F 195 
 .S55 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 GRADUATING CLASS OF ST. JOHN'S 
 COLLEGE 
 
 At the New National Theatre 
 Washington, D. C, June 15, IQ06 
 
 LOUIS P. SHOEMAKER 
 
 Printed hy the direction of 
 Brother Germanus, President 
 

 •h- r 
 
Address of Louis P. Shoemaker. 
 
 Young Gentlemen of the Gradl'atixg Class of St. 
 John's College: 
 
 Cliristian Brotherhood is synonymous with Christian edu- 
 cation ; Christian e(hication is synonymous witli true UK^d- 
 ern civihzation, and modern civihzation is synonymous widi 
 American constitutional and representative goxernment as 
 contradistinguished from the repubhcs. the democracies, 
 and the monarchies of the old world. 
 
 Other republican and democratic forms of g-o\-ernment. 
 such as the Republic of Rome and the Democracy of Athens. 
 as well as those which were not republican in character. 
 have attained great supremacy, through the medium of 
 which millions of people advanced in education, achieved 
 greatness, and accumulated individual, corporate, and na- 
 tional wealth ; ha\-e become powerful factors in the militarv 
 and naval spheres of life — versed to a pre-eminent degree 
 in art, science and literature — yet they have deteriorated, 
 lost the advantage thus attained, and some \vd\e actually 
 gone into ruin and have been almost forgotten. 
 
 True it is that youth, maturity, and decay are as evident 
 and certain in human things as in nature, that the adoles- 
 cent period of humanity is but the point at which mankind, 
 growing into maturity, must .soon begin to deteriorate; true 
 it is we often find exemplified the rule that destruction and 
 death are but the final and unerring limitations placed by 
 God upon all things animate and inanimate. Nevertheless 
 something is constantly teaching us that there exists a factor 
 which can be used, which ought to be constantly used and 
 cultivated, through which nvjre can be done for humanity 
 
ern civilization demand that we excel them in their 
 peaceful pursuits of life and refrain from imitating them 
 in their warlike measures of aggression and destruction? 
 Are we not justified in claiming that this is the purpose 
 of the teaching of the Christian Brothers? 
 
 Even if America should excel the old world in achieve- 
 ment in every respect, yet should fail to attain per- 
 petuity, what more, materially, can future generations 
 say of us other than what we now say of the nations 
 of antiquity? 
 
 Rome sought, but failed, to be the dominant power 
 of the world. God forbid that the United States should 
 ever become so influenced by power, by wealth, by the 
 presence of a great army and navy, as to attempt any 
 such absurd effort ! Yet, our going to the Philippines 
 may be but the indication of a tendency to do just what 
 has led many other great nations into ruin and disaster. 
 How far we are justified under our form of government 
 in continuing to do what we have been doing in those 
 islands is a question we should seriously consider. 
 Already there may be indications (and I think there 
 are) of the fact that we have serious troubles of our 
 own, that the interests of and necessity to promote the 
 general welfare of our own country are sufificiently im- 
 portant to engage the attention and time of our legis- 
 lators, and that national funds are needed at home for 
 internal improvements. 
 
 We have heard that Havana was made sanitary, that 
 the rivers and harbors of Cuba have been dredged, and 
 that sinnlar advantages are being afiforded Manila, but 
 we have not as yet, in the whole history of the United 
 States, been able to provide an adequate sewerage sys- 
 tem for the District of Columbia, so that its people can 
 observe sanitary laws and regulations, nor have we been 
 
able to secure a sufficient number of pubHc Ijuildings 
 to ena1)le the United States Government to discontinue 
 rented quarters, wliolly unsuited for the transaction of 
 governmental business and detrimental to the comfort 
 and health of its employees, nor have we been able to 
 dredge the Eastern Branch, which for more than a hundred 
 years has spread its malarial influence over Washing- 
 ton and impaired the health, not only of its citizens, but 
 of those engaged in Federal business. 
 
