The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-02

&ftG 9eAI%for bT rrl@feBre 10 f1Ess aEsG
figures il fali. into rnerisrd contempt IL
our population 81 sag 81 .oo. 0r0 there are
less than 70o.00 Catholics. The Meth
oaists aud BAPTIST Psosrstaats together
exceed 90 90 The other Protestant de-
nominations wonid bring the total M TO
st less. 1900 oso Of Protestanis. What
have se 30 complain Of concerning the
Catholic church in the United stasss7
Nothing. They were Utterly prosecuted
by Puritan New Engsand. as were she
Qaakers and Baptis,s. We do not gird
Puritan Ses England today because she
hung witches and Quakers and prescribed
Catholics and Baptisss. but We do renern-
Der With shame that Catholic convict
was burned BY mob 1t Char!estown. Mass,
within City years and Catholic church
burned in Philadelphia.
Since our Federal constitution Was
formed the Catholic church has grown
because under 10 Roman Catholics have
every right here that Protestants have,
for as nation the United States is neither
Christian nor non-Christian, but without
distinctive religious character. All sects
and all religions are equal before our laws,
and . Protestant has no more right TO OPP
pose or limit the political rights or priv
neges Of Roman Catholics. because they
are Roman Catholics, than Roman Casho-
lies have q right to limit the political
rights or privileges OF Protestants. Church
and state Is absolutely separated under
our constitution, ana under Il both
Professionalism and Roman Catholicism are
excluded from any official domination or
authority in public affairs. There il no
theology in our Federal constitution;
there can be no denominational or doctrinh
interference or influence in the public
schools We stand on the basis Of the
absolute equality OF all religions and
all kinds of Christians before the law; We
must do this In order to defend our free
institutions from ecclesiastical encroach-
ment OF any description. We make our
public schools purely secular in order to
make citizens, and leave religious and doc
trinai training to the church and the
home.
The Roman Catholics have been patriotic
when Catholic Charles Carroll of Carrollton
signed the Declaration of Independence and
the Knights of ST. Patrick of Philadelphia
emptied their pockets to help fill the army
chest of George Washington. Roman
Catholics have been elevated TO every
great Office in the land save that of presi-
dent. Gen. Sheridan. who was the right
arm of Grant during the war, aud rose to
the head of our army, was a devout
Roman Catholic. and Archbishop
Ireland. OF Minnesota, was a chap
isin in the Union army. Gen.
kosecrans, who won Corinth and
Stone River, is q Catholic. and his brother
was Catholic bishop. Francis Herman.
for six years United States senator from
New York. was a Catholic; Gen. Carr,
twice elected by the Republicans secretary
of state of New York, was q Catholic; a
number Of the most distinguished officers
of our army and navy during the civil war
we're Catholics. A number of the ablest
jurists of the nation have been Catholics.
The historical testimony is overwhelming
that from i776 TO 1861 the Roman Catholics
of America have been conspicuous for
patriotic devotion to the flag of the coun-
try. When the civil war broke out Arch
bishop Hughes, OF New York. at once
spoke out warmly for the Union, and was
sent with Thurlow Weed by Secretary
Seward on a diplomatic mission to Europe.
Bigotry has been displayed by all
churches. but IL is not the peculiar sin of
the Roman Catholic church. Bishop
Keane, of the Catholic church. breaches
by invitation before both Harvard and
Yale: Bishop Ireland, Bishop Spaulding
and Cardinal Gibbons with Bishop Keane
have the support of the pope in their de-
Tense of our American public schools, and
the pope has ruled that il is the privilege
of every Catholic, without fear of ccclesi-
astical reproof or penalty to send his chill
dren to our public schools ii he prefers
them to the parochiai school. Bishop
Ireland openly says that he prefers our
public schools as the best training for a
citizen and he holds that the Catholic
church should be thoroughly American in
spirit. absolutely loyal TO our institutions.
boS Sotthk NSthoiiSs an pohticsi Is worthy
of bitter Tory Orangemen OF Ulster; il is
worthy of government whose ancient
usage makes it possible for the Roman
Catholic Marquis of Ripon to be governor
general of India. but makes him ineligible
for the lord lieutenancy of Ireland because
of his religious faith, but it is not worthy
OF the United States. The Church of
Rome in the United States today is no
more like the Church of Rome in the mid
die ages than the Church of England of
today resembles the Church of England in
the days OF Archbishop .Laud and "our
blessed martyr" Charles the First.
The Iowa supreme court has recently re-
a ffirmed n former deci.ion that tbronoA