The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-03-22
They Were Hostile to Seward Because of
His Published Views on the
School Question.
Told Archbishop Hughes in Letter That
He Favored the Division of
the School Fund.

one of equal civil rights, religious tol-
erance and liberty of conscience"
This proposition from Governor Sew
ard to divide the school fund of New
York aroused very fierce and bitter dis
cussion, and made him very narrowly
escape defeat for reelection in the
great Harrison sweep of 1850. But for
the overwhelming tidal wave against
Van Buren that intensified the contest
in Van Buren's own state, Seward
would certainly have been defeated,
but he was reelected BY majority
of 5,286. Some time after Stewards
reelection in 1940 Archbishop Hughes
addressed letter of congratulation to
him, to which Seward replied May 1S,
1S41, and made the letter public, elab-
orately reviewing the school question
and reiterating his earnest purpose to
divide the school fund of the state be-
tween the Catholics and Protestants.
He said:
II know the truth will ultimately
become acceptable, and so in regard to
the present state Of the school ques-
tion I am desirous that the real inter-
est Of the Catholics in the question
should be known. If it were true, as
some contend, that none but Catholic
children are neglected, would never
theless maintain that the Catholic chill
| dren ought to be educated. If it be
true that none but Catholics complain,
uphold the Catholics in complaining
If Catholics only are offended in con-
science 1 maintain that that offense
ought not to be continued by authority
of law. Many Protestants have been
offended because they feared that by
obtaining equal advantage of education
for their children, Catholics might ac-
quire undue influences, and, on the
other hand, many Catholics have been
led by misrepresentation to believe
that such liberal sentiments as I have
advanced could not be sincere
/ Such was Stewards attitude on the
school question and it will not require
elaborate investigation, considering the
political conditions which prevailed in
1860, to reach the conclusion that Sew
ard was an impossible candidate for
president if the party hoped to battle
for success. The American or know
nothing party became powerful po-
litical factor in 1854 and controlled
the elections in number Of our states.
TIT was a secret, compact and aggres-
sive organization and held the balance
of power in both Indiana and Pennsyl-
vania beyond all reasonable dispute
Indiana in 1856 gave 116,67O votes to
Buchanan, 94,375 to Fremont and 22,.
5S6 to Fillmore, the American candi-
date, showing a majority for Buchan-
an over both the opposing parties In
1858, when only state officers were to
be elected in Indiana, the Democratic
vote was 107, 400 and the Republican
vote 104,82S. The Republicans and
Americans united generally in the
election of congressman and carried
eight Of the eleven representatives, but
they had not been able to harmonize
on a state ticket and in 1860 the state
was fairly debatablc with certainty
that the American vote would control
the result. If the American vote har.
monized with the Republicans, it as.
sured the success of that party if il
supported third ticket, Democratic
success was inevitable.
Like political conditions existed in
Pennsylvania. In 1856 Buchanan re-
ceived 230,710 votes; Fremont, 147,51C
votes, and Fillmore, American, S2,175
giving Buchanan $1,000 plurality over
Fremont, but only 1,025 over both. In
1867 the Democratic candidate for gov
ernor received 1Ss,Ss7 votes; the Re
publican, 146,136, and the American
2S,132. In 1858 the old Whig and the
Republican leaders decided to harmon
ize all the political elements opposed
to Buchanan's administration, ant
| they discarded both the whip and thu
Republican titles, held mass state
J convention, adopted the name Of tn,