The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-23

the altar Of devoted citizenship
and consecrated every fibre of
their being and every faculty of
their souls to the service Of their
country in peace and in war.
Catholics have a right to protest
against the attitude and activity
OF unprincipled bigots who, in the
name OF patriotism and liberty,
would defame their character and
cast aspersions upon their loyalty.
The Catholic Church has been an
inspiration and not a menace to
American ideals.
Suffice it to record the part
Catholics played in the recent
trouble with Mexico. How many
Catholics are found in the ranks
OF the soldiers now on duty on the
American border or in Mexican
territory? How many Catholics
among the marines who landed at
Vera Cruz or are awaiting devel-
opments off the Mexican coast? 1t
must be very CALLING to the So
called Guardians Of Liberty, the
Knights Of Luther, and similar
"patriotic' societies, to know
how bravely Catholic marines
fought for the honor Of America
at Vera Cruz, and how unselfsh-
ly they shed their blood in de-
fence Of the flag. Five Of the
seventeen marines who died in the
line of duty at Vera Cruz were
Catholics. Let us record their
names for the benefit Of the mem
bers of these patriotic organiza-
tons who remained at home: Cor
poral Daniel Aloysius Haggerty,
buried from st. Patrick s Church,
Cambridge, Mass. Seaman Dennis
Joseph Lane, buried from St.
Francis Xavier Church, New
York; Seaman Francis Patrick De
Lowry, buried from St. Paul s
Cathedral, Pittsburg, Pa; Gun
ner's Mate Gabriel DeFabbio,
buried from st. Joseph's Church,
Batavia, N. Y, and Edward A.
Gisburne, a convert to the Church,
buried from St. John the Baptist
Church, Quincy, Mass.
And while we put ON record the
names Of these brave Catholics
who shed their blood in defence
Of their country, let us ask the
names of the Guardians Of Liberty
and their ilk who showed equal
courage in the face Of the enemy
It is safe to say that there was not
a single member of these anti
American organizations among the
dead at Vera Cruz.
And again: for the benefit of
these invisible n-War" patriots
let us record that Ensign Melon
nell, a Catholic, was the first to
raise the Stars and Stripes over
the city Of Vera Cruz; that Nelson
O'Shaughnessy, Charge d 'Affaires
at Mexico City, a Catholic, was
the representative of this Govern
ment during the trying times thai
preceded the practical declaration
Of war between the United States
and Mexico; that the offer Of med
iation came from three Catholic
Republics Of South America; that
ten Catholic priests proffereC
their services to the President as
Volunteer Chaplains in case of wal
and, through Father O'Hern, G
s. p, received the thanks of Presi
dent Wilson for their loyalty tt
the flag; that many communities
of Sisters offered their services
as nurses on battlefield and in hos
pital should there be need Of loya
hands to tend the wounded, bring
solace to the dying, or prepare
the dead for burial; that tens O.
thousands Of Catholic men ar
ready to leave their homes anC
march to the front in defence O.
the national honor if there be neeC
Of volunteers. These are fact
which we would call to the atten
ton of those who loudly proclaim
that Catholicism is a menace tt
the American Republic and tina
the children of the Church canno
be trusted to uphold the honor o
the flag. Who can read even thi
brief record and fail to see tina
the Catholic Church is the mothe
of heroes, and that her teachin!
inspires the most exalted patriot
ism Of which America can boast
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