Communications
May 26, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 7S is so wholly distinct from our own? It is possible to...
...What is required in the discussion of this quesinherent and unqualified right and duty to concern itself with tion is neither "sentiment" nor "viewpoints" but solid facts...
...It is possible to contend COMMUNICATIONS that under alien Spanish rule the people of Mexico had no more to do with government than they did under the Aztec, THE MEXICAN SITUATION Toltec, or Maya...
...I take that for One shudders to contemplate the far-reaching extent of the granted ; my present care is for the principles involved and for success of such a theory...
...Ryan is the possessor of "inside infor- Reading, Mass...
...Did our government expressing the considered will of all the she settle the slave or free question...
...The legislature would not consent to their repeal...
...What, exactly, Church-the moral teacher of mankind-to have a voice in does he mean here by "the United States...
...Whose troubadour we fain have been, As to Dr...
...What business was it of his or of the United A very keen American publisher remarked not long since, States Senate, whether freedom of religion was granted or after a visit to Rome, that far from being a machine or an not ? organization, the Catholic Church with its disorderly dupli- Again, why did Secretary Bryan, in a series of communicacation of every effort, with its astounding inefficiency could tions intended for Generals Villa and Carranza, warn the rebel not last a day unless by the strength of a "motivating" ideal...
...resurgence of the native races, under a system of government Mr...
...May 26, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 7S is so wholly distinct from our own...
...There are great regions where four centuries ever to do...
...If it be true "that spiritual matters if for no other reason than that its trust has every political question has many conceivable moral phases," been shamefully abused by a foreign nation, and its faith in would it not be in consonance with right reason to allow the promises solemnly made put to a severe test...
...properly to alleviate the situation in question...
...Sands's view correct...
...Hayes and Father John A. Ryan write more or less sympathetically of certain elements in the Mexican revolutionary Rose of beauty and loveliness, program...
...Lady of ladies, Power of powers...
...RYAN son's observation that "generally speaking, men are never so Washington, D. C. mean and false and hypocritical as when they are occupied in O the Editor:-Is it consistent with the proprieties to being impartial...
...the internal spiritual affairs of Mexico, an opinion contrary to "The Church," avers your correspondent, "has her Godwhat is considered axiomatic between nations...
...Hayes does not share the view of many And she our evils will repel, well-informed persons, that without the moral support and And gain our forfeit with her dowers, sympathy of the United States, not one of the governments Rose of roses, Flower of flowers, that have misruled Mexico for a century could have endured...
...Byrnes, in closing, makes the following pertinent obdeeply wounding to all concerned, and that, as Catholics and servation: "Some of the statements appearing in our press as Americans, we have a right and a duty to do all we can are anarchistic in the extreme, preaching repeal by violation...
...If Dr...
...The latter thinks that "in due time an understanding, a To such a Lady great love is due...
...It is not safe Lansing, at the direction of the United States Senate, interto think of what is happening there in European terms...
...WILLIAM FRANKLIN SANDS...
...Bryan to historical and of archaeological knowledge, the collation and specify as a condition for recognition, religious freedom for scientific direction of 2,000 years of Christian experience upon the Mexican people...
...The former believes it would be "a most mistaken Flower of joy and happiness, and short-sighted policy for Catholic Americans to endeavor Lady of pieties that bless, to make the present welfare of the Catholic Church in Mexico Queen of aid in our evil hours...
...Light on Mexican Darkness, The Commonweal, European concepts...
...Ryan says that in his judgment "the United States but is she wont to settle the social and political problems and should be very much concerned with the rights of Mexicans in riddles in a ceaselessly changing world...
...fied procedure...
...Byrnes's communication [The Prohibigovernment to officials of the government of the United States tion Issue, The Commonweal of April 21 ] has any significance that the [Mexican] laws of reform which guarantee individual at all it rests in the fact that it was written primarily to freedom of worship according to everyone's conscience shall be challenge the untruth of this asseveration...
...What right had Mr...
...Ryan's roseate view of the future one would Will reign for us in love serene like to know on what he bases his hopes...
...leaders that "in order to command the sympathy and moral It may be that the Church in America has a particular support of America, Mexico must have, when her reconstrucmission now that its domestic problems are solved, and that tion comes, true freedom of conscience and worship...
...We think Mr...
...appointed mission and is well fitted to carry on her work...
...satisfactory despite our great handicap...
...If she did not settle people, or of a majority of the people, within the rules set down the question she at least solved the problem and pointed the for intercourse between nations...
...Ryan will admit that fronted by an unenforceable criminal statute is to get rid of there has been a tendency that way, which he also, I believe, it by the process provided in the Constitution...
...If Mr...
...Holy Scripture and protests most vigorously against the stateMay I also point out that in his letter to The Commonweal ment that "compulsory prohibition in general is flatly opposed of May 19, Dr...
...JAMES F. DESMOND...
...tolerable adjustment, will be reached between Catholic interIn times of need she can guard us true, ests in Mexico and the government of that country...
...In government," which he quotes...
...SANDS REPLIES TO DR...
...Ryan, as a practical thinker, propose these laws when they are no longer suitable to conditions of to enforce these treaty rights...
...Ryan charges me (to my surprise) with a false to Holy Scripture and to Catholic tradition...
...Dr...
...violate on Sunday our own blue laws...
...mooted question-"To prohibit or not to prohibit," is now F. A. CASEY...
...Carlton J. Lady of ladies, Power of powers...
...to affirm agreement with him that the action of Mexico is Mr...
...the question, the Baltimore Sun, in its issue of February 25, I am, at present, warning against ill-considered violence...
