The Impending Religious War.
In a speech delivered by Father Gerdemann, an ex-Roman Catholic priest, in Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 1875, he said:— “Rome and its emissaries would like to control this country. In fact, they will attempt to rule it. When I saw the parade on St. Patrick’s day in ’73 and ’74, I was standing alongside of Bishop Wood in the second story of his residence. How delighted he was with the display of their great numbers! ‘That will show the Americans how many voters we have now, and how many fighting men we will command when the fight commences, and commence it will on the question,’ he said, repeatedly.” This matter is beginning to attract the attention of statesmen and even of the President of the United States himself, as the following will show:— OMINOUS WORDS FROM GEN. GRANT.
President Grant is not a talkative man; indeed, it has been denied that he can make a speech. But nobody denies that he can think for himself, and act when occasion requires. And his lack of talk gives his words all the more importance. But lately he has disappointed everybody—he has made a speech at Des Moines, Iowa, which has attracted much attention and elicited much comment from the press. The following brief article from the San Francisco Chronicle of Oct. 1, gives a good idea of the speech, and shows what is thought of it:— “WHAT CAN THE PRESIDENT MEAN?”
“On the 29th of September there was a military ‘reunion’ at Des Moines, Iowa, on which occasion President Grant was present. Of course he was importuned to make a speech. Speech-making is an invariable and indispensable feature of American ‘reunions.’ The President, abandoning his usual and characteristic policy of reticence, responded to the call, and made the longest speech recorded against him in all his public career. He commenced by informing his audience that he was going to disappoint those who had called upon him ‘in the expectation of getting a short speech.’ This is not only the longest, but it is also the most sparkling, effort in the oratorical line that the President has ever made. ‘If we are to have another contest in the near future,’ he said, ‘for our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s, but it will be between patriotism and intelligence on one side, and ambition, superstition, and ignorance on the other.’ The President then proceeded as follows:— “In this centennial year, the work of strengthening the foundation of the structure begun by our forefathers one hundred years ago at Lexington should be begun. Let us all labor for more security of free thought, free speech, a free press, and pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges of all men, irrespective of nationality, color, or religion. Encourage free schools, and resolve that not one dollar appropriated to them shall be applied to the support of any sectarian school. Resolve that neither State nor nation shall support institutions save those where every child in the land may get a common school education, unmixed with atheist, pagan, or sectarian teachings. Leave the matter of religion to the family, and keep Church and State forever separate. With these safeguards, I believe that the battles which created the army of Tennessee will not have been fought in vain.” “Is this a prediction of a religious war? The whole tenor of the President’s remarks seems to indicate that such was his meaning. He declares that the conflict which he foreshadows is not to be a sectional one. It is not to be between the North and the South. It is to be between ‘patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and ambition, superstition, and ignorance on the other.’ How is this language to be interpreted except as a prediction of a religious war?” President Grant is by no means a “sensational” man, and he would never have uttered these words if he did not see indications which warrant them. Evidently the subject of a “religious war” will soon attract the attention of our statesmen.—J. H. W. in Signs. The following items, clipped from the American Protestant, speak to the same point:— “PRESIDENT GRANT AND THE POPE.”
“It is with the greatest satisfaction that we notice in all quarters that the politicians are beginning to give their attention to the great issue now forming between Protestantism and Romanism. But we are peculiarly gratified at the truly noble and patriotic stand which has been taken by President Grant on what we consider the only living, vital issue of the day. We observe that certain papers are already intimating that the course pursued by the President has about it a third-term significance. When we remember that on all previous occasions Grant, as general and as President, has been equal to every emergency, we being firm believers in a Providence and in special providences, we regard the utterances of a President of the United States at this peculiar juncture as one of those things which are to be regarded as historic. President Grant, from precedent facts, has become an historical personage. His name now stands before the world as the man who saved the American Union. In all European cabinets, the name of President Grant stands with the national force and significance of a Gladstone or a Bismarck. Hence, when President Grant comes out in favor of free speech, a free press, and non-sectarian schools, it means something, and the people of this country, and the people of Europe, may take notice that business is intended. The people of America, independent of birth place or creeds, will never consent that the United States of America shall be otherwise than independent of all church arrangements. If the Jesuits and the Romanists do not like this, all they have to do is, like those other Arabs, to ‘quietly fold their tents and steal away.’” “The great struggle in this country at the coming election will be between the priests and the people—between the friends of ‘Liberty and Union’ and the emissaries of the pope of Rome. Let every Protestant be on his guard and vote for no man who is not right on this question. Remember that ‘eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.’ ‘Put none but American Protestants on guard.’—Gen. Washington. ‘If ever the liberty of this republic is destroyed, it will be by Roman priests.’—Gen. Lafayette.”