America for Americans! | Page 7

life. Out of
such a citizenship comes the moral sentiment which in its aggregation
is public opinion, which is mightier than standing armies or floating
navies. [Applause.]
A third attribute is the individuality of the citizen, out of which comes
the collective man, our national life. We have exalted the individual;
the American citizen is a republic of one. Whether we have fifty
millions, or ten millions, or a million, whatever may be the ratio of our

population, the Government recognizes the individuality of the citizen
as paramount. As God is the center of the universe, and Christ the
center of the church, so the citizen is the center of this Government. All
its laws, all its administrations, all its soldiers in the army, all its guns
in the navy, are for the protection of the American citizen. Wherever he
wanders, whether in Africa, or Europe, or Asia, or Germany, or Ireland,
or Cuba, or Mexico, the American citizen must and shall be protected.
[Applause.] It is difficult for men coming from Europe, where men are
contemplated in masses, to realize the potency of individuality; but it
underlies our free institutions.
Fourthly, he is an American, whether native-born or foreign-born, who
accepts the bold venture of the fathers to segregate public education
from the teachings of the church. It was a bold move in political
science. There is no authority under the Constitution of the United
States, there should be no authority in the constitution of any State,
there should be no authority in the municipality of any part of the
country, to impose religious instruction upon the childhood of America.
You and I may tremble in the presence of this tremendous fact, this
daring project in the science of statecraft, but then you must remember
that, according to the organic law of our country, we know no class but
citizens, we know no obligation but protection, no duty but the welfare
of the people. In all the nations abroad there is the combination of
secular and religious instruction. Arithmetic, geometry, geography,
physiology, must be taught under the sanctions of religion. But in this
country public education is separated from sectarian religious teaching.
We may pause in the presence of such a fact. We know that intelligence
is almost a boundless power. Intelligence has produced as much evil as
it has good; the greatest monsters who have damned humanity have
been men of the highest possible culture, and the men who are sowing
the seed in this country of discord are men of sublime intellects and
polished education. And therefore the founders of the Republic
recognized the duty of the individual citizen to add home instruction,
instruction in the church, instruction in the Sunday-school, to sanctify
this intelligence. Whenever they expounded constitutional law, or
spoke in behalf of the perpetuity of our institutions, they never failed to
give pre-eminence to private virtue and public morality; nor did they

hesitate to say that this virtue in private life and this morality in the
public society must flow out of that religion which we esteem divine.
Those great men ventured on another and a desperate mission, the
segregation of State from Church. In the nations of the old world these
are allied. The Czar is the head of the church. Victoria is the head of the
church. The King of Germany is the head of the church. The Hapsburg,
of Austria, is the head of the church. The Sultan is the head of the
church. But here we have no earthly head of the church. To the
individual Christian Christ is the head of the church. This is
fundamental in our Government. Here we have "a free church in a free
country." Christianity had been supported by thrones in the old world.
Religion had been enforced by armies and navies. The great cathedrals,
and what are called the church livings, had been maintained by a tax
imposed upon people who did not believe the creed taught, and did not
observe the forms of worship practiced. In our organic law it is stated
that Congress shall not legislate on the subject of religion. Religion
shall be free. Here the Mohammedan may rear his mosque and read his
Koran. Here the Brahmin may rear his pagoda and read his Shasta. All
religionists may come and worship here, but their worship shall not
infringe upon the worship of others nor work injury to the body-politic.
The Typical American should set his face against all seeming alliance
of Church and State. We say to the Holy Father, live in peace. Stay in
Rome. Live on the banks of the Tiber. If you come here, you must be
an American citizen, rejecting your doctrine of temporal power. You
may come and be naturalized and be a voter, but we