Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-11-11
CATHOLICISM.
Its Growth In America-Our PapAl Rulers
and the European Press.

By Eugene Lawrence in Harpers Weekly
The interest recently evinced b,
the English and French papers in the
politics Of the United States, and in
the rapid growth Of the papal power
among US. shows that foreigners have
a more distinct idea Of the transatIan.
tic movements Of the papacy than
many OF our own citizens. Says Gal
tqnani's Messenger, quoting from the
Morning Post "The constitution oil
the United States is favorable to the
development of the Church of Rome,
IN so tar as it leaves all religions free
from State interference or control.
And it is, therefore, not surprising
| that the Roman Catholics there have
rapidly increased in numbers, and
have been able to exhibit their eccle-
siastical policy in rather full force and
form. The priests harangue their
fiocks from the altar, giving free ut
terance to their political views and
wishes, and denouncing all legislation
that does not commend itself to their
judgments. New Jersey is a case in
point"
The Post, with the natural ten
denotes of Tory journal, agrees
with the Roman Catholics in their
denunciation Of the common schools,
which it thinks nurseries of the worst
side of the American character. All
the English conservative papers, in
fact, are strongly on the side of the
Democracy and Tammany Hall, of
reaction and ignorance. For the Re
publican party and its leaders they
show as blind hatred as did their
ancestors hundred years ago for
Samuel Adams, Otis, Henry, and
Lee. They have no measure of re
stralnt in the violence of their Ian
guage toward President Grant and
his chief advisers. And the zeal
with which they enter into our party
contests shows that the connection
between the politics of the two coun
tries is growing closer as time passes
on. The London Standard, the chief
organ of the rigid English conserva-
tlves, is never weary Of commenting
the virtues of what it calls the ''con-
sentative" party with us, of exalting
the honesty of Democratic statesmen,
and attributing to Messrs. Tilden,
Wood, and the Tammany leaders,
qualities which they have not yet ex-
hibited in their native haunts. 1t is
plainly unconscious that within a few
years the Democracy has wasted or
stolen the whole sinking fund of the
State of New York, defrauded the
canals of great sums, and plundered
the city of New York of nearly a
hundred millions of dollars. 1t is of
little consequence to us what opinions
so partial judge may form of our
noted politicians, but il is at least in
strnctiye to see to what side their
sympathy inevitably turns. The Post
and Standard are bitter opponents of
common schools in England, the
strongest advocates of rnonarchical
and aristocratic principles, hate free
dom, and would be glad to see every
republican governmt mt banlshed from
among men, and they feel instructive
ly that the Roman Catholic Demo-
Gratis among us are their natural allies,
the common schools their most potent
foes.
In a recent article on our national
politics, October 2, the Standard thus
instructs the Roman Catholic Democ-
racy: "It might impeach General
Grant" it says, "who has certainly
been guilty of violent and lawless
usurpation, but one-third of the SEN
ate can acquit him. 1t might, one
would think, paralize the Federal gov
eminent by refusing supplies, and
with very little risk, since the State
governments are competent to keep
the peace and defend themselves, the
chief use of the army being to OPP
press them But that these gentle
expedients will be employed the
Standard has little TO hope. 1t trusts
only that the next elections may ego
against the Republicans" and that
''every agent of usurpation, from Grant
and Sheridan to Kellogg and his crew
will be restrained by fear of punish.
ment TO come" The aim of the Tory
writer is evidently to divide once
more the union, to encourage violence
at the South and the papal denomina-
tion at the North, and to wound the
republic in some vital and dangerous
point. 1t would be glad to paralize
the general government, and invites
the Democracy to new secession.
1t is curious to remember that just
one hundred years ago, when the peo-
pie were rising against their fanatical
oppressors in England, the Tory
writer's used nearly the same epithets
for Otis and Samuel Adams which
they now heap upon their successors.
In 1858 the English conservatives
were anxious (London Public Adver
tiSer, November 8, 1863 "to send
tor these men in order to hang them =
They were "incendiaries, fire. brands,
and traitors" Dundas in Parliament
in 1875, was accustomed to talk con-
| temptuously OF Hancock ana MS
crew." as the Standard in 1875 talks
of Grant and Sheridan. Samuel
Adams and Hancock were excluded
from all hope of pardon just before
the battle of Bunker Hill; and when
the English ministery found that
they could not bribe them, they spoke
of stalking them off" and the Woods
Kellys and Tildens of the colonies Of
that important day commended every
reactionary scheme. The same spirit
still animatcs the English conserva
tives, and the lapse of century has
given them no clearer notion Of
American politics.
But there are many English liberals
who are less obtuse, and some per-
haps of their opponents. The Lon
don Hour, October 4, has clear re