The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-21

We gave space yesterday to copious ex-
tracts from an article by Mr.. James Anthony
Froude, the noted historian, on "Roman-
ism and the Irish Race in the United
States" Mr.. Froude's article is highly
sensational, as no doubt it was intended to
be, but we believe it will make but a
slight impression on the American mind.
Our people have an abiding faith in the
salutary influence of perfect religious free
dom. Mr. Froude tells us that the
number Of Catholics in this country
has doubled within the last twenty
years. But. inasmuch as our whole
population has increased in nearly
the same proportion, we do not see
how the Catholics are likely to gain
control of the government. He tells us
that they are already six millions, and that
they continue to grow. But our whole
population is already near fifty millions,
and it, too, continues to expand with
astonishing rapidity. So long as our gov
eminent is controlled by universal suffrage
it is not very clear how the voting part OF
the six millions of Catholics is going to get
the upper hand of the voting part of forty
millions of Protestants. IT the Catho-
lies should put forth claims inconsis-
tent with our free institutions the
united resistance Of the Professionals
would be perfect safeguard. The
shrieks of few alarmists are ridiculous,
so long as every American citizen has q bal
lot and the outnumbering Professionals are
in majority Of seven to one.
historian like Mr.. Froude should take
larger survey of human affairs than to give
in to the ridiculous delusion that the
Church of Rome can, in this age. control
the politics of countries where it's faith is
professed. What has Mr.. Froude been
dreaming while the great events of the
last twenty years have been in prog
ress? Is he blind to what has taken
place in Italy? The population Of Italy is
almost entirely Catholic. That country lies
under the shadow Of the Papacy; there, if
anywhere. the Pope should be able to con-
the most energetic Nominations of the
Vatican, we have seen a government estab-
lished in Catholic Italy not only in
defiance Of its wishes but in subverson Of
its ancient rights. If the Pope is impotent
to control the Catholics of his own country,
against government which has stripped
him of his temporal dominions what success
could he expect ii he should be SO visionary
rs to undertake to control the politics of 3
country like the United States?
Among all the public questions which
have been discussed in this country there
is but one in which tho Catholic Church
has an interest separate from the general
interest of the whole people. That is the
question Of schools, in which the Catholic
clergy are not followed by ma
jority Of the Catholic laity. Catholic
citizens will continue to exercise the
liberty of sending their children to
the public schools SO long as the free
education there given is of better quality
than that supplied by sectarian schools.
There is o growing disposition in the
Catholic clergy of this country to resist
the tyranny of their bishops, and Of the
laity to assert their independence of the
clergy, at least in matters of education.
This is necessary effect of the atmosphere
of freedom in which all Americans live.