IMPENDING BREAKDOWN OF THE BISMARCK POLICY IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 66, 1 August 1874, Page 8

IMPENDING BREAKDOWN OF THE BISMARCK POLICY IN AUCKLAND.

Mr Reed, of the Auckland ",' Evening Star,' an ex-kirk minister has been m company with Mr J. Sheehan, a professed Catholic, attempting to carry on a policy which, in point of principle is identical with that of Bismarck in Germany. They want tho pluck and power of Bismarck, andj are seeking to do by insidious and crafty means what the German prince is attempting to accomplish by open violence and brute force. The main purpose of Bismarck and his imitators is to destroy the influence of the Catholic clergy. This they attempt to accomplish by taking the education of youth into their own hands, that is, into the hands of the civil government, and shutting out the clergy from the public schools of the country. This is done under the artful pretence that tho Government will educate the people in secular knowledge only, and not to interfere with their religious principles. Bismarck and his small imitators in Auckland and elsewhere, try to aim a blow at tho Catholic ' clergy in the first instance, but they are not content with that. They must also destroy, if they can, the influence of the Protestant clergy of all denominations. Such a policy as this may succeed for a time ; but it will only be for a short time. In Germany, Bismarck and his master have raised such a political storm by their policy, as threatens the most disastrous consequences. In Auckland a like policy has raised a political ferment among all creeds, which is not likely soon to be allayed. The eyes of the people are now being opened to see what secularism in politics and education really means, and what a set of artful despots secularists are. Protestants and Catholics are now fain to coalesce against the secularists as the most insidious but formidable enemies of faith and freedom, of liberty both civil and religious. In Auckland, we see an intrepid and honest Scotch Presbyterian minister, Dr. WaUis, leading the pi ople, Catholic and Protestant together, against Mr J. Sheehan and his secularising party. Here is a revolution — or a revulsion perhaps we ought rather to say— with a vengeance. The masses are fairly aroused to a sense of their danger. Who would have anticipated such a coalition, two years ago. Two enthusiastic monster meetings have been held in Auckland to protest against the Bismarckian principles of Reed and Sheehan. It is true the bulk of those attending such meetings were working men, and some of their leaders were not men of very high I political or social standing. But no party in the State, not even the one led in Auckland by Sheehan. and Reed, can afford to treat the working men with indifference, and far less with contempt, now a days. Mr Sheehan, with an air of superiority as if he were an aristocrat of the first quality, spoke of the men at these meetiugs as " groundlings," and ridiculed the idea of their proceedings possessing any political importance. But groundlings or no groundlings he did not dare to disregard their feelings and wishes j and hia parfcy may yet ere long be made to feel what " groundlings " can accomplish in defence of faith and freedom. Tho ' Herald ' admits that the education question in this province is entering on an entirely new phase. It is now no longer a mere question, of rates or taxes for educational purposes. It is a question involving the very essentials of civil and religious liberty, and the security of Christianity against its artful enemies. The people are not content that the education of their children shall be' made a mere sordid affair of money and temporal interests, while their religious principles are being menaced or achially destroyed, by their being forced into Government schools from which religion and its ministers are rudely banished, or only admitted as an act of grace and favor for a short time, under humiliating restrictions or conditions. The various Protestant ministers and people in Auckland, have hitherto permitted such an affront to religion and themselves, to pass without protest. They are evidently resolved to remain silent no longer. The ' Herald ' reproaches Dr; WalUs with inconsistency in joining with Catholics in this crusade against secularism, seeing he has been of late lecturing so much against the " Papacy." But there is really no inconsistency. However opposed Dr. Wallis may be to many things in the Catholic system, he knows at least that Catholics are sincere Christians, and as such he calls them his " brethren."