Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-12-26

| PAe"ohS HAtnistry---Ihey shoulu ttesish-
| on"s and Quakerism--schism and Despo-
| tism.
| Ma. EDIroR-
| HOW stands the vexed question now between the
ruohs School Trustees and tine Catholics! After two
tedious sessions of pressing and much of it irrelevant
discussion; alter petitions strances, and
mioations, arc tie parties any nearer together2
| might venture to answer that the breach between
| them is wider than before. We have two isms st
work here that never will harmonlze in their views
| or education, unite the same arena, if they
should argue, demonstrate, and recriminate until
doonsdsy. On the one hand there is a tens cty Of
principle, the other tenacity of pOlce' The few
individuals who sway the sceptre in these schools
will be slow to relinquish their power the true
Catholic toswerve fyom the prime Piles ofhis church
| What thea is to be done Must we, from month to
month, and from year to year, have this eternal
wrangling about the School Fund.- When politi.
| cal ministry embroil the nation in foreign war, and
cause internal feuds, il is for the people to
call upon them to resign as the only Of seeu-
ring peace. The King Of the French has preserved
the peace the blood and treasure Of his nation, by
Kidding himself of A belgerent ministry. Peace
with the Catholics never be purchased by the
present Public School Ministry. And why! The
question ought to have been openly and plaialy
swercd long ago. TIE Catholics cannot give the
Trustees an polcer their confidence. And, having
said this, we show the depth Of the gulph and the
heghth Of the wall Of partition between them. Ex-
purgate their school books until they present
plete chsosobliterate history and insult literature
a they have done, and they have not purchased
peace. What then is the irresistible conclusion
Let this ministry resign and give place to men of
more liberal minds aud OF more competency for the
task of experimenting the Schools. If they have
not long age the propriety of this course,
only be accouated for from tho fact that the love Of
power is extremely intoxicating to some minds. All
who have heard the debates Of the Catholics and
read their hume petitions must have seen, that
this want of confidence these Trustees is the great
est obstacle in the way of the Catholics. But this
want of confidence is not peculiar to the Catholics
many Protssants have viewed with dstrust and dis.
appreciation the proceedings and arbitrary sway q
the few who rale in these Public Schools.
Here then we nave before the most obnoxious
feature Of a close corporation. Years ago a most
strenuous effort made to sxpurgate the Board of
Trustees. Bat they well knew how FAR they stood
beyond ordinary popular influence, and, in spite Of
the discomfort that then they chung with te'
nacity to their places and power. Is not this then
kind Of imperium in unprecedented indeed by the
| people, but now become independent Of them Is
| not such apower an anomaly in afree government
|
ly been debated in political circles, and among
seine highly Intelligent and respectable private cit
in relation to these Public Schools and that
is to have many Trustees elected annually by the
people ON each ward Of the city, certain number
| Of whom shall 60 out every year. We shall then
have apopuiar influence in the councils Of the pre-
sent comparatively irresponsible corporation, which,
have doubt, will do mere to allay the present
discomfort than any plan that has yet been devised
| Can the Catholics support this scheme With the
present uncontrolled regency they can have hope
49,, kro thnar ..xn. -
only opposition such a scheme would be likely 10
meet, would be from few whose power and dom-
nation il is meant to balance.
Ii required but ordinary penetration in the Catho-
| lies to discover what was known to many loug ago,
that the controlling influence in these schools was
| exerted by few Quakers. The Catholics have not
been the first to discover taat they are eminently
incompetent to superintend public educaton."-
Teachers, Trustees, Commissioners and iutolig
citizens have ling known it. They have drawn on
their supposed popularity for years. Now they be-
gin to see their deusion, and il to shake OF the
charge OF ambition they confront us with Statistics
and tell US, that "if the husdred citizens who
compose the Boardof Trustees, there only twelve
OF the denomination thus rAduced and that Of these
six accepted the situation by solicitation Of
| the Board" But what Of all this Expursate these
six seven, or, entirely neuraise their influence If
you please, and there still remains the stubborn
deniable, notorious fact that three or four
ofth denomination have completes monopoly Of
power in these schools, any trumv rate had
OF that ever the destinies OF Rome. Have they not
| repeatedly in council been accused tf wishing to
| monopolize all the power And have not several
Trustees from time to time resigned their seats ow-
ing to ths dietatioa Of these few Ireire men would
not have been likely to enslave Rome while man
did. Let the monopoly Of pow thea be divided a
mong these twelve Quakers and there will probably
be less cause ofeomplaiat than there is In the
multitude OF counselors there is safety. Good csun
sci may flow from f,reirs experience has taught u,
that Mree or four can rule with arbitrary aud dsspo
| tic sway.
Your cores ondent, Onas, has come out in de-
nj he NIL On rkpr t.h
have but little to do in the present controversy
Facts the best test of mans principles III mea-
surcd by these, there many in this denomi-
| nation, some OF themselves being judges, whose
boasted philanthropy would shrink into a very TAR
| row compass Tits, with most Of them, more spen
did in theory than useful in practice Were il ne
ccssary TO reply to nus might tell him that pro-
fesson is not princpe; and that Of the tenets
Of his faith vanish at the application of and
shrink from an analysis Of reason aud common sense,
| as really some Of the undcmonstrable degmas Of
| time, which his society love 10 denouuce. On the
score Of my stercs, neither Of the begerents have
| any vantage ground. With regard 20 the mildly
snforced arguments and the non resistance Of the
Quaksrs, we have only to go hack afew years to the
Hicksite schsm, and look at the miidness Of their
manner and there AZ their silent me ct
ing was changed into babel, and the posse comta-
tss had possession Of their conventicle, you might
| have one party running a race with the other
and evidently coutendn posse sson of owe Of he
| Public Schools in which tehoid forth All this beau
ty, sublimity and brothery love the Sabbath too
And, be not surprised, the present leaders in the
Public Schools were the leaders in the unsanctihed
| combat for opinion and power. Have men, then, to
| tell us OF mildness o. argument" with their
morable fracaaes and combats ecclesiastical staring
| us in the face, are fresh in our remembrance -
In lberality ef sentiment, tkey are certainly not
| superior to the Catholics. II the latter send To-
Rome for counsel and direction, the former Of
ten as tardy in obtaining IL from the movements Of
| the 81 mositor within" All the difference lie. in
the distance 10 be travelled; the value Of the com.
| modify is about equal in both. The psblic schools
need liberal and enlightened minds to superintend
them. In them the Qaakers are the monopolists Of
| power--thc opponents Of improvement THE claw.
| yers that bind heavy burthcns, and rrievous o
| be bornc"-the Tories Of the conc rn, who are
insulted by the sound ~ music and shudder at
and Latin as IL the smoke covered the head of Me-