everything
went we'll until we neared the cathedral
and some individuals in the crowd be-
gan to jeer. OF course, we could not
understand what they were doing this
for. Some of the crowd tried to stop the
jeering and several men grappled each
other and began to fight. Police or gen.
darmes came along and dispersed the
disturbers. We went in to attend di-
vine service, and the great church soon
took our minds off of what had hap
pened in the streets. Just about the
time of the elevation, however, we and
every one in the cathedral were dis
turbed by the uproarious conduct of a
crowd of roughs who seemed to as
semble at the main entrance They
rang bells, blew horns and tried every
way to disturb the sacred ceremony.
Women in the church seemed very
nervous and men left their seats to
guard the entrance to the church. Our
interpreter made inquiry as to what
the trouble was, and he found out that
it was the Socialists and infidels an
gered at seeing sailors attend services
at the cathedral.
Have you no police authorities to
stop this sort of thing?'
Police authorities! Alas, the mayor.
police and all the municipal authorities
are anti-Christian. There is a law in
France against the military or men of
the navy attending at mass or even en-
tering the church. There rioters out
side are furious because you sailors
have ventured to come here
Just then there was q crash and
the main door, which had been closed
to keep out the noise, swung open and
the dirtiest and most violent mob you
ever saw was surging outside. They
threw missiles into the church, but
the door was soon closed against them
by the men of the congregation The
priest spoke in French, and, of course
we could not understand him, but we
were told afterward that he said:
'Alas!' this is sad welcome to give
to the American Catholic sailors, but
1t shows them that this country is not
like their republic The old man
broke down and sobbed as he closed
his sermon.
when we went back to the ships
we told the officers and men of the
feet what occurred. To say the
whole outfit of Uncle Sans men was
indignant at the insult offered to Cath
olics is to put it very mildly. The
next day being holiday, when there
was a high mass, we decided on a plan
of action.
;. I'VE told cur comrades we wanted
to attend high mass next day, and in
a jiffy the word was passed along the
line that every man who had leave of
absence Monday go to high mass. At
8 o'clock in the morning over 1000 men
were ready to move on to the cathedral.
In that 1000 were 1876 Catholics. as far
as we could ascertain The rest of them
were Methodists, Baptists, Presbyte-
rians, and many of them nothing.
There were many who had good old
Irish Catholic names, but who did not
work at their religion but they said
it was their fathers religion, and they
were to work at it for that day any
how.
So down the streets in the morning
sunshine we marched with a bugler
corps and all the other trimmings.
You should see the crowds that lined
the streets. Some towards that jeered
rs the day before shouted from the
windows and shook their FISTS. but
there was nothing like the disturbance
u llIt pICfIOuS udy- LIE DulIleS and
towards were bluffed and bIuffed bad.
Well, inside the cathedral 1--WE nearly
illed IT'D the people almost wept for
10y. The Protestant boys in blue who
came with us acted just like we did in
church They watched us, and out of
courtesy seemed to do whatever we
lid, except bless themselves. but
through it all they were itching for a
scrap with that atheistic crowd
II tell you as we left the church we
got great cheer from the grateful con-
It was lesson in American
owe of liberty, and I thought your read
RS would like to have it. We will never
orget the other boys on the fleet for
he fine spirit they showed, and 1 as
'ure you the incident has done much
sood-it has brought back many fell
ow to his religion.
Refusing the Last Sacraments.
There is nothing from which the
church shrinks with such horror as the
g To-