The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-04-25
Politics and Religion.

April H. be less and probably more than million
voters In the several States who adhere the Roman Catholic
Church and of these General Grant running the Repub
can ticket will be lucky indeed he receives fifty thousand
The residue will ody against him. not from dislike
dsrust of the but from repugnance to the principles
Wherewlth he Is identified"
Now, if this is a fact-and we fear there can be no
question that such it s-it certainly is ue,y remark
able one and appears to to demand searching
and thorough investigation than it has yet received.
Assuming that nineteen out of every twenty Of the
million of voters who adhere to the Catholic faith in
these United States will cast their votes not so much
against General Grant against the principles of the
party with which he is understood be Identified we
naturally led to ask what those principles which
are repugnant to SO large and influential portion of
the people of this free country? Although we know
what the to the question is and must be, still it
may we'll be sort of never-ending surprise to to find
that the principles heartily deested and earnestly
opposed, are other than those which propose to
equal political rights to men Of all colors and
creeds This may be sneered at negrophily." 1t
may be carcatured as niger supremacy" Dozens of
other offensive ridiculous epthets may be applied to
it, by rowdy journals and by stump orators But it is
the simple truth
Why so large majority of the Catholic community
refuse concede certain section of the human
those rights which, Thomas Jefferson declared, have
been conferred all by the Creator himself, is of
all other existing circumstances the mysteri
and inexpicabe Because in her proper sphere
in the spiritual domain which she exercises urs-
dicton-the Catholic Church has extended equal rights
and privileges to the dusky African to the pale eau
casan They have knelt side by side at the same
altar and partaken of the same communion. Nay
more of the great and laudabe enterprises Of the
present Catholic preates of America to endow colleges
to educate negroes for the priesthood and to extend
the faith among men of their race in America and
in Africa 1t cannot be- therefore, account of their
religion, or Of the teachings Of their Church, that
Catholics the opponents of negro Acknowledgement
Because the Catholic Church. as we have Just proved
has always been the friend of the poor negro and the
practical asserer of his most sacred rghs-hs rights
the privileges Of the Christian Church EARTH and
the Christian Church in heaven. And so it must be-
For is not the grand and Godlike mission of the religion
of the Nazarene to undo the heavy burdens, to let
the oppressed go Free to seek the most benjghted
and degraded of the human family and to elevate them
to light and liberty to purity and happiness This
criminal denial of justice long oppressed race can
not therefore, be laid the door of the Church. for the
Church has done her duty in this matter; and if her
bishops, priests and members have snned, the sin is
their own and at their door alone must rest the terrible
responsibility
How comes it that SO large number of Catholics,
ncuding-we sorry ITO say-both priests and bishops
imagine that democracy, which refuses their
just rights and sympathizes with their oppressors and
ensavers part of their religion? This will be denied
with howl of indignation, and shower of not very
select epthets will be poured out upon for daring to
make such an assertion But it is not the less true
that account For is there socalled Catholic Demo
cratic religious newspaper in the United States-and
20 ~ hut, 1de