Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-11-04

Public schools-Trustess-Cat holics-F Friends
Singing and scctarlanisn.
Mn. HERALD:-I have for sometime been looking
minutely st all the bearings Of this vsrsd question
between the Catholics nd the Public School Trus-
| tees But cannot agree entirely with either Of
them. As l know something about the Catholics
and the schools they oppose, well rs about the
very important Business of education, desire fur.
Their, with yeur indulgence. to show my opinion -
Your acknowledged frames, libera.ity and inds-
| pendence, warrant me in believing that yoa will
ing to hear the TRUTH of whomsever it may be told
| ! am not Catholic, nor the of Catholic, and
have no affinity for of their religious pecular
ties, but am friend to toer and equal gifts,
aud must contend against monopolies and legislative
enacm ents that irinse against cence and free
dom Of opinion
| l think that not only the public school trustees
but the religious, ell as the secular press, have
generally dealt very unfairly with the views of The
Catholics on this matter heir true sentiments can
not be correctly CLEANED from those opposed to their
claims The relig ious press in many instances, have
shown great unfairness much fire, and little of
| the Odtum neOiOgium They forget the ethics they
once learned when hey enter the rena against the
Catholics But dcaunciation, passion, and preju-
dice, prove nothing Arguments drawn from days
of darkness, ignorance and superstition-from times
of persecution and governments of despOtism-may
irritae, but convince those to when they are
applied IL Catholics, prosecuted hundred or
|
des cendants in the Western World and in this our
good city Of Gotham in The middle OF the nineteenth
century, And are they to be denied justice this
account! Can any sensible, any liberal, any phlan
thropic mind think to shut up the mouths of the
| Catholics by such language! The argumentum ad
homnum is very convenient weapon with many,
but II is not good one, Tor 1t seldom proves any
| thing
One of your religious contemporaries, profes ny
great iberality, stigmatizes the Catholics of this
| city with wishing to have the hard earned none
of q thrir hiatt
arguments and professions exhibit n fair and vivid
opinion OF Jesaitism"-"that their prctensions are
w'-"that they wish to subjuy gate this country
to the Papai Sae"-s'that their movements should be
watched with a secpless eye'-and great deal
to the same purpose. All such expressions are
not only irrele want, but provoke resentment: and
Injure the cause they are intended to support.
| 1t is good rule in argument never TO charge on
an opponent the differences we may draw from his
Of the Catholics to to be TO hare schools in
tchich religion, as they understand it, and the secu-
lar sciences may be taught together. What friend
of federation can blame them! Who would lags-
late away any mans conscience or religioRl Who
would prevent him from bringing up his children in
his faith, and it in heir hearts before
they are entirely possessed with the devices of Sa-
tan! Does any sane man. in looking among the N.Y.
riads imps of "orgina SIM that crowd our streets
imagine that they have not much need of religion
ofastronomy and arithmetic! Our public school tru-
tees all for head work-heart work with them il
Of secondary importance. Cruss itude Of the cere-
Drum is certainly great misfortune in this spec ua-
ting age and money making city but impurity in the
centre of the sanguiforous SYSTEM causes our prisons
and penitentiaTies to owe flow What can purify
this augean stable of the heart Only the pre- pts
Of religion which cultivate the conscience.-
Science, law, morality, cannot check the natural de-
pravty Of the heart Why then Danish religion into
| churches and Sunday schools! Where is it needed
| more than in tie "neisy mansionl"
| Allow me here to mention a fact. very amiable
| and pious young male teacher in one Of public
schools was once instructng large class Of little
children in lessons taken from the history Of Sa.
viour when one Of the trustees, Friend, came in,
and in tone and manner rather untriendiy, asked
| her where she got that book, and who authorized
her to il! She replied that it had bee in in
school before she came. lie told her that she had
no business with such books, and very uaceremo-
niously put it in his pocket and carried il Off A
short exercise in astronomy pleased him nightly.
Now this Quaker might have been q sood sort Of q
after ALL ard only wished these little urcbins
'look through nature up TO natures God;' but such
a summary way OF snpPressing sectayianism, can.
not away with. Whatever opinion some might
have ef his rel gion there be doub, about his
arrogance The pety Of the amiabe instructress was
shocked, and she told it with tears.
After hearing this il recalled my mind that eer-
tain reverend gentleman, once Of this city, wrote
some years ago, ponderous octave to demon state
that tSuakeJ1sm is not Christianity; some dosbted
his positions. May ne not after all have been more
| than half right, But why such waste of paperl
Another fact under this head may be instructive.
pious and benevolent lady was asked TO lend her
aid in setting the public primary schools a-gopg.-
| She very promptly answered, that if she had any
thing TO do with them, she mast read the bsbis sing,
and pray. 1t was no go She YVES not the to
compromise either principle or practice; and her
| services were dispensed with.
Sacred music, which is certainly Of the most
heavenly exercises, was, some years ago, by a kind
OF tact consent OF the trustees allowed to be intro
duced into one f the schools, in the boys and girls
departments, scientific and excellent chorister Of
Of our churches rendering his services gratuit
ously. Ia some fifteen or twenty lessons the scho
| lars made admirable proficiency. At the seminar.
| nual examination they welcomed the trustees with
one Of their an selic straiys But while many were
deli gated most OF the Quakers ro,cntd. The melting
| melody ola hundred youthful female voices Grated
harsh thunder on their tympanums; and one more
orthodox than his fellows rushed from the s7ene
with eyes flashing Indignation and csuntenance
as red a. that Of any other biped, when equally out
| ragged Think you he would have reprove ed those
who sang hossGnnas to the son OF Davidl II was
rather tarily observed by some present that could
not have been his Piety that was so mach shocked.