The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-07-15 00:00:00

Most of these societies were supported entirely by voluntary
contributions, one of them the Kildare-street Society had a
2,,ant from government. Yo❑ will form some idea of the extent
which they carried their (Toot! work by the following state-
meut which has been published by four societies:—
Schools. Scholars.
Irish Society 642 21,032
Sunday Scliool Society
Hibernian Society
Kildare Place Society

Total 6,091 491.123
I wish to observe on this first, that the schools of the various
protestant dissenters are not here entered. The baptist schools
have been working very efficiently, and also the presbyterian
schools of the synod of Ulster. In all these schools the pupils
were indiscriminately protestants and Roman catholics. Take
an instance, in the Hiberian Society schools there were 36,911
Roman catholic children. The anti-popish effects of this sys-
tem of education were felt, and deeply felt by the Romish
priests of Ireland. The religious instruction communicated to
the children—the questions they asked, and the information
they communicated when they returned to their parents, caused
such inquiries from those parents and their friends, as the priests
were unwilling or unable to satisfy. It evidently became their
object to put au end to such a system. But how was this to be
done ? To avow their project would have been to defeat it.
Too many of them, however, had been educated in the con-
venient as well as ingenious school of Ignatius Loyola. I shall
not be hindered from speaking against that system of papacy.
Many of them had drunk in with the poisoned milk of their
mother church this fallacy that " the end :sanctifies the means."
But what were the means to he adopted to accomplish this end.
The end was to resist the progress of the bible in Ireland. That I
do not falsely accuse these men when I say their project was to
resist the progress of the bible will appear plain when I call to
your attention the Pope's letter addressed to the priesthood by
Leo the 12th :—" You are aware, venerable brethren, that a cer-
tain society, commonly called the Bible Society, strolls with ef-
frontery throughout the world, which, contemning the traditions
of the holy fathers, and contrary to the well known decrees of the
council of '['rent, labours with all its might, and by every means
to translate or rather to pervert the holy bible into the vulgar
languages of every nation, from which proceeding it is greatly
to be feared, that which is as certain to have happened as to
some passages, may also occur with regard to others; to wit,
by a perverse interpretation of the gospel, or what is still worse,
into the gospels of the devil." lam quoting the language of
a Bishop of Rome. "To avert this plague"—he calls the
bible a plague, and those who wish to stop this plague are the
sons of the devil —" Our predecessors published many ordi-
nances, and in his latter days, Pius VII, of blessed memory
sent two briefs, one to Ignatius, archbishop of Gnesen, the
other to Stanislaus archbishop of Mohilow, in which are many
proofs accurately and wisely collected from the sacred scrip-
tures and from tradition to show how noxious this most wicked
novelty
iis both to faith and morals. We also, venerable bre-
thren, n conformity with our apostolic duty, exhort you to turn
away your flock by all means from these poisonous pastures."
[The rev gentleman here quoted the Latin version of the last sen-
tence, translating it as he proceeded.] But still it remains to show
how thiswas to be accomplished—what means were to be intro-
duced. The tone of the time was " conciliation," "liberality,"
"no more exclusiveness," "no more bigotry." Well, sir, it
was an expedient worthy the talents of Dr. Doyle, in his best
days, to turn the liberal mind into an ally of the intolerant
church. This was to be accomplished by means of certain
young and sanguine statesmen who were actuated by the
purest purposes of benevolence, but who were rashly ready to
put a theory into practice without submitting their plans to the
test of a better experience or comparing them with the analogy
of historical precedents. These statesmen were ready to bring
forth every new-fledged theory of their liberal philosophy and
let it
.pass into the country without knowing its probable results
or being able to calculate whether it would prove a bird of para-
dise or a bird of prey. (Applause.) Such a man in those days
was my Lord Stanley; no man was actuated by more noble sen-
timents. He wes the very man for the priests, because he had
the tone which fitted him for the nation. He could persuade
the nation if the priests could only persuade him. But how
was this to be done ? If they had avowed their intentions Mr.
