Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-01
GRANT IN IRELAND.
Charges of owen Lewis, n. p. Against
the Ex-President-Amert Affairs
Discussed by "a Foreigner.


Correspondence New York Herald
Dr-B1IN, February SIN the course of po-
Iiticsl speech delivered in Carlow last Satur-
day. NJ. Owen Lewis, II P, made an attack
on General Grant, and it Is interesting IN
connection with the ex-President's visit to
Ireland. He said: Turning to verv. diff
fsrsnt character, we have this year been
houored by visit from General Grant In
my opinion the people of Cork behaved with
dignity and self-respect in refusing to give
any public recognition to man who, when
in power, had done his best to stir up wan
ton aud unprovoked war of determination
against Catholicity in America. l could as
easily understand Prince Bismarck being
welcomed as a visitor on Irish SOIL ms
attack stirred up an Irish American, who
addressed card to the FreeDaGn's Journal,
asking Mr.. Lewis how and when General
Grant ''had done his best TO STIR up wanton
and unprovoked war of determination against
Cathoicity In America" To this Mr.. Lewis
made the following reply in the columns of
the Freenlan's Journal:
SHELBoUREE HOTEL, February 4.
SIR shall have much pleasure In sup
plying San Irish-American" with the in
formation which he desires, though / should
have thought he would have been as we'll &C
quainted with recent American affairs as my
self. 10 order to make my speech at Carlow
Ineligible to your correspondent 1t will be
necessary first to refer to the condition OF ed
Vocational matters in the United States. The
common schools" which are supported by
the government at the public expense, are
purely secular in their character and work
Ing no religious instruction being permitted.
Of course, 1t is impossible for any Catholics
who practice their religion to make use OF
them, although IN some places Chicago, IT
mistake not, among others), the proportion
which they are compelled to contribute is as
much as three-eighths of the whole cost.
Under these circumstances it occurred to
some Catholic citizens that they might not
uureasonably ask that portion of the funds
which they are forced to contribute should be
devoted to the maintenance OF their own de-
nominational schools, instead of having to
pay twice over-once for the support
of school which was no use to
them, anu again for the support OF the school
where their children were being educated.
In New York, by the way, the majority
OF poor children IN reformatories and orphan
ages are Catholics. At this time General
Grant was stumplng the country IN the Re-
publican interest, with a view to reelection
for third time as President Most Ameri-
can Catholics are Democrats, and were con-
seouently his political opponents. Under
those circumstances he conceived the dia-
bohcal idea OF raising religious cry against
the Irish, and representing them as anxious
to establish the lnqu'Sltlon, and hand over
the entire ''common-school" system of the
States to the Jesuits. Accordingly, at Des
Mones, Iowa, he made the following speech,
in either June or July, 1875: ''lf we are to
have another contest in the near future of
our national existence, l predict that the
dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon 8,
but between patriotism and intelligence on
the one side, and superstition, ambition and
ignorance on the other. Now, in this CEN
tennial year of our national existence, | be-
lleVe it to be q good Time to begin the
work of Strengthening the foundation of the
house commenced by our patriotic fore
fathers one hundred years ago at Concord
and Lexington" Now, in the mouth of
an INSCRIPTIONS man, who had lately extln-
guished In blood the southern movement
of independence, and who was actually hold
ing down several States by brute force, these
words could only have one of two meanings.
Either he desired TO introduce legal Cul
tirkamPf in America, or else to revive the
'knownothiDg" agitation, which was
tantamount to a civil war against Catholics.
This was the view taken of them by all
Americans at the time, and it was also that
of the London Times, and of all the anti
Catholic journals on the continent, by whom
they were rapturously hailed as a noble
declaration against Ultramontanism. Cen
eral Grant did not succeed either in prelong
ing his dictatorship or in arousing a whirl-
wind of religious persecution, thanks to the
good sense of the American people, who saw
through his Infamous designs, and refused
to be parties to them. Possibly, also, the
knowledge that American Catholics were
determined and resolute men, with whom it
might prove dangerous to r,,eddIo, had
something to do with the non-success of
the movement. The knownothing agi-
tation of -and-twenty years ago culmin-
ated in the burning of churches. sacking
of converts. il-uslng priests and nuns, etc.
Possibly an Irish American" might be will
ing to admit that such was not very unlike
ga war of determination, " and that General
Grants conduct in trying to arouse it was
open to the charge Of being "wanton and
wicked" Unless the ex-President intended
this, or was aiming at an introduction of the
CuEtlvkamPJ, his words had no meaning
charge which l have never before heard
brought against him. / may also refer your
correspondent to the Nation of January 25th,
in which he will find sundry instances of the
uniform courtesy of treatment and refined
language of which everything and everyone
Catholic was subjected to at the hands of
General Grant. The diction is so choice and
classical that an Irish-American' must
kindly excuse my quoting it.
OWEN LEWIS.