The New York herald., 1875-12-19
The Religious Press ON the Third
Term.


nomination Of President Grant for third
term has very naturally excited the attention
and awakened the interest of the religious
press in the proposition. The Methodist pa
pers, whose editors ''l1now their man. better
than any others, treat this nomination very
cavalierly, as one of the eccentricities OF the
Bishop. The Methodist, of this city, thinks
the secular press has given too much impor-
tance to the thoughtless remarks of DIR.
Haven, and seeks to dispel the public fears
that there will be a Methodist nomination
for the Presidency. There will be nothing
OF the sort for Methodists, it says, are utterly
opposed to mixing Church and politics, to
turning ecclesiastical gatherings into eau
cuses, and the Methodist influence will be
used to keep Church and State apart. And
If 1T should happen, says the Methodist, that
any ecclesiastic enters into intrigues with
politicians to bargain away the Methodist
vote, he will not be able ito deliver the
goods. That, it adds, is just the difference
between Methodists and Catholics. The
Christian AdUocate ridicules the timidity of
certain papers in this city upon whom the
name of Grant operates much as the sight
OF water acts upon rabid dogs, or
red flag upon mad bull, for their abuse,
depreciation and denunciation of the parties
concerned and all their relations in the
Bishops nomination. We may doubt, says
the AdUocate, the advisability of what was
said about the election of President Grant for
the third term but now that that question is
raised it is not to be put down with q sneer
or q scowl. We are not committed to that
measure, but rather opposed to it; yet If, as
Bishop Haven thinks, the safety of the freed
men against fate worse than slavery can be
secured only by the reelection of President
Grant for third term, the Bishops nomina-
ton will not have to wait long for second
nor for a tremendous confirmation, for the
American people are desperately in earnest
about that matter These are the views of
the two leading Methodist papers, and the
only two published in this city. The provin-
cial press holds to similar views.
The Observer is the only Presbyterian
journal that notices the matter, and in its
opinion the Presbyterians are no longer ''the
Lords foolish people, that distinction being
henceforth due to the Methodists.
The Christian Union thinks "a Presidential
nomination by clerical body, called to-
gether for consultation upon Church matters,
a very Objectionable and very unwise pro-
ceeding, to say the least = and it trusts that
no other sect will ever initiate this bad
example. The Independent, after reciting
nomination, suggests to the clerical gather
ing that indorsed it ''that it is quite an
innovation to turn religious meeting into
political convention, and that if the Metho-
dists do much more in that line they must
not complain should they be classed with
the Catholics as a political Church.
The Catholic journals do not take the same
'sinnocent" view of this third term nomina-
ton that some of our Protestant contem-
poraries do. The Freemda's Journal can
hardly keep patient with a President who
''has made Methodistic ass of himself"
and who sis doing dirty thing politically
in 'wounding sorely and seriously the
liberal Catholics who are not ready to
apostatize from the Catholic Church. but
who up to this time have been his friends"
Had ''the Jesuits" bought up General Grant
and held the disposition of his words
and acts, the Journal thinks, he could not
more eminently than he is doing have played
into their hands. The Catholic Reuieto thinks
this third term nomination of Bishop Haven
is Of piece with his miscegenation and
woman suffrage utterances, and that he has
neither hurt Methodism nor injured Grant
by it, because their common hatred to Popery
will make it all right.
The Baptist papers are decidedly opposed
to this kind of clerical caucusing. The En-
dmner and Chronicle insists that it was Bishop
Havens design to draw out the sense of the
meeting on his nomination, and that the vote
given by the Boston meeting was not, there
fore, a mere compliment to him, but an in
dorsement of the President for another term.
The Christian Leader thinks Bishop Haven
made something of mistake in his nomina-
ton at the time and under the circumstances
in which he made it. While we want more
Christianity in our politics we want, says the
Leader no Methodism, Catholicism or any
ism. From the Church Journals knowledge
of Bishop Haven he is just the man to nomi-
nate President of the United States and
elect him at Sunday school meeting. The
Ch,trchndn classes the Methodists with the
Catholics as the only two religious bodies in
this country seeking political power.
Mr.. Conway's Plan.
Mr. Moncure ID. Conway, who, after resi-
donoa &c tan or twalya wears in T,ondop