The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-10
The Religious Press ON the Presidents
Speech.

Speech.
II might have been naturally expected that
such broad hint at the school question by
the Chief Magistrate of the nation in a pub
lie address would not be allowed to pass IN
improved by the religious press. 1t has not
been for Catholics as well as Professionals con
slider it and comment on it in their latest
issues. The Christian Advocate quotes it entire
aPprovingly, and expresses the belief that our
system of public instruction can never be
considered out of danger so long as it shall
be within the power of partisan legislatures
to sacrifice it for partisan purposes It's opin-
ion, therefore, is-and it commends the idea
to the political parties-that the federal CON
stitution should contain provision reaching
to all departments of the government forbid
ding the use of any part of the public funds
for any other than the States own schools
and making the maintenance of an
adequate system of free schools the
solemn duty of each of the States
of the Union. The Christian at Work. likens
President Grant to Gladstone, Bismarck.
CASTELAR, and others, who, discerning the
signs Of the times, see just where and with
whom the battle for liberty and progress and
republican institutions will have to be fought
The Catholics, it says, are imprudent even
to rashness but they are not so stupid as to
resort to an appeal to arms which would re-
suit in utterly wiling them out. Forty
thousand anti-Catholic majority in New Jer-
sey means more than appears on the face;
it means that when the issue is made every
State in the Union will meet it, and meet it,
too, as it was met in New Jersey. The Tablet
asks the President if he wants to make
the school question national question; for
if not it sees no necessity for him introduce
ing this topic in his speech ut all. 1t was
entirely out of place. The Tablet thinks the
republican party is trying to force this for
ward as the leading question to cover up
their corrupt policy. The Ffeemdns Journal
does not believe that the speech was written
by the President. Its sentiments are be-
meath criticism or even ridicule. Its
tenor and bearing the Journal declares, is
beyond the power of language to stigmatize.
The Ctristion htteRigencer quotes part Of the
tist WeeIcly insists that the overthrow of our
public school system is the undisguised
scheme of Romanism, and that it matters
very little what shape the hostility of Ro-
manists to our schools takes Whether they
aim to usurp their control or cunningly plot
their destruction is of no account. The
question, it says, is vital one, and now is
the time for American freemen and Christian
citizens to show that they are inhexibly re-
solved to uphold our system of public
schools against the insidious assaults of the
most dangerous foe to our interests and
rights. The Boston Pilot says that these utter
ances of the President (Which it quotes) are
a scandal and an evil precedent. BY his posi-
ton the President should be the protector of
all rights, not partisan pleader in o
special cause. The school question, adds
the Pilot is now before the country
for settlement. 1t has by no means been
fully considered. 1t is question that must
be solved on principles Of larger philosophy
than General Grant knows anything about
and it is an outrage on republicanism that
President Grant should deliver judgment be-
fore the arguments have fairly begun.