New Orleans Republican., 1875-09-08
A Mean and False Rumor.

health, growth and life Of the Roman Catho-
llc Church. The accusation is unjust. The
Republican party is no more hostile to the
Roman Catholic Church than it is to any
one of I'll 9 Protestant churches. The founda a.
tion stone upon which the Republican party
stands is equal rights to all men," and the
corner stone of the republic is "disassocia
ton between Church and State" Repub-
ilcans hold to the belief that intelligence is
the basis OF our system of government, and
as consequence favor public schools for the
education of children, said schools to be
supported by the people at large, and to be
unsectarian in character. Here is where the
conflict originates, not as between Repub-
licaans aud Roman Catholics, but between
Republicans and Roman Catholic zealots.
Republicans favor the homogeneous educa-
tion of American children in the rudiments
of study, leaving the religious discipline OF
the mind to teachers specially provided by
the parents or legal guardians of the youth.
Through the influence of some priests aud
Others 'n ORDERS feeling OF antagonism
to this idea has been generated, and the de.
mand made that even in childhood the line
of demarcation and distinction between
Protestant and Roman shall be drawn. This
is repu gnant to the convictions of every Re
publican as to right aud the true interests
OF the county. All sensible, unprecedented
men will admit that differences in religious
views should not produce estrangement in
social relations between adults. Every man
is the arbiter of his own religious conduct.
As he is held amenable to man for i1frac-
tons of mans laws, SO he is held by God for
violations of His laws. Conscience is ind-
vidual property. If, therefore, religious diff
ferences should not disrupt social relations
between adults, is it not absolutely wicked
t draw the religious line between childrenl
The children of this generation will be the
men and women of the next. Education is
an acknowledged help to man in every sta
ton and vocation in life. No professional
man can su6sist or procure livelihood with
out it. The better educated the mechanic
the greater his resources from which TO
evolve perfection in his science. The agri-
culturlst is better able through education
to divine the nature of his soil and its pro
psgating force in the production of crops.
Even the laborer finds educated brain-pow.
er great help to muscular effort. Surely,
then, education would quicken religious in
telligence ard instead of requiring man to
feel and grope his way on the road to eteI-
nifty. it would enable him to stand firm and
erect as a professor of Christianity, and re-
tact honor and lustre upon his profession
which ignorance could not and would not
admit of.
Roman Catholics wonld scarcely relish
i dRian. of Church and State if the church
were Protesr artt,- and therefore as Christians
others what they would not freely accept
for themselves. Yet some of the teachers Of
their faith boast of the growth of their num-
bers in this country and more than suggest
that the time is not far distant when their
church will here assume functions akin to
governmental, and to that end are endeav-
oring to ncnlcate in their youth pre- udices
antipodal to the interests Of society and the
nation. Surely, religious liberty is as im-
portant AMI desirable as political liberty.
Religious intolerance can not walk hand in
hand with political freedom.
The Democracy of several States have ca.
| tered to the imperous demands of the
Roman hierarchy to secure the Roman vote.
In the city of New York that party has for
| years controlled local affairs, and in Feb
ruary, 1871, committee of the Union
| League Club, after having duly investi-
gated the matter, reported that their Dem
ocratic officers, during the three years OF
1869, 1870 and 1871, had illegally drawn
from the public treasury of the city and
| county of New York, in cash, for the
support of Catholic co1vents, churches,
| schools. cathedrals and asylnms, the enor
| nous sum of $l,396,31S 81. 1t is also re-
| ported that this sect, in the space of few
years, had become possessed, without con-
sideration, of real estate belonging to the
| city of New York of the value OF So, 100000.
AT the recent session of the Connecticut
Legislature an amendment to the constitu-
tIon was proposed prohibiting any grant to
sectarian institutions, which proposition
was rejected, only four Democrats voting
in opposition to the motion to table
it, while Ill voted in favor of tabling
it. Ia Ohio the Roman Catholic element of
the Democracy favor a division of the
school fund, the Roman Catholics to be
credited with their pro rata of the school
tax with which to support parochial schools.
1t is against encroachments Of this char
acter that Republicans protest, and we are
pleased to add that in so protesting they
are encouraged and sus aimed by educated
and representative members of the Roman
Catholic Church, without as well as within
the Republican party. The irish World is
a journal of acknowledged ability, and a
powerful ally alike of the Roman Church
and Democratic party. Hear its editor
answer the charge of hostility OF the Re
publican party to the Roman Catholic
Church:
"We have seen it stated in Democratic
papers that new secret nti-Catholic Or
ganization akin to the Know Nothing or
ganzation is developing itself, and the
attempt ID made by some Democratic poll
ticians to identify it with the Republican
party. The insinuation against the Repub-
lcan party is unfair and absurd, and no
honest man, we trust, will be deceived by
the TIL TX. Every party stan15 on Its own
platform. The Republican patty has in
scriSed on its banner the most perfect
equality. No one denies that. Both of the
two great political parties stand squarely
on the platform of religious equality.
Neither party has monopoly of all the
virtue to be found in the nation.
The Republican party is no
more opposed to the Catholic Church than
is the Democratic party. Only designing
place hunters will assert the contrary. In
point of fact, there are more Catholics hold
ing positions in the Republican party in
proportion to numbers than in the Demo
cratic party. We refer to the country at
large. Yet in the face of this, the Repnb-
licans are accused of sheltering an anti
Catholic society under their wings.
The charge whispered against the Repub-
lican party is the fabrication of unscrupu-
lous politicians. 1t is manufactured and
set afoat with view to bold in servitude
the Catholic vote.' OF this our readers
may rest assured. THE Republic.
A Considerate Nobieman.
A London correspondent sends the fol
lDUinp amnsiDV afOrv ahout nna of tho