Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-10-14
Tried by the Record---or Blaine
and the Catholics.

a
da Ertrdet from tie Speech Of Hon,
Daniel B, Lucas, Deltcered at
GrGtton, W. Ea., Sept. III.
! The first objection which Mr.. JET.
ferson found to the Federal constitu-
ltion, as it came from the hands of Its
trainers, was q the omission of bill
of rights, providing clearly, and with
out the aid of sophism, for freedom
.Eof religion.
BY freedom of religion he meant
something quite different from the
English ToIeratlon Act. He meant
total separation of the Church and
State. Hence, under inspiration
the 1st amendmentto to the constitution
was adopted, which declared that
Congress shall make no law respect
ling an establishment of religion. .
propose now to show to you, by
the record, that James G.. Blainepro-
posed an amendment to the constitu-
tion which was aimed against the Ro-
man Catholics, and which, had it pre-
vailed, would have augmented enor-
mously the power of the Federal
Government, and established ma
tional censorship over state charities,
and state education.
The history of Mr.. Blaine's con-
nection with the proposed amendment
to the constitution is one of the most
instructive chapterin his political life.
Nothing better illustrates the distinc-
ton between a statesman, schooled in
the fundamental principles of civil
liberty, and the political empiric, who
is ready to adopt every novel experi-
ment that leads on to official promo
ton, than this attempt of Blaino's to
amend the constitution. 1t CHANGED,
in 1878, that in the election in Ohio
an issue was forced upon the Demo-
cratic party upon this very question.
1t. once intimatcd in some local cx-
citemcnt in the city of Cincinnati
upon the subject of reading the Bible
in the public schools. In many parts
of the country the public school sys-
TEN seemed to flourish better when to
the Catholics was allotted some con-
trof over the fund in proportion to.
their population. This was matter
entirely of State or municipal conve-I
nience, over which the General Gov.
ernment mad no more control than
over similar questions in Switzerland.
The Republicans in Ohio determined
to make little capital out of it, and
they succeeded. General Grant, who
was a candidate for the presidency,
went out into that region and made a
SnpnF.h in IvhiS.IY 1In coiCl
g If we arc to have another contest
in the near future of our national cx-
istencc, predict that the dividing.
Inc VIII not be Mason ana IJixoIIss35
but between patriotism and intclli-
gence on the one side, and super
stition, ambition, and ignorance on
the othcr.''
This sentence was directed against
the Catholics, and was followed by
another still more significant:
Encourage free schools, and re-
solve that not one dollar appropriated
for their support shall he appropriated
for the support of any sectarian
schools"
The question continued to be made
a pivotal one in Ohio, and in the Ian
guage of Mr.. Voorhees, '' the toe of
the Pope was thrust into the contest. !"
The Republicans triumphed and
about the same time or little after,
the following letter was received by
Mr.. Blaine, and published in the Au-
gusta Standard: