The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-23
THE ISSUE HN Is7e--wHO WILL
WdN--PRIRST Oh PARTY.

|
About three hundred bishops, priests and
laymen of the Northern Methodist Church
were in session few days ago in Boston.
Bishop Haven, in the midst of the grave
and reverend assembly, nominated Grant
for a tn rd term. Without dissenting
voice ne was pronounced the candidate OF
the northern wing Of the Methodist Church
militant. While party leaders in Wash
ington are making up their states for the
great Centennial struggle for plunder and
power, Grant, as directed by the astute
Morton, makes the longest speech of bis
| life, with the least apparent provocstiOn,
ut aDes M1iDes., He inveighs against Ro-
manism and rxcitrs the priests, and Bishop
Simpson, the PresI ent's confessor, and
Bishop Haven, whose business it it IL 20
take care of the souls of seven hundred
Thousand black voters in the South, have
| done the rest, aud at this hour Grant
is the candidate Of the Methodist Church
North. and Of the Methodist negroes South
for the Presidency. Colored Baptist
churches still stand alopf, and whether they
will abandon the man OF their creed is u
que-tion already discussed in negro
cabins and conventicles These facts have
burst upon somnoIeAt Congressman like
thunder clap, and there was never such
semi-reIigious fervor known in the. country's
capital as that winch bIazes forth in DR..
Newnan's prayers and in the goose-gabble
about barrooms which COngresSmen. do
most frequent. i 1t Is not in vain now, the
Washington Gasette tells us, that the Presi-
dent on Sundays and holidays occupies his
comfortably cushioned pew, ostentatiously
labeled president y, not in vain does he
enjoy the private converse Of that good and
great prelate, trained to wisdom by expe-
rience ia many lands at the expense Of the
government. To say nothing of the SAM
tity of the Executives conduct and morals,
his views on public questions display that
accuracy and true inwardness which belong
to the teachings of some superior mind. 1t
would be sad if he did not avail himself OF
the advice on public sffairs which flows, SO
freely from the pulpit of the Metropolitan
Established Church; but he does. In fact,
so closely does he accord with the keeper of
his conscience on political questions, that
when they both speak at once on similar
topics, it is q little confusing to know W which
is the, platforms of the President and which
the prayer of the priestgi r'The voice in
deed is the voice Of Jacob, but the hands
are the hands Of Esau,n' au,'', ~ such u acein;idence
happened last week when the Presidents
message appeared IN the Washington organ
of Radicalism That same sheet, perhaps
with malice afore,hnught, gave place to DR..
Newman's Thanksgiving speecn or address
l-hardlyi Sermon The similarity b. tween
the utterances Of Newman and of Grant Is
rather striking. ...'l., ,r' ...1'.t'
Forlinstanes, IAN Intelligent citizenship"
this preacher Of the Gospel went on to say,
SIS of greater importance under republic
than under any other form of government.
An aristocraey of learning may answer the
purposes of the governing classes in an au-
tocracy or monarchy; but in republic
the common mind must be taught to think. {"
| ''Under such form of government" re-
echoes the President, sit is of the greatest
| importance that all should be possessed of
education and intelligence enough to cast a
vote with right understanding of Its
meaning. A large association of ignorant
men cannot for any considerable period op-
pose successful resistance TO tyranny and
oppression from the educated few, but will
inevitably sink into acquiescence to the will
of intelllgenceV whether directed by the
demagogue or by priestcraft.
| The remedies they propose bear strange
similarity. Says Pr. Newman;sl 10
| And to secure the largest possible free
| donr pff Thought our public schools should
he taught by citizens and not priests OF, poll
ticians. ,sectarianism and partisanism should
| be excluded ia toto and forever from all
schools created and fostered by the State.
They should be, purely and emphatically
American schools, ,for, the glory and perpe-
tulty of our Republic. Let there be taught
therein all useful science and art all ma
tional history and geography, ali the essen
tial principles of our government and its
administration, but exclude therefromi all
creeds, all priests, and all demagogues.alr
President Grant recommends in his new
constitutional amendment that schools be
established t....l
Adequate, to the education of all the
children in the rudimentary branches with
in their respective limits irrespective of
sex, color, birthplace Vt, religions; forbid
ding the teaching IN SAID schools of relig-
ioas, atheistic, or pagan tenets, and prohibt,
iting the granting of any school funds or
school taxes, or any part thereof, either by
legislative, municipal or other authority
for the benefit or in aid, directly or indi-
rectiY, of any religious sect or udenomina-
tion, or in aid or for the benefit of any
other object of any nature or kind what
ever. . ,.u ,pi5.I =.
On church taxation DIR. Newman said {:
'.R 1.-THE State cannot release church prop
erty from taration." The President recon-
mended accordingly that it should be
taxed. DR.. Newman called his attention to
the Chinese, and the President gave them
\ due word. DR.. Newman protested against
! his old foes, the Mormons, and Grant at
1 tackled them yehemently. In fact any one
! who will read atlentively the two long doc
\ uments will be much Instructed as to the in
huence the Metropolitan Church exerts on
| the administration. i But DR.. Newman
should refrain from placing his uttsrances
| in such close juxtaposition with those Of his
master, because it gives rise to curious re-
Elections and makes the public lose the fine
point of such passages as the following,
| and consider it a very rank bid for patron
age:
/ And although our church gave more men
and money in the war to preserve the Union,
| although vast majority of her sons are, of
their own free will and choice, members Of
the dominant party, and have been and are
Ethe most ardent Supporters Of the present
tadministrahon; and although the honored
head Of this administration vas born within
her communion, aud early taught to love