National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-12-23

or Protestant-it is equally powerful over
those who entertain these convictions. The
true Catholic believes that the family uniting
with the Church forms the proper "educa-
tional institution" for the education of the
children of the Church. So long as parents
love their children and regard their moral
training as matter of supreme concern, so
long will this question of educasion continue
to agitate society. The Protestant, disregard
ing the Catholic idea, and earnestly alive TO
the moral welfare of his children, will strive
for the common school system, either with or
without religious instruction, as the best
means in the education of youth. The Pro-
testant will do this, believing that "creed
education" is an evil. AS home is, after ali,
the one sweetest place on earth; as the domes-
tic affections are, after all, the most sacred of
earthly things; as the family is the one divine
primeval institution from which springs both
Church and State, it is clear that this school
question cannot be suppressed as q potential
force in American civilization.
The question arises on which side of politics
will this religious influence fall in the next
Presidential election! The answer to this
question is selfevident. The Protestant flea
in regard to the education of the children of
the Republic will ally Itself 10 the Republican
party. The Catholic idea In regard to the
education of the children of the Church will
ally itself to the Democratic party. The Con-
federates, whether Catholic or Protestant, will
join the Catholic Democratic alliance for rea-
sons which will be readily understood by all
intelligent people. Consequently the issue
raised by the Roman Jesuits of New Jersey
last simmer, coupled with a personal attack
on the President, remains and must continue
to remain a powerful force in the politics of
the country, notwithstanding the efforts Of Mr..
Blaine, protestant Republican, Senator Ker-
nan, (Roman Catholic and Senator Gordon,
Confederate to eliminate It from politics.
General Grant met the attacks of the New Jer-
sey priests by his celebrated speech at the army
reunion at Des Moines last fall. He has fol-
lowed that speech up by formal declaration,
IS Chief Magistrate of the nation, of his con-
vhtions on the school question, in his recent
message to the American Congress. In that
speech, and in his message, the President takes
the Protestant side in this issue. So much for
the strength of the Protestant sentiment, and
for the Presidents personal relation to it.
The next question which arises, equal in
importance to the other is, "Could this Pro-
testant party hold its ground permanently
against the Confederate power and the Cath
ole power thus united against iii" The an
swer to this question lies with the negro
power. If the Protestant party forms an al
lance with The negro power and protects that
power in its Just civil and political rights then
the political future Of the Republic for fifty
years to come can be clearly foreseen. If on
the other hand this negro power is alienated
from the Government of the Union and east
of to struggle for itself without recognition
denied the right of representation IN Congress
and abandoned TO the raaercy Tor forbear-
ance, If you please) of the Confederate power.
then the balance of power needed to secure
the ascendency of the Protestant party will be
lost.
What is true of the Protestant party is
equally true of the present Republican party.
The Republican party cannot abandon the
negro and live. When 1t does so 1t will at once
lose its hold upon million voters at the North,
who will Immediately leave the party. With
the loss of this anti-slavery vote at the North
and the loss of the negro power at the South,
what will there be left of the Republican party
as Protestant party or as anything elses
1t will be seen from all this that the admis-
sion of the negro Senator from Louisiana
forms, as stated before in this correspondence,
the turning point in the present conflict of
parties. Is the negro power to be recognized
side by side with the Confederate power in the
American Congress or not Is the negro
power to be welded to the Republican cause
to the cause of Professionalism and to the Amer.
lean Union, or not Let the political leaders
of the Republican party beware; there are
breakers ahead. The angry roar OF these
breakers may be distinctly heard above the
petty clamor of place-hunting partisans even
by the most inexperienced landsman. They
are under the very bows of this noble ship of
State. This is no time for wine drinking and
carousing in the cabin by the officers of this
ship. Their place is on deck, and it will take
all their courage and GOODNESS and statesman
ship TO ride with safety the approaching
storm. B.