The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-02-17
ERMQN BY THE
MOST REvERAND
ARCHBISHOP
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nent in the history of the United
States. That the crisis we now wit
ness may so no farther, we hope and
pray. We covet no holocaust of hui
man lives: we fain would repel the
advancing shades of war; But, if the
worse does come, if the leader of the
nation decides that it must come, then
are we ready for every sacrifice.
America is the land of free discus
sion, of individual liberty. We may
for time see for ourselves what our
social duties, our social interests do
call for and require. But the moment
comes when individual liberty, individ-
ual discussion must cease. 1t is when
the nation through it's authoritative
representative speaks, and acts. Then
silence be to SELF then nought else
be in our minds and hearts but the
nation, to be cherished and scrupul-
ously obeyed.
| speak in a particular manner to
With them patriotism is the dictate of
religion: it is for conscience sake.
Because they are Catholics, first and
foremost must they be in patriotism:
and first and foremost are they in the
message now flashing from every
state of the Union to the President of
the United States, saying-we are with
you today, we will be with you to-
morrow.
Here and there in America in dark
some corners some few have dared to
say that Catholics are not loyal to
America, that America cannot afford
to give itself in trust to them. The
calumny has been again and again put
to shame by the quick and ready sac
rifices made by Catholics upon the
altar OF America: today we defy the
men who belle us, and challenge them
to equal us in sacrifice, to be as quick
as VIC are to rally to the voice Of the
President of the United States, to be
as quick as we are to pour out our
blood in order that no stain of dis
honor darken the Starspangled Ban
ner Well it is for the nation that
Catholics are the millions among her
sons: well it will be for the nation if
all Americans be as loyal as those are
who repeat daily in prayer-"I believe
in the Holy Catholic Church. Let
others be in advance of us, if they can:
if not in advance, at least not far be-
hind.
Among the Catholics of America
many there are, who il not themselves
born in other countries, trace back
their lineage to a not remote foreign
ancestry. am not of those who deem
it a crime to return in pleasing men,
Dry to scenes of childhood, to cherish
the ground that covers the graves Of
our fathers. Not to do so, were UNI
natural: and neither earth nor Heaven
commands the unnatural. But when
it is the question of social allegiance,
of civil loyalty, for all there is
but one country that is America.
but the one flag, and that is the Star
spangled Banner. When America
sounds it's bugle-cal we are. all Of u.s.
Americans-American by birth, or
Americans by the sacred oath we one
day pronounced, freely and lovingly
to the effect that we would rcnounce all
other countries, in order to serve
America loyalty and exclusively. We
know the sacredness of the oath: we
are not Of those who value the oath
only as a carelessly spoken word: for
us the oath binds before God, whose
veracity it attests, Who in eternity will
avenge forgetfulness of it. should there
may be, we were lrishmen. we were
Germans. we were Frenchmen: today
we are Americans, and Americans we
are resolved to be for evernlorc.
Apart from the dictates of solemn
duty should we not cherish America,
live for America, die for America!
America is the guardian of our veal
and of our life. 1t has been prodigal
to us of the best gifts set forth before
men by the Supreme Creator She has
enriched us, as no other nation has
enriched it's sons. She has endowed us
with civil and political freedom such
as rarely elsewhere is found beneath
the skies: generously and unstintedly
she has endowed us with freedom in
the exercise of religion. The Catholic
Church owes unlimited gratitude to
America; this debt Catholics will not
fail to repay.
In your Cathedral. on each Sunday,
at the close of the Mass, you hear
chanted in impressive tones the pray
Ell for the Republic-'Domine. salvam
fac Republican nostram-Iord, save