National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-07
rmE ConKoNIANs ANp a.. oRNNr.

TIE toiiNbNlANS MD GIN. GRANT.
General GRANT having been proscshcd
bv the authorities of Cork, Ireland, After
having been received with marked respect
aud honor hy All the decidedly Catholic
Principalitics and Powers Of Europe it is
well enough to inquire into the cause Of this
sudden interruption Of the coultesies be-
slowed without stint upon the cX-President
in his eastern travels. The town council of
Cork allcgc, in justification OF their prOscrp-
tive course. that the cN-presidcnt had gone
out OF his way to insult the Catholic re-
lgion and il, adhucnts. When this in-
formation was brought TO the eX-lrcsident,
who had already determined not TO visit
! Cork, he mildly remarked that the authori-
ties Of Cork had convicted them
selves Of Il strange inattcntion to
American history. While General
GRANT is lhown to all intelligent people as
Il decided Protestant, no act of his life will
| Justly convict him of hostility to the Roman
/ Catholic Religion beyond that entertained
| by all tolerant and liberal adhcrents Of the
! Protestant faith. The only act Of eX-Presi.
! dent GRAM which can possibly be tortured
into an insult to the Catholic religion was
| the delivery Of speech at Des Moincs
Iowa, September ~ $50 upon the occasion
of the annual reunion of the Army of the
| Tennessee. The uttcrauceS Of that houl
have been hailed MS the uoDcst OF his whole
life, and that they may be more fully appre.
ciatcd we Give them rs then published:
The free school is the promoter Of that intel
ligcuco which Is 10 preserve Us as Il free ma,
tion. Ii we are TO have another contest in the
near future of our national existence, predict
that the dividing line will not be MASON and
DINoN'S hut between patriotism and intclli.
gcncc ON the one side and superstition, ambi
ton. aud ignorance on the other. Now, IN
thi, Centennial year Of our national existence
believe it good time to begin the work o
strengthening the foundation of tho hous,
commenced by our patriotic logelathers ont
hundred wears ago ut Concord and Lexington
Let II, ali labor to add all ncCdful guarantee
for the more perfect security of free thought
lrco speech, and free press, pure morals, un
fettcrCd religious sentiments, aud of Cqua
rights and privileges to all men, irrespective
ol nationality. color, or religion. EncOumg,
free schools, aud resolve that not Que dollar q
money be appropriated to tho support of any
scctnrian school. Resolve that neither th,
State nor nation, nor both combined, shall sup
por, institutions Of learning other than thos
sufficient 20 afford 60 every child growing up il
the land the opportunities Of II good common
school education, unmiNed with sectarian, pa
gan, orathc-lical tenets. Leave the matter o
religion to the family altar, the church, anC
the private schools, supported entirely by pri
vato contributions. Keep the Church an,
State forever separate. With these safeguard
believe the battles which created the Arm!
Of the Tennessee will not have been fought il
vain.
The Protestant has quite as much caus
of complaint against the above sentiment
as the roman Catholic, for they are a
much armycd against schools of Protestan
srcaronism rs against those Of the Roma
Catholic religion, But they are eminent
wise and patriotic, and are aimed at tn
! future wclIuc of our free institutions unde
a policy which shall stand rs u wall of ada
I mant between the Church and Stnte, II
matter under what secturnn banner tn
7 rcligonist may seek TO link Church an
State into a common brotherhood.