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Show Orangemen and Coronation Oath. SELDOM do we find transpiring in Canada anything of interest to our readers in this part of the United States. Our exchanges from that section sec-tion of the continent absorb two parts American to one part Canadian news, thereby enabling the native to learn more of affairs in this country than the American can possibly learn of Canada and its people. Then, too, the Canadians Cana-dians are not strenuous makers of history. his-tory. We find in the Canadian Freeman, published at Kingston, Ont., an account of the doings of a grand lodge of Orangemen, Or-angemen, recently in annual convention conven-tion at Montreal. The Canadian Freeman Free-man is a Catholic newsnaper; hence its object in reviewing the grand lodge proceedings was to condemn the attitude atti-tude of the Orangemen for insisting upon the old coronation oath along with a vigorous protest against any proposed change of language or omission omis-sion in this infamous relic of intolerant intoler-ant bigotry. What is an Orangeman? Many in this country, particularly young people, peo-ple, even of Irish descent, have not the remotest idea' of what the word really stands for. Some even associate it with a society of fruit venders, for some business or benevolent purpose, and the ludicrous mistake may "be accounted ac-counted for by reason of the lack of Irish histories in our public libraries and the scant knowledge given to pupils pu-pils in our public schools regarding anything about Ireland or the Irish. There are few, if any, Orange lodges in this country. It is an organization which cannot assimilate with religious tolerance, and, therefore, does not flourish in the states. Not being associated asso-ciated in our mind with the various secret orders in this country, and as organizations like the erstwhile Ku-Klux-Klan and White Caps never rose to the dignity of grand lodges what is an Orangeman, and what is an Orange grand lodse? In the Americanized Encyclopedia-Britannica, Encyclopedia-Britannica, we find this under the head of Orangemen: "Orangemen An association of Irish Protestants, originating and chielly flourishing in Ulster, but with ramifications ramifica-tions in other parts of the United Kingdom and in the British colonies. Orangemen derive their name from William III. They are enrolled in lodges. "Orangeism is essentially political, and may be useful in so far as it reminds re-minds Irish Protestants of 'their origin and of their common rights under the "ouiii m ii. out us original oojeci was the maintenance of Protestant ascendancy, as-cendancy, and too much of its spirit still survives. By repeating irritating watchwords, and publicly keeping anniversaries an-niversaries painful to their neighbors, Orangemen have done much to inflame sectarian animosity; if their cerebrations cerebra-tions were private, little could be said against them. The first regular lodges were formed in 179f, but the system existed ex-isted earlier. The Brunswick clubs, founded to oppose Catholic emancipation, emancipa-tion, were sprigs from the original Orange tree. The orange flowers of the Lilitim bulhiferum are worn in Ulster Ul-ster on July 1st and 13th. the anniversaries anniver-saries of Boyne and Aughrim. Another great day is Nov. 3th, when William III landed in Torbay." I It will be observed that the encyclopedia encyclo-pedia first describes the Orangemen as an association of Irish Protestants. This is true, but Americans are often misled into believing that the Protestants Protes-tants of Ireland are all Orangemen, and that the Catholics have given them this name in derision. The error is apparent ap-parent when it is pointed out that they take their name from William III, who was the Trince of Orange. Nor is it true that all Irish Protestants are Orangeman. Or-angeman. It would be unjust to charge i i oiesi.imiHiii. in me Jtnsiract, with inspiring in-spiring the hatred and bigotry which sustains the creed of the Orangeman. He is a Protestant, only in his mind. He has been taught that the pope is antichrist, that 'atholies are idolaters, and it is his duty to wipe them off the face of the earth. It is said that the obligation in an Orange lodge prescribes pre-scribes an oath pledging the candidate to "wade kne deeP in Papist gore." This, however, may come from a heated heat-ed Catholic imagination. In the factional fac-tional fights between Orangemen and Catholics in Ireland, the latter are not entirely blameless. These Irish Orangemen are intensely loyal to the British crown, so mu.ch so that instances are rare where one becomes be-comes a naturalized citizen of the United States. This is the principal reason for settling in Canada. Cromwell Crom-well and William are their Protestant saints, so if anything could budge their loyalty it would be the omission of the infamous insult to Catholics in the coronation oath. To their mind it would signify the decay of Protestantism. Protestant-ism. The Catholics of Canada are much exercised over this coronation oath, and they have a right to be, as subjects of the jerson who takes it as their king and ruler. The same feeling exists ex-ists among the colonists of Australasia. After awhile the colonists may arouse j their brethren in England to take ac-l I tion and persuade the king and commons com-mons to omit the offensive part of It concerning Catholics. But it is doubtful doubt-ful if the English Catholics will interfere inter-fere or offer protest. They an; as much the lickspittles of monarchy as any scullion in the king's kitchen or any varlet in uniform. No Catholic peer will absent himself from the coronation by reason of the offensive oath: no, not so long as prayers are offered up in the Catholic part of Westminster ! for the success of . British arms in South Africa. j This lipinir tine. what reason have we in these United States for protest in a matter that does not concern us as Catholics or citizens? As Catholics because no matter; what King Edward may utter in the oath in denunciation of our religion and abuse of its principal article of faith has not the weight of a feather in overcoming truth, and counts no more against ur. than the outpourings of Margaret Shephard. Rather does the insult redound to the injury of the Protestant Prot-estant Estalli hment. As citizens because be-cause Edward is an English king and we are not his subjects. It is his show. It is exclusively and pronouncedly-British. Therefore, we will not join with a portion of the Catholic press in arousing arous-ing sentiment against the sending ofj an ambassador from this country to participate in the coronation ceremony because of the offensive oath alone. But we can and will unite with American Ameri-can citizens in urging the president to withdraw the appointment, on the score that the presence of an ambassador ambassa-dor at such a time is in violation of American tradition and debasing to Americau manhood. 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