The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-09-09

lutte dominion of their priests; that the priest has
but to point his finger and the whole flock vote for
the party to which he points There never was a
more unfounded assertion, never a greater libel
pronounced against body Of American treemen.
In matters of religion the Catholic reverenty re-
ceives the instructions of his spiritual guide: in
secular matters he acts, other act, upon the
dictates of his Judgment. There tens of
thousands of Catholics who vote and have always
voted the Republican ticket; and if the number of
such votes is diminishing it is not because of priest
ly domination but because the spirit of Know Moth
ingsm again stalks abroad and threatens to obtain
complete possession of the Republican party. 1t is
not many years since Archbishop Hughes, of New
York, and Archbishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, were
open supporters of Lincons Administration, and
were much applauded by the Republican leaders for
that support Then not one OF those leaders was
heard to utter word about priesty interference in
politics, or priestly domination. On the contrary,
these venerable prelates were auded to the skies by
the Republican party, and their example every
where cited as inducemcnt to Catholics to vote
the Republican ticket. Nay, further, President
Lincoln manifested his high regard for the Arch
bishop of New York by sending him on a mission to
Europe, and the whole Republican party applauded
the act. But did the course taken by those eminent
prelates-none more eminent or better entitled to
the regard of their focks and mankind-control the
Catholic vote? Every man of you is ready to say
no; for it is notorious that the sun gives light
to the earth, that the great body of Catholics con
tinued to vote they had been accustomed to vote
the Democrats continued to be Democrats, and
the Republicans continued to be Republicans.
Fellow citizens! am not Il Catholic, and have
no desire to draw comparisons between the Protest
ant and Catholic PRIESTHOOD but since the latter
SO freely denounced for what is called their inter
ference in politics. it may not be amiss to ask few
plain questions. What man ever heard Official
sermon from Catholic pulpit? | am sure never
did, nor did ever read or hear of one. What man
can number the political sermons preached from
Protestant pulpitS, from that OF Henry ard Beech
er of Plymouth Church down to that of the humb
edfce whose spire points TO heaven? What
man ever heard of Il Catholic priest making stump
speech? | sure l never did, nor do | believe
such Il thing occurred. But who can tell how
many Protestant ministers have taken the stump,
from Henry Ward Beecher down to the Granville
Noodles? What man ever heard of Il Catholic priest
being candidate for Office? | know that never
did, nor do | believe that any one of you did
But how many Protestant ministers have held and
how many yet hold Office, from the halls of Congress
and of the State Legislatures down to the humber
offices of the county, the city and the town? Eel
low citizens, you will much misunderstood me if YOU
suppose that i'll anything l have said | mean to
censure much less condemn, any Protestant church
OF any Protestant priest. On the contrary, stand
here to dett nd the rights OF every Church, and TO
maintain that every man, be he Christian or Jew
Protestant or Catholic, priest or layman. believer
or unbeliever, 20 the fullest extent has rights As Il
citizen that he shall have the rights guaranteed by
our constitutions, Federal and State, the right Of
free speech, the right to petition the law making
power, the right to vote as he nit, The right To
hold office, and most sacred of ALL the right to
ship Almighty God according to the dictates OF lis
conscience 1 stand here to maintain that he
shall not be traduced and prescribed because he
ercSes these rights; that yindicive prejudice shall
not be excited against him because he exercises
them; that he shall be, to all intents and purposes
what the Constitution makes him, a free man.