The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-12-04

their hands on the schools, and have quite
seized upon the education of the rising
generation. 1t IS not merely that the con-
duct and superintende nce of education has
been taken out of the hands of ecclesiasti-
cal persons, but it is intended that religion
shall be utterly excluded from the schools,
and the name and knowledge of God quite
banished from the minds of the young peo-
pie"
Yet he tells us there is freedom for the
establishment of Protestant and Baptist
schools, that Catholics may establish them
for themselves. But they must support
them themselves. "And this, " said he,
sis the difficulty" He complains that the
government has seized all the ecclesiastical
property, that the bishops have in some
parts been called upon to surrender their
residences; that in HE scminarieS, the num-
Der of students for the priesthood has
been seriously diminished; that imposing
public professions are not allowed, and all
external appearances and signs of religion
are visible as little as possible, and are be-
coming gradually fewer and fewer.
Yes, change must rapidly follow now.
The glory of former ages is passed away
from her. She has proved after the trial
of centuries, that the church cannot, ought
not to dominate the State. How patient
"G:i forbearing has the God of nat ons been
u itO,uc, cree the mistress Of the world
now fallen, fallen. . and sinking to decay.
The second theory regards church and
State as coordinate powers, of which the
prince is the head The practical idea is
that the State establishes with itself, a State
religion. In itself, it is a protest against
ecclesiastical domination, and though prom
inently exhibited in the workings of the
government of Great Britain, was born of
the lawyers of the University of Paris,
before Henry VIII. had pronounced the
divorce of the Church of England from the
See of Rome. Taking governmental shape,
however, under the Crown of Britain, it
has developed peculiarities for which that
great and important nation must be ever
held responsible. Tie popularity of ma
tional character developed, was that of an
aristocracy composed of crown and clerical
dignitaries, between whom aud other classes
in society there was a gulf as impossible
as that which separated Dives from Abra-
ham. The government, though constitu-
tional monarchy and in some respects the
most liberal on earth, was held in the grasp
Of the few, and the sons of the clergy and
nobility, were trained to monopolize places
in church and State. An insight into this
system, while it may astonish us who have
thrown off the petty distinctions that mark
ed the nation from which we are proud to
have our origin, is nevertheless one of the
most noteworthy illustrations of Gods good
ness and patience in waiting for England
to develop fully her character. The world
is indebted to day to those, who, from the
humber walks of life, have risen to great
ness, rather than to the noble sons of noble
sires. Not that the culture was broader
in the former than in the latter, not that
poverty is help to the development of
mental or moral powers, but because caste
and aristocracy has taught that it is degrad-
ing to become absorbed in business pursuits
or professions. AS Shelly said of Byron:
1.-The canker of aristocracy wants to be
cut off, 1t has engendered pride in
ignorance, sickly sentimental waste of
life forces, destruction of the highest and
broadest culture, a supercilious naushti-
ness of temper, contempt of life in hum
bier spheres, and practical denial of Gods
truth of the unity of the race. w no shall
write the history of its intolerance? of the
illiberal spirit that having no desire to i'm
prove itself, draws a circular line in social
life, the smaller the better, provided always
that it gets inside and can keep the mil
lions out9 Who shall tell the story of the
soul distinctions of that unwritten law,
which allows an English gentleman to GO
to the Roman Catholic communion without
losing caste, but virtually oStracizes him
when he becomes Dissenter" These were
some of the phases of English national life,
that first sent to these American shores the
fathers of free America. yet God is sustain
ing that nation, bearing with it, and bless
ing it, that it may perhaps seek after and
find Him.
Dismissing the further consideration of
this branch Of my subject, l hasten to such
reflections as appertain to the national
American character.
Our popularity lies not in soil and eli
mate, for of these there is every variety,
nor in the maintenance of institutions
handed down to us from the sources of our
natural lives, nor in any special develop
ment of the ideas that were incorporated
in governments of prior existence, but in
the more dangerous, yet true fact that ours
is not a government of the hierarchy, like
Rome was nor of the aristocracy combined
with the hierarchy like England is, but
that it is Il pure Democracy-our theory
being that all power of right is derived
from the people. To develop this problem,
Gods goodness and patience has been and
still is extended toward us. And as We, by
virtue of the conditions of our national
life, are people extending the largest lib
critics consistent with the conservation of
government and order, to all classes in
society, we are seeking to form our national
life in the midst of some of the very ele-
ments about which we have reflected with
some severity, yet we conceive impartialty
Of utterance. There are citizens among
us who uphold systems which we have
abandoned, who seek to secure for them
selves large appropriations for sectarian
purposes, who scruple not to influence leg
islation, by undisgused religious partizan-
ship; who demand that the Church shall
educate the youth of the land, and the
State pay for it, and who, to accomplish
their ends, speak through the pulpit, the
press, and the ballot.
God is waiting patiently, while He is
expecting lis to spread true knowledge
through all classes to level upwards the
teemng populations that find a retreat
within our borders; to teach the doctrine
OF common brotherhood among all ma