The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-09-26
PAGE TEN THE JEFF
Jerusalem, Rome, Washington :"

SOES LudC the TC1lSlOuS character VI
the American colonists in British ter
ritory during the periods of explora,
ton and colonization differed most
strikingly from that of the colonists
in Spanish and French dependencies.
He forgets that the flocking of 1.-THE
children of Loyela, ETC., to America
was due also to other causes besides
their Missionary zeal. Their over
throw in Portugal, their expulsion
from France, the rise of Gallicanism,
Febronianism, Josephinismy the
fierce fight which European nations
at that time were making upon the
infamous Bull Unigenitus of Glenn
ent XI-all these events persuaded
the Society of Jesus that their an
cient pastures had turned into war
ring camps against them, and they
must find new pastures. He forgets
that the surerstitions Of which he
speaks have not been removed, but
merely supplanted by different
sort of superStitions in all those parts
of the New World where Rome held
undisputed sway. His genial remi-
niscences, then, are valuable only as
showing that he regards all of
America as papal domain, from
the day that it rose out of the ocean
to the eyes of Columbus. The Pope
proceeds:
Nor, perchance, did the fact which
We now recall take place without
some design of divine Providence.
Precisely at the epoch when the
American colonies, having, with
Catholic aid, achieved liberty and in
dependence, coalesced into a consti-
tutional Republic, the ecclesiastical
hierarchy was happily established
amongst you; and at the very time
when the popular suffrage placed
the great Washington at the helm
Of the Republic, the first bishop was
set by apostolic authority over the
American Church. The well-knoWn
friendship and familiar intercourse
which subsiSted between these two
men seems to be an evidence that the
United States ought to be conjoined
in concord and amity with the Cath
Ollie Church. And not without cause;
for without morality the state can
not endure-a truth which that il
lustrious citizen of yours, whom We
ness of insight worthy of his genius
and craftsmanship, perceived and
proclaimed. But the best and
strongest support of morality is re-
igion. She, by her very nature,
guards and defends all the prinei-
pies on which duties are founded,
and, setting before us the motives
most powerful to influence us, COM
mands us to live Virtuously, and for
bids us to transgress. Now what is
the. Church other than a legitimate
society, founded by the will and or
dinance of Jesus Christ for the pre-
servation of morality and the de-
Tense of religion? For this reason
have We repeatedly endeavored,
from the summit of the pontifical
dignity, to inculcate that the Church,
whilst directly and Immediately aim
ing at the salvation of souls and the
beatitude which is to be attained in
heaven, is yet, even in the order of
temporal things, the fountain of
blessings so numerous and great
that they could not have been great
er or more numerous had the origi-
nal purpose of her institutions been
the pursuit of happiness during the
life which is spent on earth.
The Hierarchy ian the United States.
Here we observe again that dex-
ferrous grouping of heterogeneous
elements which succeeds in welding
Jesusalem, Rome, and Washington