National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-07-02

To he Editor of The Ndtioncl Republican:
SIR: As in 1876, so this year, the platform Of
the national republican convention recon.
mends an amendment to the federal eonstiiu-
ton that will place the religious freedom of
every American citizen under tho direct pro-
lection of the nation. 1t is not so now. True,
congress may not establish any particular
form of religion or prohibit the free exercise
thereof but any state may do so at its pleas
ure. One of the errors OF our fathers WAS that
the state would never wrong any of its sub
jects.
10 the respective states we have religious
liberation, not reli gious liberty. If Delaware
which is overwhelmingly protestant, should
enact that no Roman catholic should be eligi-
BILE to office suffrage, for tho Ostracscd class
there would be no remedy. If the mcthOdists
who are largely in the ascoidency in that
state should establish the methodist religion
and tax its citizens for the support thereof
under the theory of states rights, il would be
hard to prevent it. If they should annually
appropriate hundreds of thousands of dollars
Of tho public moneys TO support methodist
schools and colleges who could gainsay their
legal right to do so? Where persons arc taxed
to sustain religious doctrines to the truth of
which their COnsCiences can not assent, re-
ligious liberty docs not exist. In the celebrated
debate in August, 1876, on Senator Edmunds'
unti.sectariau amendment to the constitution,
entirely with tho states. Or. in other words
tile states could establish religions, and freely
appropriate the public moneys for such sec
tartan purposes as they saw fit.
Admit New Mexico into the union MS a state,
with its population, seven.eighths Of whom are
catholics, aud its legislature could readily
make life uncomfortable TO professionals, aud the
national government would find great diff
Guilty in preventing or romedying it.
ClOthe Utah with the sovereign powers of
state and the "gentiles' would be compelled
to fight or seek new homes. Catholics and
jews in New Hampshire are under certain po-
litical disabilities
The time has fully come when every man
should realize that religious freedom Is Sc
cured to him, not by the leniency or neglect or
indifference Of the state, but by the national
constitution, just as are his civil and political
freedom. 1t is u burlesque on the genius of
our institutions to know that in the states re.
ligious liberty, mans highest boon, the origin
ofall other liberty, depends on the caprice Of
n temporary majority Of his (ollow-ctizens
The republican party through its national con-
ventious, has declared that the anomaly should
cease. During the presidential campaign we
| should give due prominence to this plank in
| our platform, and 50 prepare the public mind
| that the next congress, in obedience thereto,
will place religious freedom under the shelter
| OF the federal constitution. If our demo.
Cfhtlc opponents unlte WIN US III tilS lhDOf, Jne
thing viii be done quietly and asa matter OF
course. If they oppose it, they will 20 to the
wall, losing every doubtful state in the north,
as we'll as Delaware North Carolina, Florida
| aud Tennessee. These southern states may be
| welded 10 democracy, but they are more
closely welded to religious liberty, and in
defense thereof there would be enough whites
TO make II safe for the negroes to vote THEN
honest convictions.
gitnrl- .rln lfnant ia tl,n
providing that no state shall establish any
religion or prevent the free exercise thereof
aud that no dollar Of any public money mot
merely Of the school fund.- shall ever be APP
propratel by any state, county or district t.
| any dissemination or sectaran purposes, and
religious freedom is permanently secured and
our free school system will remain an I'M
troubled fountain Of universal aud perpetual
blessings Can any genuine American citizen
object to this2 Then let the republican party
rolnd mp its work by securing this nationa
amend ment. II. +. JOHNS.