The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-08-11
LOYALTY TO THE GOVERN
MENT.


reports from different sections of
the Northwest at their face value,
it is evident that a grave peril con-
fronts the nation by reason of the
disloyalty to the Government
manifested by certain so-called
citizens who protest publicly
against the war in general and the
selective draft in particular, and
urge others to do the same. Meet
ings of this kind should be frown-
ed upon by every loyal citizen,
for they cannot fail to react dis
astrously ON those who see in
them a confirmation Of their own
views in regard to the part this
country should play in the world
war, and who, without this ex-
ample before their eyes, would
not have the courage to come out
openly against the Government
and its policy. All gatherings
held for the purpose of fostering
opposition to the measures taken
by the Government for the carry
ing on of the war, cannot fail to
have a prejudicial effect upon GER
tain classes, and the strong arm
of the law should be invoked
against those who are guilty of
such a fragrant breach of loyalty
to the best interests of the nation.
We live in perilous times when
whole hearted loyalty to the coun-
try is demanded Of every citizen
worthy of the name. The United
States has been forced to take
sides in the great struggle now
going on beyond the Atlantic, and
it is the duty of every citizen to
sustain the Chief Executive in
every possible way in the stand
which he has taken. Patriotism
demands that we be loyal to the
Government and aid it to the
best of our ability, by word and
deed, in the crisis through which
we are passing.
How reprehensible, then, is the
conduct Of those who try to ham
per the Government in carrying
out its plans to play an honora-
BILE part in the world-war and to
do all that the occasion requires
to meet the eXigencies of the sit
nation. How unworthy of the
protection guaranteed by the Con-
stitution are they who blame the
government for the choice it has
made, who criticize the President
for the stand he has taken, and
censure Congress that invests him
with power to act when the
nations honor is at stake. Those
who act in this way cannot es-
cape the charge Of open disloy-
atty, whether they be natural
born Americans or citizens who
have taken the oath of allegiance.
Their fundamental contention is
that American soldiers should not
be sent abroad to fight in Euro
pean trenches. They arrogate to
themselves the right to dictate
the policy of the government.
They do not realize what it means
to be at war, and that it is for
the Government, and not for the
private citizen, to say what meas
ures are to be taken in order
that the prestige Of the nation
may be maintained and the honor
of the flag upheld.
To the native-born citizen,
America comes first and above
all; and so it should be for the
adopted citizen. When the oath
of allegiance is taken, America
comes first, likewise, and it should
always remain so. There can be
no divided allegiance when the
country's honor is at stake. This
is a cosmopolitan nation, it is
true; but it is not Irish, German,
French, Scandinavian, or any
thing else but American, and if
it is not American, then it is moth
ing.
The true American citizen is
loyal to the flag and what it sym
bolizes; all others are alien, no