The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-18
A GREAT VISITOR TO
AMERICA

AMERICA
r~,as,.s nrercaer, Of Belgium. the he
rota leader whose courage. consistency
ard tnsparatIen were q mighty force
1. Keeping ~ tho sver,t cf tho Belgium
,.nu,s and nrfnE their resistance to the
A,x,as.x Huua, - . Distinguished us
,tpr 20 this county and VIII. undouos-
NV reostyO high hcnoes from cSe puo-
10 M lsrxa. as Ven IS from shs mem
A.rz Of his own faith Among all the
,..aars Of RELIGIOUS thought during tho
nssS nvs troubled years MERCER has
stood forth q militant and herioc nSure-
When his country was 0verrun oy Ger
wan soldiers. when the churches Of bis
dSocese were destroyed. when his priests
vsre murdered and even the sacred Wo-
man Of the church were outraged. when
his own life was threatened hercier'
updaunte& proclaimed from his pulpit
and through his addresses to the eBl-
ptrrn people, a spirit OF resistance 10
wrong. a patriotic determination and
ho,y defiance Of the opprcssor. that hred
the hearts Of free people everywhere.
Germany sought no quarrel with the
Belgian cardinal. Her leaders would
have been glad to have stienced him
with special protection and with lavish
favors. They would have been siad'
- POSSIBLE. to have cowed him by force
bu, nersuasion and threats Of force
were alike unable to swerve him from
his path OF duty or to check his hery
uppeals TO his own people. No chapter
in the history Of the war is more thrill
ing than the simple recital OF the den-
ance Of Won Kissing. the governor 81
Belgium. by MERCER when he was calico
upon to contradict L report that he hHd
been restrained in the performance 81
his pastoral duties.
General Won Kissing had 2,.kei fhe
~ rdinal 70 state FOR certain American
no,spa prrs whether he hid been sub
iccted 10 any indlSnjti"s. IL replied;
II IS no, ,rle that have been person
ALI, subjected 10 any idignItcS. al
Itbough have been prevented from say
ing mass in Antwerp. however m!
pr;ests have not received the same treat
ue-,t Some have been killed. others
have been thrown into German PRISONS
and all have been abused in Belgium
When Won der Lacked. military sccrc'
tary OF state under Won Kissing. re-
ceived the cardinals reply. he asked:
Your Emlnunce. is this really your an
swer?"
1T is" replied tn" cardinal.
Three days later the baron was back
in the acrepisCopal palace TO instruct
the cardinal to write now reply to the
American uuestioncrs. A sheet OF paper
was placed before the cardinal. and the
baron stood mocha nically by his s'do
After a moment OF hesitation. the car
dfnal wrote
IT cannot answer your telegram as
would like to. hEHEIhh'
In these days we do not believe much
IN the gifts OF prophecy. Yet no
prophet Of olden days saw more clearly
the things that were TO come and pre-
dicted them with greater accuracy than
Mercier did early in 1916. when Ger
many's armies were stin triumphant.
and Belgium was still held in her iron
grip. Here ts the prophecy:
Our restored cathedrals and our re
80 y u M
the crowds will surge in: our King Al
bert. standing upon his throne. will DO"
his unconquercd head before the King
Of KINKS: the queen and the royal princes
vim surround him; we shall hear AGAR
.na Ioyous pcalS OF our bells. and
fhruuRhout the whole country. under the
yaulted arches OF our churches. Bel
s5ans, hand in hand will renew thci'
vows 10 their God. their sovereign anc
liberty, while the bishops and priests
tnterpreterS Of tho soul OF the nation
will intone a triumphant te deum in
common transport Of joyous thanksgiv
ing.
II ts hard TO estimate the effect OF
.uch words upon a devoted people who
xorcly needed help and encouragement
in their hour OF trial. Tho courage and
devotion Of an old man. whom the Ger
man militarists, with all their power
were afraid to touch. raised up armies
agains: the oppressor. strengthened the
arms Of fighting men and rrcd their
souls with determination. After all
Tho moral force Is tho greatest in the
world, and the moral force shining &c
beautifully and so nobly through ever!
word and every act or this Belgian
priest was a potent influence in tn" fina
overthrow OF the Hun.