The Portland daily press., 1877-03-15
NOn-Sectarianlsm.
Letter fran, Senator Blaine.
From the Concord Monitor,I

From the Concord MOnitor,l
We regret that the following statesmen
IKE letter OF Senator Blaine, of Maine, did not
come to hand sooner, so that we might have
presented it before election dav IN the 2O ono
readers of our weekly edition; for wa feel cer.
tain that if every voter in our State could have
perused if before depositing his vote the adop-
ton of the most important of the proposed
amendments to our organic law would have
been assured beyond a peradventure. Mr..
Blaine's treatment of the religious test clause
is such as might have been predicted Of so
enlightened, liberal and progressive a states.
man and thinker; and his comments on the
educational question show how thoroughly
alive ne is to the dangers which menace us in
that direction.
WASHINGTON, d. C., Dec. Is, 1876.
Hon. ". E. Chandler, Concord, ". H.
My Dear Sir:-I was glad to find in nv
brief Interview with you, as you passed
through Washington. on your way North, that
you are warmly in favor of removing from YOUR
Constitution those clauses which prohibit
roman catholics from holding office in New
Hampshire. L doubt not you will find a
majority of your fellow members of the Con-
sttutional Convention holding the same views,
and certainly hope that all Republicans will
unite in striking from your organic law
prospective test which the Democrats MAIN
tained during their long supremacy in your
State. 1t will be especially gratifying and
specially significant to see this disability re-
moved from the Catholics by Republican
Constitutional Convention, at the very time of
all others when the members of that church
are massed in the well nj 5h absolute unanirnity
and lntamed with unreasonable hate and
bitterest rancor, against our party. 1t is easy
and natural for any political party to extend
ha frapnIica a,1 -
supporters-but it is the peculiar merit and
honor OF the Republican party, that it has
extended franchise and liberty to friend and
foe alike. 1t has removed political disabilities
from large mass of influential men in all the
Southern States, with the absolute certainty
that the power thus freely given would be used
Tor the defeat, and if possibly, the destruction
of the political organization that conferred it,
Let us be just and fair towards all. If the
Republican party cannot hold power in this
country by the free suffrages of all the legal
voters, without regard to creed, caste, color or
nationality, then of course we 20 out of power
and go out with unstained honor and with a
record of magnanimity and patriotism that has
no paralied IN the history of political organiza
tions in America.
While removing all disabilities from Cathol-
&c voters In your state, do not fail at the same
time to strengthen your system of free common
schools with all the sanctions and safeguards
OF organic law Deeply interested as thousands
OF Catholic laymen are in maintaining free
schools as the only assured method of providing
education for their children, the Catholic priest
hood of the United States of America seem de-
termined to break down the system of non-sec-
tartan public instruction so happily established
and so prosperous in most of the states. On
that issue there must no parleying and no pal
tering. Popular education, without regard to
religious creed must be maintained in this
country at all hazards as the only sure founda-
tion of popular government, the only guaranty
of liberty regulated by law. And the Catholic
priesthood of the United States may as we'll
understand that on this question there will be
no compromise and not one hairs breadth of
yielding by the advocates of the free common
schools
have no desire to interpose my advice gra.
tuitousy in the affairs of your state, but the is
sue TO which have thus briefly referred will
affect pablo opinion far beyond the bouudar-
les of New Hampshire. An injurious public
policy maintained by the Republicans IN one
state hipeers the success of the party through
out the Union.
You are at liberty to communicate these
views 10 any one who may care for any opinion
on the question involved. And if you deem it
desirable, may make this letter public.
Very sincerely yours,
j. G. BLAINE