Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-08-01

Critique on w. B. Clarke's Grafton.

teal A6tters which desire to brief
ly review, believing that such senti-
ments coming from public educat-
or are calculated to make false i'm
preston on the mind Of the reader
In the second column of Mr..
Clarke's speech | find the following
singular declaration: "Our fathers
abandoned home and Kindred for suf-
tering and death in this new world,
that they might establish a govern
ment which knew no church or re-
ligion save that implanted by nature
IN the breast Of man" Without at
tempting to offer any argument Of
my own against the correctness Of
this destical statement, | will simply
let diamond cut diamond" by com
pairing the orators opinion with
those of his legal antecedents.
Says Judge Story, in his Common
taries on the Constitution, speaking
on this identical point: "The at
tempt to level all religions, and make
1T matter of state policy to hold all
in utter indifference, would have
created universal disapprobation if
not universal indignation"
Judge Duncan of the Supreme
Court in Pennsylvania, in a judicial
decision says: christianity is and
always has been a part of the com
mon law Of that state" Says Dan
iel Webster: "There il nothing we
look for with more certainty than
this principle-that Christianity is
part of the law of the land. This
was the case with the Puritans of
New England, the Episcopalians of
the Southern States, the Pennsylva-
MIA Quakers, the Baptists, the mass
of the followers of Whitefield and
Wesley, and the Presbyterians."
The combined opinion of those
three distinguished jurists is certain
ly sufficient offset to Mr.. Clarke =
historical discovery.
Subsequently the speaker goes on
to say that great efforts are being
made sin many parts of the land 10
secure the union of church and state
because, forsooth, 1.-TWO senators hold
their seats in Congress by virtue OF
the church whose tenets they advo-
cate. Fin thus speaking he alludes
to Roman Catholics, | have nothing
to say they may speak for them
selves. But if he intends to insinu-
ate that "leading" Protestant denom-
nations are seeking a unification OF
church and state, | fling the charge
back into his teeth with an emphatic
denial of the innuendo, especially
concerning the church which | have
the honor to represent. There is
not an intelligent member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church that
would even UOte for a prospective
President who would condescend to
offer to pledge himself to use his Of
fees toward securing q union of said
church and state, to say nothing oil
asking such q favor, if favor it may
be called and | believe the same to
be true of other leading denomina.
tons. A charge similar to this was
recently made against Senator Har-
Ian Of lowe, a staunch Methodist, To
which be thus replies 81 have new
or, at any time, adopted means either
direct or indirect, to secure church
influence for such purpose, /. {.
political. He goes on TO say that
unless the honor to represent The
people of Iowa is conferred by 9
free people from mature and delib
crate conviction, that all things con
sidered, it would be best for the
State and Republic, | would despsC
myself if did not scorn the distinc
ton"
But in answer to this charge OF &
contemplated union of church anC
state, l cannot do better than quote
from Prof. Taylor Lewis, one of the
foremost contributors to the Inde
pendent, and allow Professor to meet
Professor in the conflict of opinions
Says Mr.. Lewis: "Church and state
Danger Of church and state Who
that has the least capacity Of Judging
the present aspect of things does not
know that the danger is all in tho
other direction The pendulum ii
swinging clear TO the other extreme
Church and state in the old sense i,
an idea wholly obsolete. Those who
profess to be alarmed about it have
really no fears of its ever coming
back. 1t is the last thing that any
sane man now breads"
One of those Professors must GER
tainly misunderstood the signs of the
times, and leave the public to de
eide their respective merits.
The speaker says that be is in favor
Of "no religion save the diffusion O
sound morals" in the government
But George Washington in his fare
well address, expresses an opinion
slightly out of harmony with tn,
above. lie says: Whatever may
be conceded to the influence of re
fined education upon minds of pc
culiar structure, reason and expert
ence forbid us TO expect that nation
al morality can prevail in the exclu
sion OF religious principles" Blu
perhaps it may be said SO much tn,
worse for Washington
1t is true, indeed, that some eff
forts have been made to incorporate
the acknowledgment of Deity int
the Constitution of the United States
but it was measure literally forced
upon the Christion element by tn,
so-called retormers of the age. Hav,
not nearly all the sacred institution
of the Christian church been assail
cd with every conceivable weapon
Of attack by the anti-christian ele
ment of the land, under the speeiou
plea that the Constitution is inimica
to anything sacred or divine. Tn,
} marriage relation, the Sabbath, til,
Bible in public schools, chaplains
Thanksgiving, &c, originally anC
all along acknowledged in every
state, though tacitly in general, it il
true, are now openly assailed on the
ground of being unconstitutional. Ii
it any matter of surprise then thai
oil. l. II