he
30,000--perhaps 40,000--men who have already shed their life blood for
their country.

In comparison with them, what have you endured who are deprived of the
daily comforts of your lives, your newspapers, your means of travel,
communication with your families? Let the patriotism of our army, the
heroism of our King, of our beloved Queen in her magnanimity, serve to
stimulate us and support us. Let us bemoan ourselves no more. Let us
deserve the coming deliverance. Let us hasten it by our virtue even more
than by our prayers. Courage, brethren! Suffering passes away; the
crown of life for our souls, the crown of glory for our nation, shall
not pass!

I do not require of you to renounce any of your national desires. On the
contrary, I hold it as part of the obligations of my episcopal office to
instruct you, as to your duty in face of the power that has invaded our
soil and now occupies the greater part of our country. The authority of
that power is no lawful authority. Therefore in soul and conscience you
owe it neither respect nor attachment nor obedience.

The sole lawful authority in Belgium is that of our King, of our
Government, of the elected representatives of the nation. This authority
alone has a right to our affection, our submission.

Thus the invader's acts of public administration have in themselves no
authority; but legitimate authority has tacitly ratified such of those
acts as affect the general interest, and this ratification, and this
only, gives them juridic value. Occupied provinces are not conquered
provinces. Belgium is no more a German province than Galicia is a
Russian province. Nevertheless, the occupied portion of our country is
in a position it is compelled to endure. The greater part of our towns,
having surrendered to the enemy on conditions, are bound to observe
those conditions. From the outset of military operations the civil
authorities of the country urged upon all private persons the necessity
of abstention from hostile acts against the enemy's army.

That instruction remains in force. It is our army, and our army solely,
in league with the valiant troops of our allies, that has the honor and
the duty of national defense. Let us intrust the army with our final
deliverance.

Toward the persons of those who are holding dominion among us by
military force, and who assuredly cannot but be sensible of the
chivalrous energy with which we have defended and are still defending
our in