Stanley would have indignantly rejected them. (Cheers.)
The knew their work better; they knew how to work a mea-
sure for the time, and they knew how to take an oath for a time.
They proposed a plan which, in its direct bearings, suited the
statesman, and, in its indirect consequences, suited themselves.
(Hear.) It was done by representing to the high and noble
mind of that accomplished young man, but at the time inexperi-
enced young man—inexperienced in some things, inexperienced
in the darkness and deceitfulness that lurks behind the plausl-
- ility of the church of Rome—it was done by telling him that
dissensions existed in Ireland and were looked on with great re-
gret, and he looked on them with regret, and it was deemed
highly desirable to devise some means of education that the
children of protestants and catholics might be brought together.
The means were to propose a plan that would support the pro-
jects of the originators of this. The priests knew very well that
if the Bible was removed the protestants would be removed,
(cheers,) and therefore they proposed this plan of education as
a measure to effect that, and Mr. Stanley was taken in the
snare. It is no disparagement to say so of him ; if it were I would
shrink from the words. It is no disparagement of the judginentof
one of my predecessors on this platform, when be told you himself
that he was inclined to think well of the scheme when it was
first propounded. Many of the established clergy of Ireland
were taken in the snare. The established clergy of Ireland are
2,000 in number; of these 86 formed an alliance with the board
in the scheme. Instead of wondering there are so many, we
should wonder there are so few, and it speaks highly for their
penetration and honesty that they rejected it. They were poor
and it was rich, and could bbild schools which they could not,
yet only 86 out of 2,000 formed a temporary. alliance with it.
Of the few that entered into that alliance, it is my happiness to
read to you several recantations.
To the Editor of the Dublin Record.
Cullen, Feb. 6, 1836.
SlR,—llaving seen in a late number of your paper my name
included among those clergymen of the establishment who are
stated to have applied to the National Board of Education for
aid in support of schools under that system, as I am most anx-
ious to disclaim any connexion with that board, I trust you will
allow me to state briefly through the same medium the cir-
cumstances under which I could have been said to make such
an application.
Several years ago (I believe about the period of the first esta-
blishment of the board,) I was applied to by a protestant
gentleman in my neighbourhood, for my signature to a requisi-
tion,. in order to place a schoiel under the controul of the board.
The school-house had been built, and the master supported fur
many years before the proprietor of the estate on which the
school is situate, far the education of the children of his tenan-
try; these children were exclusively Roman Catholic—nor is
there up to the present moment a single protestant child in the
neighbourhood to attend it. Under these circumstances, and
considering it a matter of indifference whether the school was
placed under private patronage or that of the board, I then
saw no objection to complying with that gentleman's request.
It should be recollected, that the board was at that time in its
infancy, when an unprejudiced person might be disposed to give
it a fair trial, especially where protestants could net be affected
by it. But time has since more fully developed the system :
and I have no hesitation whatever in saying, that I deeply re-
gret ever having permitted my name (humble though I be) to
have appeared in the document iu question.
