The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-01-04
A TRUE PATRIOT
He Loves His Country Best Who
Loves God the Best.

He Loves His Country Best Who
Loves God the Best.
Speaking before the knights of Col
umbus, Hon. Joseph Z. Ransdell, U.
S. senator from Louisiana, said:
"He loves his country best who
loves his God the best. God is the
author and creator OF the universe;
the maker and ruler Of all earthly
4, states. He loves the work OF His
| hands. He wishes the various peo-
pies of the earth to honor and obey
His divine laws and the laws of their
respective governments.
| "The Catholic is taught from his
earliest years to love and reverence
his Creator. At his mothers knee he
drinks in lessons of piety; his baby
lips pratt.e mamma, papa and next
come the sweet names of God, Jesus,
Mary, Joseph; his boyhood catechism
teaches as the first and greatest law,
! to love God with his whole heart and
soul, and next to love his neighbor
as himself; in youth, the precepts Of
Mother Church are impressed upon
him; he is told to honor his father
and shun sin as the greatest of hui.
( man evils, to make himself clean,
honest, God-fearing, obedient and
faithful to all laws, human and di-
vine. Such training, which is carried
OIL through life, even to the very edge
Of the grave, accompanied by pious
practices and works OF charity, is
what the Catholic Church does for
Its children. Could man be true
to such teachings and practices and
false to his state? Could he sin.
cerely love his God and his neighboi
and betray the institution of the
country which belongs to that God
and that neighbor? Such a PROPOSE
ton would be preposterous and false
as Satan.
1.-THE Catholic Church and it's chief
priest, the Pope, have no more loyal,
devoted children in all spiritual mat.
ters than Americans. At the same
time our glorious Republic has no
more faithful sons than her Catholic
citizens, especially the knights of
Columbus, any one or all of whom
would cheerfully defend her to the
last drop Of blood; who would, if nee
essary, give his life for his country
just as myriads of good Catholics
have died fighting for home and faith
erland in every part OF the globe.
"The Catholic Church loves free
dom and has ever fiourished better
in its atmosphere than elsewhere;
but her children are in every land,
for Catholic means universal, and she
would be false to the instructions of
her Divine Founder ii she did not in
all places and at all times support
the state, whether despotic or free,
in all it's laws that are not contrary
to good morals.
"In proof that the Church loves
and thrives OH freedom, witness her
marvellous growth in free America. In
1890 there were 10000 Catholics out
of a total Of 100000 souls-one per
cent of the whole-while now her
adherents number 100000, sixteen
per cent, or one-sixth Of the entire
population.
"The story of the part played by
Catholics since the birth of our Re-
public is too long to relate here, aud
my tongue too weak TO attempt it.
Some one better fitted must essay
this task, and when properly told the
whole nation will honor the Catholic
Church for its long roll OF sons and
daughters in every walk of life. who
have helped to create, build up and
sustain the best state and the most
remarkable government the world has
ever seen. Her children have been
leaders and laborers In everything
that goes to make the nation, in war
and peace; in council, chamber and
Legislative hall; among advocates and
in the forum; in mechanical arts and
among merchant princes; in the ranks
of inventors, authors, sculptors and
painters; as pioneers of progress,
grasping from nature the precious
wealth of its fertile soil and mines !:
as builders of the longest and best
railways on earth; in the schools
with the learned in all branches of
art, science and literature, and among
the lowliest and most unlettered;
amid the sick and Borrowing, the
pest camp and the field of battle;
i the plague-stricken city and asylums
for all human woes. from abandoned
| hahes and weeninr Nagdalens tn i'm.