The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-11-16
And why not? Since the Catholic

In her eyes all men are equal; at her
affairs the peasant and king, the mas
ter and servant kneel side by side and
she teaches that in the world to come
there are no distinctions of race or
social conditions, but every one shall
lbe dealt with on his individual mer-
+, its.
The humblest man may become a
priest; and any priest may aspire to
be Pope. Peter, the first Pope, was a
fisherman; the father of Gregory VII
famous as patron of art and science,
was carpenter, and Plus X, our
present Pope, spiritual ruler of two
hundred and fifty miifio.l Christians,
is the son of a poor postman. In this
respect the Church resembles the
United States, which has had Lin
coin, the rail splitter, and Garfield,
the canal boatman, among it's presl-
dents.
Americans are justly proud Of the
Declaration of independence, which
proclaimed that call men are created
equal" But that doctrine has been
taught by the Catholic Church and
faithfully practiced in it's internal
government ever since it's immortal
founder, Jesus Christ, proclaimed the
common fatherhood OF God, the uni
versal brotherhood of man. Long be-
fore Jefferson penned the Declara-
ton of independence, St. Thomas
Aquinas wrote "All men are natur-
ally equal, and there is no natural
distinction of superiority or inferior
ity." These teachings and practices
have been potent factors for two
thousand years in securing freedom
and equal rights to all men; and the
cause Of human liberty has no truer
friend than the Catholic Church.
Without the risk of invidious COM
parison, it may be said that the
strongest individual force in America
today for the preservation of our free
institutions and for maintaining in
all it's pristine vigor and purity the
National Constitution, under which
our republic has become the greatest,
best and freest country in the world,
is Edward Douglas White, chief JUS
tice of the supreme court of the
United States-the highest judicial
~ An NJ 10 nrs7o
Catholic and true patriot. And, Imay
add, a son of Louisiana, and every
Louisianian has cause to be proud OF
him.
When our fathers made their death
struggle for liberty against England,
it was Catholic France that came to
our relief and made victory possible;
it was Catholic lovers of freedom like
Lafayette, Rochambeau, De Gras, Pull
aski, Kosciusko, De Kalb and many
others, with their followers, who left
home and crossing the ocean, risked
their lives and honor to make Amer
lea free. 1t was an Irish Catholic So
ciety in Philadelphia, the Friendly
Sons of ST. Patrick, whose 81 men,
bers contributed over half million
dollars to the patriots cause during
the awful crisis and dark hours of
Valley Forge, an act of liberality
fully appreciated by Washington, who
wrote the society very compliment
airy letter and declared 1t to be dis
tinguished for the firm adherence of
it's members to the glorious cause In
which we are embarked" 1t was the
Catholic, Charles Carroll of Carroll
ton, said to have been possessed of
more property than all the other sign
ers of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence put together, who did not hes
itate to sign the immortal document
and thereby risk his life and great
dore Barry, father of the American
navy, who scornfully refused Lord
Howess offer of $75,OO0-a great for
tune in those days-and the command
or the best frigate In the English
navy by saying
III have devoted myself to the cause
of America and not the value and
command of the whole British fleet
can seduce me from it,"
There were no Catholics among the
Tories, but all of them were Wings
determined foes of Great Britain
and lovers of liberty. There were no
traitors among the Catholics. But
that arch fiend. Benedict Arnold,
gave as one Of the reasons for his
treason that his conscience would not
permit him to remain in service
which constantly brought him into
contact with Catholics. 1t is said that
one-half the soldiers of the Revolu-
tionary Army of 2S8,OO0 men were of