The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-12-15

StulcSs
The Catholic Church. with its usual
prompt intelligence, has already recognized IN
The Freedmen class Of citizens who cannot
long be deprived of influence in the state.
Catholic missionaries are already at work up
an that pliabIe material, moulding and shap-
ing it to serve the purposes OF the Church.
In tbe Catholic creed and service there is
,auch to attract the mind and heart of the ne
ero race The holy relics and legends of the
saints, The confessional and the Authority of
the clergy, are alike adapted to The preiu-
diees and habits of the negro mind. The
richly ornamented churches, the clerical
vestments, the elaborate ceremonies, the glor-
ious music, even the mystery of the Latin
service, appeal powerfully TO the love OF dis
play which is SO marked an element m the ne
gro character. The creoles are, with rare ex-
ceptions, devout Catholics already. Their
darker relatives have hitherto been more ne
elected; but it is evident that an active prop
agandism, such as is now on foot, can hardly
fail to accomplish great results among them,
Suppose, as is by no means impossible, that
this impressible people should become very
generally, or almost universally, members ofthe
Catholic communion. The immediate re-
suits would undoubtedly be good, No one
viii contend that it is impossible for a Catbo-
BIC TO be Christian, while many will admit
that upon race like this, the influence
of the Catholic religion may be far more
powerful and general than the pure but cold
ef distractions Of Professionalism could posi-
bly secure. But any faith in Divine govern
ment, any recognition Of Gods law, mnst
have some salutary and restraining power.
The influence of the Church would to some
extent purify and elevate the negro character.
We believe it would also limit its develop
ment, and especially its political development
Using the word in the high sense. indie
pendent thought is Systematically discour-
aged by the Catholic Church. Yet independ-
ent thought is the life OF our institutions
The constitution OF the Church, with its her
arches and its solitary head, is the re-
verse of democratic. The clergy are
not citizens of this or any other
country. All forms of government are indif-
ferent to them. The prosperity and aggran-
dizement OF the Church is their sole care. If
its prosperity appeared to require the over
throw OF the American system, they would
conscienti0usly labor to that end. This indif-
ference and more or less pronounced opposi-
ton to republican institutions cannot fail to
infect the laity, and SO far to make them not
better but worse citizens.
Now the great majority of tie Catholic
clergy are, it must be assumed, honest, God
fearing men. Their opinions are entitled to
respectful consideration. But SO equally are
the Numerically opposite opinions of the
great body of the American people. We be-
lieve in the institutions which our fathers
founded, and for the perpetual maintenance
ofwhich thousands OF this generation have
laid down their lives. We have right to
watch the tendencies OF the Catholic faith.
and so far as we believe them to be, not CON
sciously but nevertheless really Injurious, we
have right to oppose them, not bysviolenee,
not by intoerant abuse, but by clearly show
ing their injurious character and adopting
such e0unteracting agencies as are at hand.
We have believed that the most trlstwor-
thy basis for popular government is to be
found in a, broad system Unpopular education.
That education is not sectarian. Religious
education is left to the churches and the Sun
day schools. The Catholic Church alone has
set itself in opposition to popular education.
The Church withdraws its children from the
public schools, for the express purpose of Civ
ing sectarian bias to their training This
management should teach us what to do The
Church which is avowedly Indifferent wheth-
er our experiment of popular government
succeeds or fails, and which finds its account
in opposing the general movement in favor of
public education, will be checl;mated by fos-
tering that very movement 49, /
Our Freedmen's Aid Societies are doing a
good work, but we cannot afford to neglect
any means which promise to promote the
cause of education at the South. We can
not afford to throw away the powerful stimu-
lus which a moderate educational qualifica-
ton for voting would offer. Such qualifica-
ton may be justly required on other grounds;
it is doubly important now, because it calls
upon every man to lay the foundations of self
education. A man who can read and write
can be reached by the current of free thought
He is not so likely to surrender mis- opinions
to the guidance of another He can hardly re
main Indifferent to the great events transpir
ing around him. 1t will be great mistake,
if politicians counting on the negro vote in
1868, leave it in such condition that no man
can predict what it will be in 1872. d.a8