The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-12

q Revolution had sought shelter from re-
Is' gious persecution, and although we ma
rightly differ from some of their belief'
God and Christ had the first place i
their hearts. When they said the right
of man are his because given him b,
God they spoke their convictions; whel
|they declared for liberty, equality ant
fraternity, they flung open their doors Il
ithe oppressed OF the world. They die
Inot belle their words by bloody deeds.
4 One great obstacle to the work of the
Prince of Peace was the religious iptol
Ierance among the colonists. Since they
had suffered intolerance they reflected
Its teachings. In that great contest
GOathoic and Protestant, ehurchman and
Edissenter stood side by side.
4 AT the period when Napoleon was try
ling to put the seal Of subserviency upon
|sthe church, Washington, closing his
HAPPY eight years rule was pointing out
Nreigion as the pillar upon which the
prosperity of the republic must rest
ISWashington was right. ''In vain will we
Ihope for civilization and prosperity with
Epat morality based on religion" This
lesson is doubly taught by the failure OF
France in her revolution and by our sue
Ecess.
ID Human need and human greed, human
greed, graspipg the heartless, human
ISneed, angry and passionate, are the main
Springs of human strife. Between these
two extremes is only one power that can
bring out justice, only He who has said I
Fam the way and the life. This is no mere
THEORY, but a truth proved by all the
Efacts of history, sad md joyful. Able
thinkers have tried vainly to devise some
Isort Of machinery by which human rights
Imay be secured, human passion over
ruled, human interests balanced. In our
Igovernment the power Of the judiciary
lover interpretations of law dictated by
Interest or passion is the sheet anchor of
our hope, but what is to insure US that
1.-THE judiciary will always resist the storm?
Then indeed are we thrown back on the
conscience.
L There are men who would persuade
our. country that she can do without re-
ligion. They may not mean it, but they
ISzt are our countrys enemies. proposed
amendment to the Constitution is before
both houses of Congress. It provides
that no State shall establish any State
church or use any public money for any
institution under church direction. The
first pars we all recognize as an extern
sion to the States of the first amendment
to the Constitution. The justice o: it's
principle we recognize. The last clause
at first sight may seem harmless enough.
The only institutions any religious body
is likely to have control over are those of
education or charity. So they intend to
persuade us that the work of education
can be done without the control of reli-.
gion, or the ministrations to the suffer
ing without it's blessed comfort.
Ten thousand times better than the
colorless system of ethics, which may
mean anything or nothing, some would
have us accept, is the Christian religion
as practlced by the Catholics. the Epis-
copa]ians, the Presbyterians, the Bap-
lists or the Methodists. Thus would
any one Judge unless SO blind by preju-
dice that he hates every system but his
own. That this measure is artfully in
troduced under the cloak of that amend.
ment' makes it more shameful. The
trainers of the Constitution were not i'm
bued with hostility to any form of reli-
gion, but rather by the wish that every
form might do all the good il is capable
of. These men would place US before
the world as In opposition 10 religion.
| May the States remain free to the end of
time to encourage religion in all her
blessed works of charity and education.