New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-11
special Correspondence Of the Republican,
NORTHERN POLITICS.
The Catholic Church and the Human
Brotherhood.
Rnernc lima 1875

The Catholic Church and the Human
Brotherhood.
Boston, Juze 3, 1876.
Whatever there is Of pure Republicsnism
in the Ne World originated with New En-.
gland. But it lie fact also, and one beyond
question, that the foremost leaders of the
party of civil freedom and political brother
hood of man in these Eastern States were
not members of the Evangelical Christian
faith, either in the first stages Of the Ameri-
can revolution, or its subsequent periods of
DEVELOPMENT, or in the final auti-siavery
movement which first abolished the slave
trade and then abolished slavery itself
To the shame Of the so-cailed-nor was
this state of things confined to New En-
x,and-Christian Church of Engfsnd and
America be it recorded, that every step
taken in behalf of humanity, civil liberty
and the rights of man in those two countries
has been taken in opposition to so-called
Christian sentiment. And yet in all phases
of the contest in the New World between
freedom and despotism, New England has
been found on the side of freedom against
deepotism, }ust az she stands to-day. What
class of sentiments formed this animating,
liberty.loving spirit of New Eugland' Who
were the representative men and women
of this sentiment! These questions can not
be answered without reference to Charles
Sumner, the poet Longfellow, Wendell
Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, HARRIET
Beecher Stowe, the poet Whittier. Emer-
son, Lowell and host of like names as fs-
miliar to the world as are household
words. All of these workers for the
right could only find room to
wsrk, and could only find co-workers out
side of the pale Of the Evangelical Christian
Church. As an anti-slavery woman once
said to me when speaking of this very sub
jec.: II had to pillow my way out of the 90
called Christian Church in order to be true
to the cause of humanity and to the sacred
instincts Of my own maternal nature" The
sentiment which animated this band of
anti-slavery men and women was that love
for fellow-man was nobler sentiment than
love for fellow-citizen; that humanity was
more sacred than property, and that the
cause Of the universal human brotherhood
rose in dignity above any mere political or
national or "race" affection whatever.
Hence the anti-slavery men and women of
New England, in the earlier days Of the
conflict, called out for an an,i.slavery Bible
and an anti slavery God. William Lloyd
Garrison proclaimed the prc-slavery con-
stitution of the United States as league
with Satan and covenant with hell, and
Wendell Phillips denounced the American
flag as Haunting line, In those days these
scar. worn Abolitionists refused to bow the
knee of allegiance to government founded
in wrong and kept alive BY the unpaid
wages OF race Of slaves.
OF this band of Northern Aboltionists
Charles Sumner was the most distinguished
and the most capable mouthpiece. In his
great Grafton entitled "The True Grandeur
Of Nations" delivered before the authori-
ties OF the city of Boston. Jaly 4, 1918, the
future Senator placed himself by one bound
at the head of New Eaglands best thought
and deepest conscience and profoundest
feeling IN regard to many relations to God
and to his "tellow man" From that day
Charles Sumner became the acknowledged
leader OF principle which was destined,
first, TO abolish the slave trade; secondly, to
abolish slavery itself; thirdly, to revolu-
ti0n;ze the American form of government,
aud fourthly, to elevate the cause OF
humanity above all other causes. Sumner
became more than this he became
the social and political exponent of
new religious creed, of which
Theodore Parker was the exponent
in the pulpit. That creed proclaimed
the religion Of humanity, the divinity of
human nature, and the essential oneness or
unity in love between the one Creator and
Father of all and every race OF man and all
conditions of men. Man as man walking
erect, in the divine image of our common
humanity, became the central figure OF in
,terest with this modern New England anti
slavery church and modern New England
school of political thought. To this religion
of humanity political forms become instru-
ments.
The due consideration Of these facts will
serve to show that if the Protestant North
sbandons the negro in his just political,
social and civil aspiration that the best
thought of the nation will rejoice II the
Catholic party takes up the cause of hu.
msuity where American Professionalism lays
Il down. And who can measure the infiu-
,aoe which the infusion of this New Eng
l.aa radical spirit into the Catholic policy
|. IL New World On the negro question