American Institutions

The foHowing petition lias been for■wardcd to comgresa by a league tJiat represente nearly 1 .".noo.OOO people. It is of Interest to many of our readers, no doubt, so we glve it entire : The National League lor the Protection oí American Institutions petitioned both seseio-ns of the LI. and LH. congresses eöoceraing sectarian appropriaUoma by the National Government for Indian education. The League now addressea I b.e following petltlOD to blue LUI. congress eonceming Indian Approprlation l'.ils . The League petitions ogalnat the violatio'ii of the American principie of the sep&ratdtxn ol cliurcli and state wbtch is involved In making nny sectarian appvopriations for Indian educa tiotn. Tlie hèghest oftlcial bodies of the Oongregational, the Methodist Episcopal, the Presbyterlaa and the Protestant Episcopal chiurches have determined to Avitlidraw Iheir applications for funde f rom the United States treasnry, because oü the principie -u-hicli they now see is invo'.ved in this danserons practjee, and ihey jiropose henceforth to support their nwn schools -without (Idvei-nment aid. "Whatever devmtioms from this rule may appear are disolaimed below by the representa-Uves of the various religions bodies, whO deny responsibility for snch actlon m the part of unautliom -I individual". These bodies -vill co-operate ■vith the National League in diswxuntenanelng and discontinuins all Individual ovasions of the American principie tor which they contend. These denominatlone represent, ineludimg membewhlp and adherents, a luipulation of 14,750,000. Tbis League p etitioms that the amonnt thus re:inqui.hed by the withdrawal oí the denominations mentioned, be added to the fund for the comnioii schools among the Indlans. It is without quatlon that the entire community whieh is not "lassiüed by (li'finite connection with any of the existdng Chrlstian denomlnatlonsí numbertngal teast :',(i.000,000 of the popula t ion of the United States, are oppo-e.l ui principie of sectarian appropriations. Fi-om Information recelved, this League N ateo justiíied in assumtng that a considerable portion oí the 1.atiin;i.' members and adherents of the churches which have not yet taken expHclt official aef.on on the subject are ateo in favor of the petition taken by the denominations above mentioned, and are in favor of their respective churches -winning the confidence of the Araei-ican people through the interent excellence ot ihcir own wovk, done at their own expense. Thus it is clear that a vast and prepouderating majority of the citizens of the Unit cd Statee are opposed on principie to the National Government niaki'iiji any sectarian appropriations. The League claims that the time has come whon the National Government shouM cease entirely from makImg appropriations for the support of contract Indian Bchoote ander certain sectariaai control. It has iK'en the oommendable policy of tbe government in late years to lake upoo Hsclf more and more the educattai of Indian cliililvou by the extensión of the American common school system as the mcans of prepsring them for citizenship. The league petitians that the Gen eral Goveniment now adopt i defi iiito, permanent and uniform princi pte, in accoa-d wlth the spirit of the United atetes Oonatltution, for ad vancing education among the Indi ans om the baste of the American free cotnmon school system, n order that the dangers Uivcilvcd in departurí from the Amci-i'-an principie of keep I separate and djBtinct the func ti'ons oi'churen and state be no more tostered by any acttona ol the Gen oral Government.