The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-01

Playing with Fire.
We had occasion some days ago to lament
the deplorable train of thought into which Mr..
Brace had been led by his frequent trips to
Europe at the expense OF the Children's Aid
Society. We pointed out to him that associa-
ton with a certain class of fanatical English
men of a low order of culture, who represented
the passions and strifes of three centuries ago
and believed that the duty of one religious de-
nomination was to exterminate all others, had
induced him to feel that there was no appeal
more effective in stimulating public anger than
an invocation Of religious rancor. We admon-
ished Mr. Brace to give some attention to the
institutions of his country, and especially to
learn that no privilege was more sacredly
cherished by the American citizen than abso-
lutte liberty of conscience.
Notwithstanding this Mr.. Brace, in the col
umns of newspaper owned mainly by E. B.
Morgan. Of Auburn, N. Y, attempts to fire the
hearts of the religious denominations of this
city, He holds the HERALD up to sectarian
luminosity as . Catholic organ, engaged in /
q ''base attempt to sustain Catholic
charities at tile expense of Protestant charities.
AS we have had occasion to say before, our
columns show, when occasion offers, our alb
sclute impartiality in all religious matters.
We believe, with the fathers of the Republic.
that liberty of conscience is a right too sacred
even to be questioned We know of nothing
more deplorable in English history than those
sad and bloody scenes which attended the
reigns of Mary and Henry, the persecution of
the Covenanters, and the wars Of Cromwell in
Ireland. There ia nothing We would be more
glad to forget than the early persecution of the
Baptists and Quakers during our own colonial
period So far. therefore, as we have had
any influence in teaching the American peo-
pie we have insisted upon the sacred preroga-
tives Of conscience We should feel that our
constitution and government had been Sc
verely, if not fatally, wounded, if any ques-
ton of religious belief entered into the duties
of citizenship or the administration of gov
countries we find religion affecting politics
there are animosities and rancors which, with
all our frankness and plain speaking and
breadth of criticism, are never known in
America.
New York especially has reason to dread the
revival of the dark and pitiless fires of extinct
prosecutions. Within the memories of men
much younger than Mr. Brace people have
been murdered, riot has become rampant and
the streets of this splendid and stately metrop-
- -
luminosity. The Orange riots three years ago
were a painful, memorable example. And
now that We are upon this question of the
HERA1D's Roman Catholic tendencies" it is
well to remember that on that lamentable oc-
casion we insisted, with all the power we
could command, upon the right of the Orange
men to parade our streets with Protestant or
other emblems, so long as they did not disturb
the peace. New York is peculiarly inaamma-
BILE city. Thousands Of people come here from
Ireland and Scotland and Germany Who
before they become, as it were, acclimated to
our institutions-carry into their social and
domestic and business relations intense
religious convictions. A native of Kerry will
not have any relations with native of Donegal,
because of the Battle of the Boyne, and men
who have grown to manhood in America, who
are as American as Pocahontas, will drink
with quivering and angry lip 1.-The pious, i'm
mortal and glorious memory Of King
William"-a Dutch Prince who died century
and q half ago. We cannot expect these men,
cries to be forgotten at least in the minds of the
generation who cherish them when they come
to live with us. With their children it is
different thing, and the Prince of Orange has
no more power as religious spell over what
might be called the second generation of our
citizens than Nimrod or Melchisedec. But
with this earnestness Of belief, this fanaticism
coming from ignorance and stimulated by
passion and prejudice, we have classes in New
York that are peculiarly inAammable.
It has been the aim of good men, no matter
what their religious feelings, to eradicate this
prejudice, to labor with patience and wisdom
to make our people, no matter what their
religion, friends. And SO successful have
been these efforts that we have felt that there
would be no more religious riots, no more of
the heartburning and bigotry which have cast
such gloom upon the older nations. Now
and then some irresponsible person like Brace
wishes an appeal to Professionalism, but gener-
ally to be heard with contempt. Now and
then we have an attempt to revive the Know
Nothing or Native American feeling, but it
passes away like summer cloud, without our
special wonder.
But such appeals should not be heard with
contempt Mr.. Brace, as we have said, is an
irresponsible person, whose words would be of
no more value as affecting public opinion than
those of a street pedler announcing his wares.
But Mr.. Brace has access to newspaper be-
longing to Mr.. E. B. Morgan, and here comes
the calamity of his position. For if honest,
worthy country gentlemen like Mr.. Morgan
insist on printing newspapers appealing to