The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-03-17

the intense ignorance which has al
ways prevailed in the corrupt atmos-
phere Of papal Rome, and create sys-
TENS uf education from which the
highest results of modern progress
should be wholly excluded. In our
country, where knowledge has always
been the chief source of freedom, the
papal and ultramontane policy must
prove IN future sineularly dangerous.
The most imperative and absolute re-
quirement OF our political system is
general education. For this it clam.
ors in every section, and this is the
only remedy for the corruptiOns and
the disorders Of the North and the
South. Yet it is against this natural
demand of growing people that the
ultramoptane faction sets itself most
resolutely. Already it has poured out
upon our shores the millions of uned-
ucated human beings it has fostered
in Europe in ignorance and driven
from the school-house, and once more.
in the New World, it would prohibit
them from accepting that free oppor-
tunity of instruction which is offered
by the common school. While all
European races as well as our own are
thirsting for new draughts of that
knowledge which in the last three
hundred years has already raised
them from barbarism, the Vatican
Council would seize upon the sacred
spring and hide it from the people.
knowledge is what it chiefly fears.
An absolute Pope has already COM
manded every devout Roman Catho-
lie to oppose the spread of any educa-
ton but his own He can teach moth
ing but what the Pope sanctions; he
must learn only what the Pope allows;
and we shall no doubt be soon sum-
moned to defend at the polls against
MIR. Herman and his allies that mag.
nificent system of public instruction
which by the direction of the Pope
they would overthrow. Soon or late
the conflict must come, and the dull
stupor with which the friends of
knowledge have suffered New York to
fall into the hands of its determined
foes will be shaken by fatal shock.
But possibly the strongest proof
that our ultramontane population are
not good citizens is the fact that they
have insisted on the election of Mr..
Herman to the Senate upon the plain
ground of his religious tenets. 1t was
because he was a Roman Catholic that
Tammany Hall urged his election as
Governor in 1872, and it is as Ro.
man Catholic that he has been pressed
as a candidate for the United States
Senate The Democracy did not dare
to disobey the commands Of their ul-
tramontane supporters; the papal fac
tion ameng us have shown their pow
er, and are no longer satisfied with
moderate success. Fifty thousand
Irish Catholic voters in New York
city, the blind adherents of a foreign
priest, and as many more in the rural
districts, have carried the State over
to the Democracy, stopped the pro-
gress of setorm. placed in office nearly
the same men who three years ago
aud New York, threaten the interests
with no one but Mr. Herman in the
Senate. They could scarcely have
chosen better representative. What
ultramo atanism means in American
politics may be seen in the political
career of the new Senator. He has
been the steady supporter of slavery
every measure for surpressing the re-
bellion. When the people of the
North were rising in 1861, Mr.. Ker-
nan said ''he disapproved and con-
demned the war spirit at the North"
After Sumpter he yielded for mo-
ment to the popular impulse In 1862.
in the period Of deep depression and
disaster, he was in Congress laboring
to stop the war and save slavery. Like
Seymour, he could not endure the
thought of freeing four millions of
slaves" He led the Irish voters of
the State in their incessant attacks
upon Lincoln and Grant. and helped
to prolong the rebellion by the aid of
his ultramontane followers. He was
loud at every peace meeting in denun-
citation and threats. When the re.
bellion was over, modesty might have
taught him to remain in a close OBJ
security. He forced himself into the
public attention. From 1865 he is
once more seen laboring to shield
slavery from complete destruction,
and to rebuild anew an aristocracy at
the South, guiding his ultramontane
followers into dangerous course,
threatening the public peace, exciting
the strife of races and of creeds No
better example Of an alien and unpa-
triotic leader could be found than Mr..
Herman; none whose career has been
more clearly marked by the silent in
fluence of his Roman guides. An en-
envy of popular education, of human
equality, of pure republicanism, the
defender of slavery and of aristocracy,
he is the plainest proof that no ultra
montane, however reputable his pri
vate character, can be safely intrusted
with the administration of American
affairs. He may assume the garb of
freedom, but must ever wear in secret
the chains of Rome
This is what our Roman Catholic
population will probably discover as
they become educated in American
ideas, and we trust they will them
selves at last admit that their first al
legiance is due 10 that government
which has given them a shelter from
the SORROWS and the tyranny of the
Old World. To the Irish Catholics
especially the examples set by their
Kellys and Kernans should be pecu-
liarly odious. Republicanism has
built for them peaceful home. No
class of men have profted so largely
from the labors of Washington, JEFF
ferson, Adalrss Lincoln. Grant. From
poverty the republic has raised them
to wealth, from slavery to independ-
ence. Heretofore, under the guild
ance of Kellys. Kernans, Connollys,
and Sweenys, they have labored for
its destruction; let them with shame
and remorse in future endeavor to re
pair the wrong they have done to free
dom. Butstill more odious and dan
gerous to our German population must
be the daring ascendency of the ultra