Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-12
NEWMAN ON IMMIGRATION.
A Chicago Newspaper Takes the
BiShop to Task.

A Chicago Newspaper Takes the
Bishop TO Task.
Is it not extraordinary, says tho Chicago
Times, that Christian bishop should evoke
long and loud applause from meeting of
Christian minister's by remarlSing that ~
look forward to the time, dear brethren, ard
l hope it will be no distant day, when n for
eigner will no longer be allowed a place in
any legislative assembly in our laudl"
Christ's scheme of salvation comprehended
the whole world. Though his own labors
were confined TO Judea he invested his apos-
ties with the gift of tongues that they might
20 forth to all lands with the tidings of the
gospel. The God who created mankind was
not the proponent of a particular race or a
particular nationality. And it hardly be-
comes any of his professed followers, men
claiming commission from on high, to create
prejudice IN this new land, u Christian land,
against the people Of any nation or any cline.
The remark quoted was Bishop Newman's.
The applaudlng audience was a gath
erng of Methodist clergymen. Let us
take thought moment The founder
of Methodism was John Wesley,
a man of austere virtue, whose first thought
was of the kingdom of Cod John Wesley
was borp an Englshman. Applying to him,
applying to any emigrant Methodist, the
narrow-spirited and, the Times is bound to
say, the contemplate policy of Newman. n
bishop of his church, and neither he nor the
follower of his discipline whatever his pro-
fession of devotion to the republic, would be
entitled to u seat in any assembly in this
great republic whose original is entirely
European. More than century ago John
Wesley came to America TO labor among its
people. If Bishop Newman would not have
had him treated with contumely as a for
eigner, he would have forbidden him any
participation in the government. The for
eigner has been potent force in shaping
the affairs of the republic which ne helped
to create. But for the assistance of France
where would the republic bei But for the
unceasing tide of emigrants from Europe,
all of them, or nearly all of them, arrived
here with motives as reputable as animated
Bishop Newman's ancestors or the ances-
tors of any christian minister who
applauded him, it would not be in
the power of the republic to boast its
tremendous progress and achieve
ment Was it well to establish republici
Foreign blood was spilled freely that it
might be accomplished. Was it goodly
thing to wipe out slavery aud preserve the
integrity OF the republic threatened IN arms
almost exclusively by nativesl How many
Germans and Irish gave up their lives for its
accomplishments
If Bishop Newman will take thought
momelt he will note that Chicago, with its
vast cosmopolitan population, is poor town
In which to preach natiyistic exclusiveness.
The bone and sinew and large part OF the
wealth OF Chicago Is either foreign or nut one
generation removed This aside, however
Are not the Germans, the English, the Slav,
the Scandinavian, all and singular peoples of
of Europe, who help to make this mighty re.
public, VINO aid ito discharge the burdens II
imposes, and to fight its battles-are hot
these men and brethren! TO deny them any
sharelas Americans in legislation would be tho
rankest know -nothingism. 1t is not denied
by the constitution or the laws. And that
it should come a proposition from chris
tian bishop and be applauded by christian
ministers is an indication that in their opin
ion nationality is greater than christianity.