The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-04
CYCLoPAEDIC INTOLERANCE
NEW YORK, June 2, 1874.

NEW YORK, June = 1874.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Shall presume your great kindness to ask
space In your daily issue for statement which
concerns the subscribers to .Appleton's American
Cyclop@dia,- on both sides OF the Atlantic, as well
rs the lovers OF honesty and fair play everywhere.
A persistent effort has been made for some months
to prejudice the American mind against this great
literary enterprise, because the editors have
thought IT. in the work OF revision. to employ
Catholic priest on special Catholic subjects.
dignitary of the Protestant Episcopal Church first
protested against my being connected with the
encyclopaedia because happened to have been
professor in Jesuit colleges; and BECAUSE in pri-
vate circular sent to the Catholic clergy, had as
sured them oil my having the appreciation OF
the Archbishop OF New York in my connection
with the encyclopaedia" ana promise OF assistance
from his superior learning and wisdom In dinicult
obscure Catholic matters, the cry was raised
that the editors were 'JesuitiZing" the "Cyclopa.
dia," and that every article before publicato
"wOud be submitted, not only to the Archbishop,
but to the whole body OF Jesuits, and by them sent
to Rome to be passed upon by the Pope. the Car
dinals and the Inquistion" Would you believe it
possible that any but the craziest fanatic could
conceive or express such notion And yet 1t is
literally true. The cry OF 'Jesultzing" the "Cyclo
p9da." and OF American Professionalism being In
danger thereby, was next taken up by an obscure
sheet In Western State and long array OF
passages from the tour first volumes OF the
column, to show the alarmed Protestant reader
now the Pope and the Jesults, through me, were
altering, suppressing or falsying historical truth
in the interests or the Catholic Churcn.
Now 1t SO happened that the fourth volume OF
the revised edition was IN plate when. IN April,
1873, first entered the Otce OF the "Cycl0pGuIa,n
and that every article impugned IN the TOUR trsr
volumes was both written and revised by Protest
ants. In the single article written by me on Glenn
ent XIV, in volume 5, | was accused Of suppress.
sing historical truth because asserted that TINS
Pope died broken hearted instead OF poisoned by
the Jesuits,n as asserted in a work published by
the Appletons quarter OF century before, and
OF such charge brought against the Jesuits
Well. although, In circular OF admirable temper
misrepresentation, pointing TO the TACT that only
one CathOilc priest was employed as reviser and
contributor among host OF Protestant clergy
men, ana that in every instance where had been
accused OF tamperlng with historical truth there
was not the slightest foundation Tor the charge,
nevertheless the Western journal continued to
utter It's msrepresen ations and fusehoods. 1t
seemed to De Tor tne interest, \ not OF few mar
So II is still.
Here in New YORK the opportunity was too
tempting to be lost Tor the stag, rag and bObtaiu or
the socailed religious watch
a0gs -, round me gates OF ZION. VINO Know now TO
the very name OF Rome, though they are ever
more snarling and tearing each other over their
dry theological bones OF contention The respectable
portion OF the Protestant religious press de-
nounced this unwlse, untimey and most un-
seemy display of tanaticlsm lor winch, as
suredy, no word that mad written could be as
slgaed as a pretext or a justincaton. In one IN
STANCE, at least, clergyman OF the Baptist
denomination. eminent alike by his posi-
tion, his learning and his virtues, wrote Il
were calmly set forth. But it was too convenient
to keep up the lie either because by SO dong one
assumes the AIR OF defender OF Professionalism IN
danger or because TO repeat lalsehood or SANDER
appears to some minds the best way or never
acknowledging or repairing wrong done.
AIAdn m n nlvU nIlI NOR tar In nh. fhon
any oil the former baseesS ones Is produced against
me- IT IS SAID that have written or revised the
article on common schools in such way as 10
give ali the credit OF popular education In the past
ITO the Jesuts;n and this. OF course, means that
mean to use the encyclopaedia to undermine the
common school system or to hand it over, ike
dismanLled fortress at some future time TO these
name IS connected. win all the wealth OF unchari-
table eplthet or lnsinuatlOn which clergymen con-
trovei slallss are famous for, Is from beginning TO
end utterly false. never wrote or revised q
single word OF the article IN question. Yet III
spite oil my categorical denial, this untruth, like
all the others, WIN be repeated all over the coun-
try. The truth, ike Gods own sunlight
is beneficial to all and nurtful to none II
Tears the truth, then say the sooner that Churcn
ceases TO exist and that system Is condemned by
Tor the thew world ID. Since / became connected
with the 'Amercau Encyclopedias" ana with Its large
heard but one rule constantly lEcuIcated on all
40 state the trnth clearly, simply, conclsely,
or Of on 80 ea o
the reader OF the 'Cyclopedian shall nnd true
statement OF facts not an array OF judlcla! opn-
ions concerning them. Knowing to how severe an
ordeal ofcritlclsm every line write Is submitted
the ofice itself before being printed, and how
closely scrutinlZed every line shall be aIerward
while 1t lies IN plate proof In the office, should be
fool to risk hasty OF. incomplete or lll-agested
statements on questions SO often and so passion
atey discussed But knowing how sucn state
ments would be examined ny my own brother
ciergymen, as well as 0y those of other religious
denominations, / should be ten times Dol TO
write as my traducers worlG have me. believe
all their efforts to inJure the "Amerlcan CyclOpg-
dla" Will only induce enlightened Americans to
examine 1t more closely and TO become more and
more convinced, as this great national work pro.
hSned In any country. s#.
Thanking you Tor your great Kindness, remain,