The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-05-02

| ters of state to either Mgr. BOnZan0
or to any member of the Roman
Catholic Hierarchy, be he an Ameri-
can or a foreigner. Only as an
American citizen pure and simple can
the. administrator receive or give a
heating to any Churchman, no mat
ter what may be his church affilia-
tions. Perhaps our inquiry in this
matter might be considered unduly
intrusive or presumptious (sic), or
indicative of unwarranted fear or
distrust of our chosen government
officials. But our right as citizens
of this American Democracy to make
such inquiry cannot be denied, or
that there is good reason for the ex-
ercise of extreme vigilance in mat
ter of this nature by all the citizens
of our great Republic, in view of the
fact that Catholic Party exists in
Mexico and in view of the secular
claims of the Roman Pontiff and the
teachings of the Roman Catholic
Church, according to which as set
forth only few years ago by Leo
XIII, the right relation of Church
and State is IAN established connec-
ton which may properly be COM
pared with the union whereby the
soul and the body are united in
man." Leo XIII claims further that
the Roman Catholic Church and no
other is allowed this position as it
alone has the power and right as the
only true Church of God. Qmmortali
Del Pg. 19sq.) We would request of
you a~prompt statement relative to
the above news item. and you ratti-
tude in the event of the Roman Cath
olic Church or any members of Its
Hierarchy attempting, as such, to
bring influence to bear on the Ad-
ministration for the determination of
it's policy with reference to the Mexi-
can situation. The Mexican situation
is already sufficiently involved with
out allowing intrusion by a religious
body or its representatives to make
it more complex and we look to the
Department of State to enforce the
principles by which alone our liber-
ties can be safeguarded.
Your prompt reply will be greatly
appreciated.
Yours very truly,
Executive Committee of the Ma
tional Court-Guardians of Lob
erty.
(Signed)
VIM. Schoenfeld, Chairman.
Percy Brown, Secretary.
PsB-JB
The substance of the complaint of
these Guardians" is this: Mexican
Roman Catholics are said to have
asked the Pope to use his influence,
either directly, or indirectly through
the Apostolic Delegate or an Amer
lean Cardinal. What he was to use
it for is left to the Imagination to
supply. We know nothing about the
facts of the case. But let us suppose
that the application was made. and
that it's object was to bring about in
some way not indicated the restora-
tion of peace in Mexico. There would
be nothing strange in that. Mexican
Catholics would turn naturally to
the Pope, and there could be no rea-
son why the President should not
listen courteously to him or to his
personal representative. The Guard
ians of Liberty say that any dealings
by the American Government with
a religious body on matter purely
political is inconceivable to them
Why do they bring in the idea of a
religious body? If any Intervention
was asked it was purely personal.
When the United States goes to the
Hague tribunal it submits the mat
ter in dispute to, say, Hollander, a
Swiss and Brazilian. Is anyone
mad enough to protest against the
submitting of American interests to
Holland, Switzerland and Brazil? !?
When Bismarck accepted the Pope
as arbiter in Germany's dispute with
Spain over the Caroline Islands, he
had no idea that he was submitting
purely political affair to religious
body; and he understood such mat
ters better than the Guardians of
Liberty. Unless we mistake, Prot
estant minister is quite active just
now, with some unofficial comission,
on the Rio Grande. Is Carranza to
refuse to deal with him on the
ground that no religious body, Meth
odist, Baptist or Presbyterian, should
be dealt with in matters purely po-
litical? Nor would the listening of
the Pope imply a recognition of the
secular claims Of the Roman HER
archy." nor concede "any official sta
tus in matters Of state to Mgr. Bon
zano" or to anybody else. Whoever
approached the State Department in
the matter, would do so as the un-
official representative of many Mex
leans. Our Government deals unof-
ficially without prejudice with Hu-
ertists and Carranzfsts: Why should