1 am, sir, your obedient servant,
T. BUCHANAN, Curate.
I have a few other letters of the same kind here, but as they all
are to the same purpose I need not read them. They show that
these gentlemen were deceived, under various circumstances,
into forming an alliance with the board in the first instance,
but, having seen their error, begged to be withdrawn from the
list. The general importance of this will be seen when a boast
has been invade in Parliament of the number of the Irish clergy
that have joined the board. Now, in connexion with these dis-
claimers, I wish to set before the meeting a few brief documents
illustrative of the working of the system in Ireland. One of
them was before the council last Wednesday, but no observa-
tion was made upon it. "In a school of several hundred girls
belonging to the Preservation Convent at Galway, and assisted
by the National Board, we found the great gills writing out
themes on virginity, priesthood, and martyrdom. The one
state was glorious, the other more so, the last, of course, most
of all ; but as martyrdom was a species of glory to which it must
be very difficult iii( these times to attain, priesthood, no doubt,
bore away the palm. Several classes of little girls in the same
school had their books open upon a catalogue of saints, male
and female, whom they were to call upon in prayer, filling two
pages. The children were apparently learning these names by
heart; but when I asked if I might be permitted to listen, the
nun who had the charge of the class instantly began questioning
one of them on a different subject, in so loiv a tone, however,
that I heard scarcely anything but the name of Christ, which
had no place in the lesson before them, whilst the embarrassed
child muttered inaudibly after her teacher's dictation." This
was a specimen of the insidious mode of' teaching in those
schools, similar to which, it is proposed to establish schools in
this town. I grieve to say that the tone which once sounded
in England and was resounded by Protestants is altered—l
grieve to say, that the instrument is in some degree out of tune,
that the strings are relaxed—l grieve to say, that there is not
the same response there used to be. If Englishmen had been
what too many Englishmen are now, there never would have been
that burst of indignation which put out the fires of Smithfield, and
which left us the glorious legacy of the Reformation. (Great
cheering.) I am desirous of adding one testimony of the
working of the system in Ireland. I bold in my hand
the letter of a Dissenting Minister on that subject
:
"In expressing my thoughts upon this subject it may be right
to say that I belong to no party in politics, and am no sectarian
in religion, lent knowing the power of the Word of God to en-
lighten the benighted mind, and desiring that all those who are
in darkness may be guided by that only sure light to the regions
of a glorious immortality, I feel it my duty to direct your atten-
tion to the evils which result from upholding that system in Ire-
land. I have come to this conclusion slowly and deliberately.
I have been forced to do so in consequence of having observed
the baneful effects which it has produced. I have made it my
business to visit the schools lately erected in different parts of
that country, and from what I know to be fact from personal
observation I am compelled to say that if. the system be not at
once denounced by yen, it will be continued to the extension of the
errors of Romanism, those errors against which your forefathers
boldly protested, and which I am aware you consider as detri-
mental to the eternal interests of immortal souls. Having men-
tioned what I know of the system to several eminent Dissent-
ing ministers in different parts of England, who had ignorantly
favoured it, they expressed there desire that I should set the
public right upon the subject by giving them that information
which would undeceive them and open their eyes to the evil of
suffering it any longer to exist. In accordance with this desire
1 shall now endeavour to comply. The two fundamental objec-
tions to the system are these—first, the extracts may be excluded ;
and, secondly, all the errors of Popery may be substituted in their
stead. These are the published rulesof the board. It is true the
board do not say in so many words, exclude the extracts and
teach popery—that is, they do not speak in the language of com-
mand; but if they do not say you must, they say you have full
liberty to do so in the schools, which has the same effect as com-
mand with the priests. Thus then there is one published prin-
ciple of the board which say's. that the Scripture lessons shall not
be read if objected to by the priests, and another which gives every
encouragement to the clergy of the catholic church, to make use
of the schoolhouse built by protestant money to educate the
rising generation in all the superstitions of their church. These
are startling facts: but where are they to be found ? I answer,
the first is to be found in the very preface to the book of ex-
tracts, and the other in the letter of Lord Stanley addressed to
the Duke of Leinster, in which he explains the system. I shall
quote the words of that letter which now lies before me. " They
(the board) will require thatthe schools be kept open for a certain
nurnberof hours, on four or five days of the week, at the discretion
of the commissioners for moral and literary education only, and
that the remaining one or two days in the week be set apart for
giving separately, such religious education to the children as
may be approved of by the clergy of their respective persuasions."
They are permitted to teach all this, and it is proposed to permit
and encourage the Roman catholic priests of Liverpool to come
into the schools and teach all this. f o permit it is right enough,
let them do as they please; but are we to hold out encourage-
ments to them to this. This dissenting minister goes on to
say, "They will al4o pencil and encourage the clergy to give
religions instruction to the children Of their respective persua-
sions, either before or Ether tho ordiY:a ry school booms, on the
other day' of the week." Doc! not t!;is published principk