 Sir William Blackstone tells us in his commentaries 
 that the principle of migration originated in the sending 
 out of colonies to find new habitations when the mother 
 country was overcharged with inhabitants ; that it was 
 practiced as well by the Phoenicians and Greeks as the 
 Germans, Scythians, and other northern people. And, 
 so long as it was confined to the stocking and civiliza- 
 tion of desert, uninhabited countries, it kept strictly 
 within the law of nature. But how far the seizing of 
 countries already peopled, and driving out or massa- 
 cring the innocent and defenseless natives, merely be- 
 cause they differed from the invaders in language, in 
 religion, in customs, in government, or in color — how 
 far such a conduct was consonant with nature, with 
 reason, or with Christianity deserved well to be con- 
 sidered l)y those who have rendered their names im- 
 mortal by thus cixilizing mankind. 
 
 'Hiat which he said in 1750 of England's treatment of 
 the people of India may also be said of us in 1906 as to 
 our treatment of the people of the Philippine Islands, not- 
 withstanding our form of goNernment and our supposed al- 
 legiance to its fundamental principles. When T think of 
 the people of the Philippine Islands, I feel that civil and 
 religious liberty, as well as selfgovernment, should be 
 accorded to them. When I think of the people of the l)is- 
 
trict of Columbia, I feel tiiat the best and most typical re- 
 publican form of government should be fostered under the 
 auspices of Congress as an example to the rest of our people, 
 rather than one which is un-American in character, spread- 
 ing unrepublican influence o^'er our country. 
 
 I can not forget the lessons I have been taught of our 
 Constitution, of the fundamental principles of our Govern- 
 ment, and it seems to me I can hear the lingering sound of 
 the voice of that patriot, Patrick Henry, like the continuing 
 tone of the great Bell of Liberty, now in Philadelphia, 
 when he said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" which 
 expression went broadcast over our country and hastened 
 the American Revolution. 
 
 If, however, evils do exist, we should eradicate them. If 
 wrongs are being perpetrated, we should patriotically cor- 
 rect them, and the Catholic schools of our country can be 
 relied upon as potent factors for the accomplishment of 
 this result. 
 
 That old State House bell is silent. 
 Hushed is now its clamorous tongue, 
 But the spirit it awakened 
 Still is living, ever going. 
 
 I had the pleasure of hearing our Secretary of War, Mr, 
 Taft say in Pittsburg two years ago, while delivering an 
 address before the Americus Club, that, in his opinion, the 
 United States Government could not have succeeded to the 
 extent thus far attained in the Philippine Islands but for 
 the influence of the Catholic Church. 
 
 To do this the Catholic Chiuxh had no army or na\'y. It 
 was simply the influence of the Catholic clergy of the is- 
 lands over the hearts and minds of the people. And so it 
 is here, for the Catholic Church now stands, and will con- 
 tinue to stand, for liberty of capital and of ]al)or, liberty oi 
 ci\-il and religious thouglit and action the very foundation 
 
(if our Govemmcnt — and this may prevent our i^reat cities 
 from going into ruin and decaw as we find to-day Carthage. 
 Athens. Trov, and Antioch. It may contimie to give to us 
 and our [nxsterity. not only the blessings we enjoy. l)Ut se- 
 cure perpetuity of our form of government and the con- 
 tinued advancement of our civihzation. 
 
 You. young men, lia\e been echicated to contend for and 
 to maintain tlie supremacy of this exalted nation. Ynu are 
 expected to go forth into the world with the fundamental 
 princii)les of the Constitution of the L'nited States fresh in 
 your minds, and the spirit of patriotism implanted in your 
 hearts, with the emblem of your country in one hand and 
 that of your church in the other. Thus, you will afTord 
 protection to your country and your church, and being- 
 guided by the Constitution of the 'former and the infallible 
 faith of the latter, you can not fail to afford protection to 
 yourselves and insure for present and future generations 
 civil and religious liberty, prosperity, happiness, and. best 
 of all, perpetuity of these great blessings. 
 
 Remember the expression, "My country, right or wrong; 
 if right, to be kept right, if wrong, to be i)ut right." Bet- 
 ter that Columlms should never have discovered .Vmerica. 
 with her fertile valleys, rich mountains, vast and prcxluc- 
 tive plains, beautiful rivers and placid lakes, that her com- 
 merce, trade, and wealth should never have l)een developed, 
 but that she should have remained in the possession of the 
 Indians, than that the great, noble work of the white man 
 and the results of liis industry and talent should fail to at- 
 tain perpetuity. 
 
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 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS