Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-09-04
Senator Thurman on the School
Question.

Senator Thurman. 10 his speech at Cleve-
laud, Ohio, August %, had very little to say
about financial issues and very much about the
school question, the Republican politicians,
finding their party as much divided on the
greeoback issue as are the Democrats, having
forced iu the other issue. The following was
the closing passage:
''To hear radical stumpcr talk of the Cath
Ollie Church, you would thiuk, il you knew 10
BETTER that all the members of that church are
under the absolute dominion Of their priests;
bis whole flock vote for the party to which he
points. Tuere never was more unfounded
assertion, never a greater libel pronounced
against body of American freemen. In mat
ters of religion the Catholic reverently receives
the instruction of his spiritual guide; in secu
lar matters he acts as other meu act, upon the
dictates of his own judgment. There are 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 prlestIy domination, but because
the spirit OF know nothlugism again stalks
abroad, and threatens TO obtain complete pos
session Of the Republican party.
1T Is not many years since Archbishop
Hughes, of New York, and Archbishop Pur-
cell, OF Cincinnati, were open supporters of
LucUin's administration, and were much ap
plauded by the Republican leaders for that sup
port. Then not one of those leaders was heard
to utter word about prestly Interference in
politics, or prlesty domiuallou On the con-
trary these venerable preIutes were lauded to
the skies by the Republican party, and their
example everywhere cited IS az iuducemeut 10
Catholics to vote the Republican ticket. Nay,
further President Lincoln manifested his
high regard for the Archbishop of New York
by sending him 90 mission to Europe, aud
the whole Republican party app!uudcd the act.
But did the course taxed by those eminent pre-
lates-none more em neut or better entitled 10
the regard Of their flckS ADD Of mankind
control the Catholic vote Every man of you
is ready to say no for IL is as notorious as that
the sun gives light to the earth that the great
body OF Catholics continued 10 vote as they had
been accustomed to vote the Democrats con-
tinued to be Democrots aud the Republicans
continued to be Republicans
1T Is u little curious 10 hear Republican
| speakers denuunce what they call the interter-
ence OF the Catholic priesthood 10 politics, aud
then turn over few pages of history and see
| what the Protestant priesthood have done, not
only with the appreciation, but encouraged by
the loud plaudlts OF these same Republicans
Have you forgotten the petition to Congress- of
| three thousand II think that was the number, J
Protestant ministers, denouucng the policy of
| a Democratic administration, and with what q
flourish OF trumpets 1t was presented and ap.
| pauded Aud is it not an undeniable fact that
| no Democrat ever suggested or thought of as
sailing Protestant Church because Of that
'priestly Interference 10 politics ?" Is it not an
undesirable fact that though the form and Ian
guage OF the petition was criticised, though it
was said that it was Of questionable proprety
Tor the petitioners to appear in their clerical
character, aud rot 10 their simple character as
| citizens, yet 20 one was found to deuy their
right of petition, or to vity their churches be-
| cause they exercise that right?
Have you forgotten the advent 10 Washing.
| ton OF large body Of Protestant clergy of Chi
cago, who almost assumed to speak in the
name OF the Almighty when demanding of
President Lincoln the issuance of the emanci
patton proclamation? and is not every man of
You witness of the fact that ''priesty interior
ence 10 politics occasioned 10 democratic as
sault upon Protestant church, when, on the
! other hand, 1t was Justify appauded by the re
| publican leaders and the republican press
And yet these same leaders aod this same press
has the audaclty to exercise his right as an
American citizen, and express, however mod
estIy, political opinion that is not orthodox
| accol ding to the radiclI creed
''Feow-citiz ;ns, | am not Catholic, and
have DO desire to draw comparisons between
| the Protestant aud Catholic priesthood; but
! since the latter are so freely denounced for
| what is called their interference 10 politics. it
may not be amlss to ask few plain questions
What maD ever heard political sermon from
Catholic pulpit? | am sure | never did, nor
Gid ever read or hear Of one. What man can
number the political sermons preached from
Protestant pulplts, from that of Henry Ward
Beecher, in Plymouth Churoht down to that of
the humblest edlhce whose spire points to
Heaven? What mao ever heard of Catholic
priest making stump speech? am sure l
never did, Dor do believe such thing ever
occurred. But who eau tell how many Protes-
tant ministers have taken the stump, from
Henry Ward Beecher down to the Granville
Noodles? What man ever heard of Catho
he priest being candidate for office ? | know
that never did nor do believe that any of
you ever id. But how many Protestant uin-
listers have held and how mauy yet hold office,
from the halls Of Congress and the State Legis
Iatures down to the humber Offices of the
county, the city aud The town?
Fellow citizens you will much misunder-
s'and NE if you suppose that, in anything |
have said, mean TO cenaurc, much less con-
demn, any Protestant church or any Pro,es
tant priest % the contrary staod here to
defend the rights of every church, aud to main
talo that every man, be he Christian or Jew.
Protestant or Catholic, priest or layman. be.
never or unbeIlever, shall enjoy, to the fullest
extent, bis rights as q citiz -; that he shall
have the right guaranteed by cur constitutions
Fedora! and State right of free speech,
the right to pcitioD the law making power,t the
right TO vote as he sees Fl, the right TO hold
office, and, most sacred Of all, the right to ,r-
ship Almighty God according to the dictates
OF his owo conscience. | stand here to main
tain that he shall not be traduoed ADD pro-
scribei because he exercises these rights; that
vlndlctve prejudice shall not be excited
against him because be exercises them; that
ne shall be, to all lnteUts and purposes, what
the constitution makes him, free man.
stand here to denonnce the apita tors VIII mould