The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-21
LETTER FROM CINCINNATI.

LETTER FROM CINCINNATI.
Our City Eisetions-Ths Romanists and The
School Qaestion-Ds Death of Judge Hiteheoek-
Tbs late Doctor Drake.
CINCINNATI April o, 1853.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Our municipal election took place On the
fourth instant and Notwithstanding q steady
rain which fell most of the day. an unusually
heavy vote was pOlled-tbe largest, indeed,
ever given here for city and township officers.
Great interest was felt in the result, and some
Of the Offices were closely contested The DEM
ocrats had regularly nominated convention
ticket in the field but, not being able to draw
the party lines as tightly as in the State cleo
tons, several names on the independent oppo-
sltiOn ticket were elected The Democratic
candidates for mayor, police judge, city solicit
tor, treasurer auditor, and some minor Offices
were successful; while the opposition elected
their city marshal, civil engineer and one or
two names on the township ticket Several
others on the Democratic ticket might readily
have been defeated, had the opposition been
concentrated upon one good candidate; but
there were so many candidates, each on his
"own hook" for several offices, that some of
the successful candidates have succeeded mere
ly by plurality vote.
The election for school trustees and council
men turned mainly upon the free school ques-
ton, brought into the canvass by the Roman
lists, and resulted in the complete success of the
free school candidates, and the defeat of the
Romanists in every ward This is however,
nothing more than might have been expected,
after the attention of our citizens had been full
ly awakened to the merits of the subject, by it's
discussion in the papers.
The leaders of the Roman Catholic party, it
seems to me- have not displayed their usual
Jesuitical tact and caution in agitating this
question: in the way they have done here and
elsewhere through the country. Their conduct
must be ascribed to their ignorance of the spirit
of our institutions, and the sentiments of the
great mass of our people in relation to the least
support by the State of any religious bodies or
sectarian schools II, as many think, and as
is quite probable, the Roman bishops, before
making simultaneous movement in the vari-
GUS States, in favor of an alteration in our
school laws, calculated upon the support, open
or covert, of one of the great political parties,
in return for the Catholic vote, they were great
ly mistaken. No party would risk its popular
Ivy ny va aSeCBeib, suOh uL ultuUCcs
Upon this subject there il the greatest unanim-
ity among our native. born citizens The prin-
ciple upon which the distribution of our common
school funds is made is sound one, and vital
to our fundamental policy of the separation of
Church aud State, and it must not be disturbed.
The truth is, our civil institutions, our litera-
ture, our habits of thinking, the democratic
elements and tendencies of society in all our
States are in direct opposition to the genius
of Romanism; and, as the communicates of
that church mix with cur people, they imbibe
gradually republican ideas the bishops and
priests see their hold upon them loosening, and
arc endeavoring to keep them rs closely as pos
sible under their control. Our free schools
tend to make our population Of all classes no.
mogeneous to destroy foreign influence, and
Americanize all who come under their instruo-
ton. Hence the hostility of the Romish priests
TO them-a class of whom nine-tcnths are for.
eigners, educated in European ideas, under
monarehical institutions, in a religion which is
an exotic in our free SOIL and which has never
fiourished except where implicit obedience to
the priest has been the rule, and freedom of
thought and opinion the exception.
The pioneers who aided in laying the found.
atoms of the present prosperity of our State,
and have taken an active part in our public
councils, are one by one passing away, and the
decease now and then of another should at
tract our notice and be suitably commemora
ted. year ago, ! referred to the deaths o.
Governors Brown and Morrow more lately
Gov Lucas (who had removed to Iowa. has
died; and a week or two since Peter Hitchcock,
for many years Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Ohio Judge H. came to this State,
r o,r hat
has with scarcely any intermission, filled va
rious posts in the public service, with great
fidelity and success He was q member of both
Houses of the Legislature successfully twice
Speaker of the Senate and member Of Con-
gress. In 1885 he was elected to the Supreme
Bench, where in the discharge of his official
character was no less pure than his official
For the last twcnty-one years he had been a
member of the Congregational Church, and
still longer jealous friend of education, and
of all the bes. interests of society. In him we
has contributed to the prosperity of our State,
and whose services have illustrated her history.
There was very brief notice in your col
umns lately of the decease of DR.. Daniel Drake,
of this city DR.. Drake came to this place in
ISUU bilu Hail "a CcutuIJ WOO luCubucu
with the literary educational, and scientific
history of this State, and with the expanding
resources of the West No one took deeper
interest in our early history, or in all the use
ful and phlanthropic enterprises which have
contributed to our physical and moral advance
ment and it is due, as n tribute Of respect and
admiration for the memory of such man,
that q more extended obituary Of his lfe SER
vices and death, should appear in your col
umns An eulogium upon the life and char
acter of DR.. Drake will be delivered before the
Ohio Historical Society, this week, by <. D.
Mansfield and you msy expect, shortly, fit
ting article in commemoraton of the deceased,
for the Era. Yours L.
GENEVA, ILLINOIS, Aprii z, 1853.
To the Editor of the National Era.
we have met the enemy, and they arc ours."-
Com. Perry.
A short time before our town meeting, the
Free Democracy in this town came together,
to perfect their organization, and this aroused
the Hunker parties. They called meeting,
irrespective OF party they came together, and
had most loving meeting of Wings and Dem
ocrats. A Democrat nominated Wing for
chairman; and after the chairman and score
tary had been chosen, Democrat moved that
the Chair appoint committee of three, to pro-
pose candidates for nomination. The Wing
Chair appointed two Democrats and one Wing
on the committee. Was not this most loving
match May they never ask for divorce
The nominations were soon made and well
distributed between the parties and all passed
OF tremendously.
The Free Democracy had meeting, and
nominated their candidates; and now for the
tug OF war. The election came off on the 9Th
instant but by some means the hearts OF the
People had begun to throb for Lberty-they
began to grow sick of the trammels OF party,
and of being gagged by platforms, and being
made hounds to run after and catch the black
cattle of the South. But more particularly
were they Disguised with having our own State