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NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 
Auy. 25, 1916. 
Two Cardinals’ Viewpoints 
Editorial Reprinted from Boston Evening Transcript 
5 the American Federation of Catholic Societies opened 
its convention Sunday night in New York there 
transpired a spectacle deeply impressive of the size, the 
enthusiasm, and the unity of its membership. The 
arrangements for the meeting revealed very clearly the 
introductory purpose which it was hoped the meeting 
would serve—that it should place our Catholic citizens 
firmly on record as loyal Americans. ‘To this worthy 
result the speeches of the evening contributed, and the 
response of the applauding multitude gave final approval 
io uc best words of the speakers. The three American 
cardinals of the church all delivered addresses, although 
the Boston morning papers found little room for any 
except that of Cardinal O’Connell. This circumstance 
is somewhat unfortunate, as it deprives Bostonians of 
the opportunity to read what Cardinal Gibbons, first of 
the American cardinals, had to say, and to feel the great 
strength of his confidence in America, and in the loyalty 
which Catholics give to the country. 
Cardinal Gibbons spoke quietly and directly in words 
which defied the possibility of double construction: | 
You live in a republic where there is liberty 
without license, and authority without despot- 
ism, and where the civil rulers hold over you 
the aegis of its protection without interfering 
with the God-given rights of conscience. In 
view of the signal blessings you enjoy, it is your 
duty to take an active, personal, vital interest in 
the welfare of your country. The inspired word 
of God enjoins this loyalty to country, and rever- 
ence for its rulers. The religion you profess 
demands this fealty. I*venture to say that every 
member of your society is a loyal citizen. Every 
citizen a patriot; every patriot a soldier; every 
soldier a hero; and every hero would be a 
wartyr, to die if need be, for his country. 
The noble dignity of the Cardinal’s speech was both 
free from that insistence which doth protest too much, 
in his affirmation of Catholic patriotism as a fact above 
suspicion, and finely suggestive of a country fully worthy 
of that patriotism, in his affirmation-of the liberty which 
America guards and preserves. 
The speech of Cardinal Gibbons was the more inter- 
esting for the contrast it presented to Cardinal O’Con- 
nell’s address. Characteristic of the Boston prelate’s 
remarks were such passages as this: 
We have not committed to this country the 
safeguarding of our lives, our fortune, our prop- 
erty with any other understanding than that in 
This ancient 
mansion, 1668, 
stands at foot 
of Turner St., 
facing Salem 
Harbor. 
Thousands visit 
it every year. 
The Hathaway 
House, 1683, is 
in the Garden. 
VISIT THE 
House of Seven Gables 
SALEM 
return for our loyalty you guarantee us pro- 
tection in what to us is the most essential of all 
human rights—religious liberty. We ask no favor. 
Your protection of our liberty is no favor—it is 
part of this dual contract between our country 
and ourselves. If you discriminate against us 
you are not keeping your contract; we are not 
getting true liberty. 
If because a citizen is a Catholic a thousand 
plausible pretexts are set out to discard him and 
discredit him in your cabinets and your courts, 
you are not keeping your contract; this is not 
liberty. If you stand by inactive while under 
your very eyes, yes, through your very mails, 
which we pay for, we are insulted, scurrilously 
maligned and openly vilified, in filthy journals 
and nasty, indecent literature, unfit to be printed 
or read, spread broadcast that dupes and bigots 
may be poisoned against us, so that we may be 
robbed even of our public rights—then you are 
not keeping your contract—this is not liberty. 
You are only wounding the hand, the strongest 
hand held out to help you; you are spurning the 
aid of those who again and again you have found 
in your hour of direst need the most willing to 
die for you. 
All the quiet assurance of Cardinal Gibbons is gone 
from these lines, and in their place has come loud denun- 
ciation of the very infringements of liberty which Car- 
dinal Gibbons has denied did exist in this country. For 
the hortatory “you,” 
to address his Catholic audience as part of the united 
whole of America, Cardinal O’Connell has substituted a 
“you” which speaks only to those whom he conceives to be 
the enemies of the church. “We” and “us” are reserved 
for the members of his audience. They draw a sharp line 
of cleavage between black and white; they talk of national 
loyalty, but they envisage it essentially as a thing 
two divided meanings, one for “us,” and one for “you.” 
There were good points in Cardinal O’Connell’s address. 
Even in his charges of restricted religious liberty he was. 
hitting at an evil of which there are, unhappily, occa- 
sional instances in America. But Cardinal Gibbons nobly 
and lovingly looked to America as he knew America 
wishes to be, as her ideals and all her chief tendencies 
and conduct truly make her, and finding that America 
worthy, he preached a single loyalty not founded on 
threats or on fear, but on confidence and affections His 
speech will have the wider appeal. 
FERN- 
CROFT 
INN 
> 
DISTINCTLY A 
RESORT FOR 
LADIES AND 
GENTLEMEN 
TWO BALL ROOMS 
EXCELLENT MUSIC 
CHICKEN, LOBSTER 
AND 
STEAK DINNERS 
LICENSED THIRST 
PARLOR 
DIRECTION OF 
“HAP’’ WARD 
"PHONE ‘‘ DANVERS 45” 
ee eS a ee 
which Cardinal Gibbons employed — 
of 
