National Republican., 1875-11-03

support Of any sectarian school. Resolve that
neither the State nor nation, or both COM
bined, shall support institutions of learning
other than those sufficient to afford to every
child growing up h the land the opportunity
of good common school education, unmixed
| with sectarian, pagan or athels.ical tenets.
Leave the matter Of religion to the family
altar, the church and the private school sup
ported entirely by private Contributions. Keep
the Church and State forever separate"
There is not word here against
'Popery;" nota word against "Catholicity"
or its "increase in America, " unless Father
Henning claims that " CathOlicity" is sy-
nonymous with the phrase superstition,
ambition and ignorance, or that other
phrase, "the more perfect security of free
Thought, free speech and free press, pure
"morals, unfettered religious sentiments. I"
We suspect that the remarks on education
were not exactly the offensive ones, because
all sects were in them placed upon an ex-
act level. But the last sentence. quoted
above was the iron which entered the soul
of Father HenniRg. keep the Church
and State forever separate" This is the
safeguard which Father Henning fears may
prevent his dream of the supremacy OF the
Church of Rome in America. But that
fear results entirely from his own applica-
ton of the Presidents language. If it is
antagonistic TO the Church of Rome it must
be for the reason that her tenets are op-
posed to religious liberty.
Is the Catholic Church in America ready
TO abandon religious liberty, and subscribe
to the doctrines of Church and State-the
Church, of course, to be supreme and
governed from the Vatican? When the
cOlOnists from Europe settled North Amer
ica, they were mostly exiles for conscience's
sake. They fled from persecution at home
on account Of these religious opinions, and
they dedicated their colonies to civil and
religious liberty. Catholic Maryland, Epis-
copal Virginia, Quaker Pennsylvania.
Lutheran New York and Puritan New
England all agreed that no citizen should
be prescribed on account of his religious
belief, and they all alike thanked God that
he had given them refuge and shelter,
even amid the bowling wilderness, with
savage hordes for neighbors, where they
could at least worship God according to
their own consciences. This liberty has
never been denied to any comers. All
men, of all nations, races and religions,
have found safe asylum here from the per-
secutions Of other sects. The President
suggested the only common-sense method
of preserving this broad tolerance and the
resi- Catholicity which has thus far been
the pride and preserved the religious peace
of the country. We do not believe that
the people, or any considerable number Of
them, are prepared now to sacrifice those
principles upon which this Government
was founded to the dogma of ''the infalli-
bilIty of the Romish Church" If the
Church is really infsllible, she will not ask
it or desire ii, when, as Father Henning
says, the discussion of the issue will Ger
tainly create bad blood and precipitate o
war of religious fanaticism.
We have been strong in the faitlf that
we might escape such controversies by the
adoption of the plan suggested by the Presi-
dent-the plan Of equality among the va
rious sects. The question of religious in.
struction is one upon which it is impossible
for all to agree. Hence the proposition to
discard it entirely from the public schools
and leave it TO the family, the Church, the
Sunday school and the private schools. To
all fair-minded men this proposition would
commend itself as wise and Just. Those
who discard it must be classed with the
prejudiced bigots and Jealous fanatics who
would rather Idrench the world in blood
than admit, by that charity for the opinions
of others which they constantly invoke for
their own, the possibility that they may be
in error. We have little faith in a Chris
tianity which cherishes and defends such
spirit. For the credit of humanity and the
Church of Rome we hope that the lecture
of Father Henning will be disavowed by
his Bishops, Cardinal and Pope. 1t is in
credible that the sentiments and teachings
il contains are authorized by the Head of
the Church. They must have been put
forth, notwithstanding the oracular style of
the lecturer, simply upon his own personal
responsibility. But in the event of their.
being inspired from the Vatican, it is well
10 know the fact While it is an issue to
be deprecated and which in this country is
unprovoked, unwise and impolitic, yet, if
ii IS to come, there could, perhaps. DO no
better time for its determination than the
present. 1t will be the judgment of all
good citizens, however, that the really just
and equitable suggestions of the President
upon tic subject of education should be
quietly adopted, and all sectarian questions
forever debarrcd from the politics of the
country