...subjected to the verbal lash of those eminently fair and impartial critics who bear witness to the truth of G. K. ChesterTMR...
...statement, and then skips to something quite different from my No longer does that statement remain "unchallenged" for statement, to "assurances given by officials of the Mexican if the content of Mr...
...If these assur- They are repealed by nullification...
...He fears lest threats from the United States "will intensify greatly and prolong indefinitely the present tyrannical regime And we should love and serve her well, in Mexico...
...What, in his judgment, are the rights and duties the custom to do so...
...And what is the alternative...
...And yet, the strictly observed...
...Does he mean their settlement, to make practical her moral teachings...
...Those rogate the then provisional government, as to whether the who have lived in Asia may find it easier to understandd the government would guarantee and provide religious liberty for Mexican, since they have already been shaken out of their its people...
...I 1925, has this equally pertinent observation to make : "Every am suggesting that we face the situation as Christians rather good citizen will agree that the best thing to do when conthan as dragoons, and I am sure that Dr...
...following statement: "With the broad question of the rights In spite of Las Casas the mind of very large numbers of of Mexicans in spiritual matters as against their own governMexicans remains a dark and unexplored mystery in the mat- ment, it is safe to posit that our government has nothing whatter of religion...
...a special object of solicitude on the part of the United States Rose of roses, Flower of flowers, government...
...Lady of ladies, Power of powers...
...Cathoremark may have a bearing on it : namely, the coordinating of lic Mind, May 8, 1915...
...It seems that at the trifling living in a welter of anarchy for a number of years past and, expense of an unparliamentary word we may, perhaps, be needless to say, our progress as a nation has been tolerably on the point of evolving a helpful plan...
...Since the first quarter of the nineteenth century and the T0 the Editor:-The articles and communications in the separation from Spain, the Spanish element in the country, issue of May 5 on the Mexican situation have naturally still alien, has struggled with alternating success against the aroused discussion...
...Are they enforceable...
...Is there anything in ALFONSO X (1221-1284...
...the free and the home of the brave" was even thought of as a It is strange that it should be necessary between Catholics part of "this changing world...
...John A. Ryan in connection with my view that our ercised over the dogmatic utterances of The Commonweal on government has nothing whatever to do with "the broad ques- this subject, becomes extremely wrought up over the attempt tion of the rights of Mexicans in spiritual matters as against of its editor to bolster up his case by a quotation or two from their own government...
...TTO PROHIBIT OR NOT TO PROHIBIT We think not...
...Let the United States withdraw recognition, which was only This Lady whom we hail as Queen, granted conditionally, and the Calles regime will be doomed...
...the conduct of the rascals who are in power at present in 76 THE COMMONWEAL May 26, 1926 Mexico to warrant the Doctor's cheerful view of the situation...
...mation" which leads him to speak so optimistically of what O the Editor-The Commonweal, for having the temeris to most of us a most deplorable condition, he ought to ity to express its views "in a frank style" on the much release his knowledge for the benefit of all concerned...
...A constitutional republic is no more natural and cautious policy in our dealings with Mexico, makes the to the Spaniard than it is to the descendant of Montezuma...
...iniquity of the legislation on religion...
...or does he mean a large num- way as to how it should be settled by her every act when ber of people who have not yet, apparently, arrived at unanim- confronted with this monstrosity-long before the "land of ity upon the principles involved...
...If such be the case, why did Secretary of State of Christianity have sunk but precarious roots...
...Sands's contention be correct, then it would appear that at least two of our secretaries of state were entirely out of bounds in attempting to dictate to a foreign state what &antiga in Praise of Saint Mary its attitude should be toward religion...
...Rose of roses, Flower of flowers, In the same issue of The Commonweal, Mr...
...register objection to the use of the words "very false," Your amiable correspondent, Charles J. Byrnes, greatly exby Dr...
...May 5...
...Nor ever fail our pledge to tell, Evidently Mr...
...What is the correct and digni- modern life...
...That is a new statement and not an answer writer in question makes no attempt to offer any tangible proof to mine, which was addressed specifically to an opinion current in support of his contention that the quotation cited is essenamong some Catholic Americans that our government has an tially false...
...he has for those clauses of the Constitution of 1917 which Rose of roses, Flower of flowers, appear to be favorable to labor, that clouds his vision to the Lady of ladies, Power of powers...
...Hayes unduly alarmed over the possible The sweetest in our earthly bowers, results of Catholics in this country protesting to our governRose of roses, Flower of flowers, ment against the anti-religious tyranny which rages in Mexico...
...Dealing with the same phase of correct procedure worthy of enlightened citizens...
...But is Mr...
...But it is not has opposed...
...We do not repeal If so, how does Dr...
...William F. Sands, in the course of his plea for a sane alien to both...
...And gain our sins their pardon too...
...Lady of ladies, Power of powers...
...Los Altos, Calif...
...ances do not constitute enforceable treaty rights, what does he If this process of repeal is "anarchistic," then we have been suggest that we do about it...
...There is not a state that has not on accruing to the government of the United States, out of "the its statute books laws which are obsolete and which have assurances of Mexican officials to officials of the United States been disposed of by the simple process of ignoring them...
...Do these assurances consti- this state [Maryland] there is hardly a citizen who does not tute treaty rights of the United States...
...mission work, with full utilization of all modern equipment...
...Is it the respect When other loves we call not ours...
...This is what a number Translared from the Galician by Thomas Walsh of readers would like to have settled...
Vol. 4 • May 1926 • No. 3
