Speech #740013966

Mexico. and elsewhere. despite the fact that the Government of Russia and the Government of Mexico secured American recognition on the express understanding that our citizens would not be hindered in the free exercise of whatever religious belief they professed. Recognizing. as George Washington has said. thatWhatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education upon minds of peculiar structure. reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principleswe must admit that our continued failure to protest against the antireligious. communistic principles of the present Mexican Government will eventually. by its dissemination of subtle and insidious propaganda. weaken the religious and moral fiber of many of our own people and result in serious danger to those ideals which Americans have cherished since the founding of the Nation. I The constant persecution of religion and of religious teachers of all creeds and nationalities by the Mexican Government is resulting in the emigration across our southern border of thousands and thousands of refugees who must. in simple charity and humanity. be cared for by the already overtaxed and impoverished citizens of our own country or who will occupy positions normally held by American labor. For this reason. as well as for the higher and more important reason that America has always upheld the privilege of freedom of religion. of education. of the press. of speech. and of individual opportunity. I last week presented a concurrent resolution and a bill which I here read into my remarks: House Concurrent Resolution 8 Whereas it is fundamental American political doctrine that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. and among these are life. liberty. and the pursuit of happiness. which rights are held by every man. not by the tolerance or grant of any State but by the immutable decree of God. and Whereas among these natural rights is that of worshiping God according to the dictates of conscience. the enjoyment of which right it is not within the legitimate power of any civil government to curtail or destroy. and Whereas the recognition of this right is In accord with the principles of the Declaration of Independence. the Constitution of the United States. the constitution of the several States. and the belief of civilized governments. and Whereas the present Government of Mexico. in defiance of the principles of religious and civil liberty recognized in the United States and all other fully civilized countries. has enacted laws whose intent and effect are that teachers and clergymen. native or long resident in Mexico. who were administering to the spiritual. moral. and educational welfare of the people. have. without adequate cause. been expelled from the country. churches have been peremptorily closed and their property confiscated. religious worship has been prevented or abolished. church communicants protesting against the tyranny of the Government of Mexico have been brutally mistreated. educational and charitable institutions. for generations open to the poor and needy. have been closed or confiscated. trial by jury is denied in case of appeal. clergy and religious are denied the right of assembly and the right of the freedom of the press. any and every church of every creed is denied the right of corporate existence. hearings on duly executed L=-IX- 103 and presented petitions of citizens are refused. the right of franchise is denied to all clergymen of all creeds. any and every church of every creed is denied the right to hold property. any and every church of every creed is denied the right to possess a school for the training of candidates for its ministry. American and other foreignborn ministers of the gospel are forbidden to practice their ministry. journals and publications are unreasonably and tyrannously suppressed and the use of the mails denied them. Mexican Government employees have been summarily dismissed for their refusal to parade in sympathy with the Mexican Governments antireliglous program. academic freedom is destroyed on the theory that the State must possess the mind of the child. citizens have in part of the country. been forbidden to use Christian names for places or persons or .even on the tombstones of their dead. liberty of religious worship. of education. of speech. of the press. and of equal opportunity before the law are denied to those who live in Mexico. and all those desiring to exercise the right of religious life are exiled. and Whereas continuation of these conditions in Mexico will Inevitably result in again flooding the United States with hundreds of thousands of Mexican refugees to be fed. housed. and maintained at the expense of the already overburdened people and local relief administrations of this country. and Whereas the present Government of Mexico. In defiance of the principles of decency and morality recognized and upheld by all truly civilized peoples. has debauched and Is continuing to prostitute the lives of children by the wanton and deliberate teaching and encouragement of gross licentiousness and unspeakable immorality. and Whereas the people of the United States. since the foundation of the American Nation. have ever viewed with abhorrence any violation of the right of religious freedom by any government. and have uniformly recognized the right of academic liberty. as annunciated and affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States. and consistently upheld the right to establish. possess. and conduct private institutions for the care of the sick. the needy. and the helpless. and Whereas each and all of these rights are proscribed and abolished by the tyrannical policies of the Mexican Government. all of which calls for condemnation and protest by the Congress of the United States representing the sentiments of libertyloving Americaf citizens who. regardless of religious belief or affiliation. are shocked and outraged by the atheistic. antireligious. depraved. and deplorable practices of the present Government of Mexico in embracing a policy destructive of all religion and morality and subversive of education and charity: Therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concu ring). That while it is not and never has been the desire of the American people to impose American political principles on any other nation. and while it is recognized that the Government of the United States has no diplomatic right to interfere with the internal political policies of any other sovereign State. yet it is the sense of the Congress of the United States that the Department of Labor be directed to report to the Congress concerning the number. nationality. condition. and manner of entrance to this country of aliens in the States on the Mexicon border who are being supported by public or private charity. participating in relief funds. holding positions normally occupied by citizens of the United States. or otherwise disemploying American citizens by cheap labor competition. and be it further Resolved.