The Irish standard., 1914-11-28

lion and it must suffer. No one will
argue that the church should relax its
energy, decrease it's vigor and change
its purposes because suffering. perse
cution, and death may follow. All
traditions and teachings of the church
are against such course. The priests
and sisters will meet the conditions as
best they can and will meet them with.
out regret and when the situation
clears up and order is brought about,
| the church will have gained instead of
lost, and her only embarrassment, If
there should be any, will arise from
the presumption that the church is not
willing to accept her lot and take her
chances wherever fortune or faith may
place her or because she was subjected
to the condemnation of bigots and re-
bellious selfish political adventures,
and then cried disconsolately for help.
while over-zealous friends engaged in
the general denunciation of political
parties, secret societies, and public of.
ficials.
1t is not for us to say that the best
statecraft has not been employed in
dealing with the Mexican situation. In
the language of Burke, it is problem
the solution of which would ennoble
the flights of the highest genius and
obtain pardon for the efforts of the
meanest understanding. If the Cath.
Ollie church and the refugees call for
financial aid the same response would
be made that has generously been made
by individuals or Catholic societies in
the United States on many other occa.
slons. But to indict the government
or a particular society as being re-
sponsible for the deaths of the repre-.
sentatives of the Catholic church in
Mexico is a grave charge indeed.
In the trenches of the opposing
armies in Europe are to be found the
priests of the Catholic church. Who
knows but that, when priest has fall
en- on the one side or the other the
bullet which caused his death was not
directed by a patriotic priest in the
ranks of the army on the opposing
side. The contemplation is awful, the
condition pitiful, yet, such are the for
tunes of war. We are all interested in
saving our own country from the hor-
rors of war. To put down armed re-
bellion in Mexico would require gen.
erous outpOur of American blood,
should armed Intervention take place.
AS people we are slow to wrath. The
words of our Declaration of Indepen-
dence have become truism; we are
more prone to endure present evils
than to fly to others we know not of.
Surely the loyal heart of every Cath
Ollie resents the Mexican outrages. But
has been the pitfall
and intolerance has been the sin of
many we'll intended people. Let us
pursue safe and peaceable course, not
arousing enmities by indiscriminate
denunciation. If material aid can be
of benefit to those who are being per-
secuted in Mexico, let us be generous
IN Offering such aid For those who
have given up their lives let us say a
prayer for the repose of their souls and
use their lives as an example of faith
and devotion, as an inspiration to our
selves and the generations to come, re-
membering that they never die who
fall In a great cause. The earth may
soak up their blood but their spirit
walks abroad, redeeming and regener-
ating the land.
A Catholic soldier was the first to
die at Vera Cruz. The soldiers OF the
cross are none the less heroic. We
Will honor their memory even more
than we honored the militant soldier,
and in our faith beget that universal
charity that speaks for good will
among men.
SPREADING "MENAcE" VENOM.