Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-06-16
GOV. sEwARD-.7n i.i.r.siins Qu..hsa 4
.Nste York.

a. otsome OF the New York papers, we infer tina,
l. has, by some Of his official acts given dissatsfae,,
le TO" portion of his own party The wings, AS part
are those who, at the North, take the busiest views
10 the constitutional rights of the Southland many
in 'hem could not approve Gov. Stewards treatment
st the demand from this State of certain fsitiyes
o. justice But another subject has recently arisen
n winch Gov. s. has taken active part and ,hereb
excited the loud disspprobaton of many Of his pa
L T'ends. As the question may have an importa,
:. nearing upon the political contests in tina, State
= will give brief statement Of il.
s n certain fund is appropriated annually to tb
J; "ee SCHOOLS Tor the common education of all Oh
,, children OF the Commonwealth. Out Of the City
v New York, the public pays fixed sum, provide
the c''zsns will raise an equal sum-the children
. a"' reh and poor, TO be entitled to the benefits
'he Guy, the appropriation is made for the benefit
, "e p'or eaeiusvely-oihers being permitted to sen
their children 10y paying o moderate fee.
ih's iuhd is by law Of 1875 confded TO In
management Of the Common Council Of the city
That body has employed the Public School Soei.,,
10 u'sourse It, AT the time of taking this cours. i,
ieZ'' there was very warm strugs lie among all tn,
various religious denomina ions each CLAIMING
portion to be devoted TO the education of the poor
alter It's own favori;e mode. After mature elibe
ration, the Common Council refused TO distribute !,
with reference TO sects at all-consideriss such ,
principle unwarranted by the genius of our ins,i,u.
IONS They determined TO enrust il TO the pnbI;,
school Society," TO be applied To the education of nil
poor children, without respect to sects or creeds I,
this decision, all the religious societies acouic.c.d
except the Roman Catholics. They refused 10 send
10 the schools established by the Public SrbooI G,
| ce'y, and continued to claim a portion of the r,,d
Tor the separate education Of their children :,
winch claim they persist 10 the present day. And
hence the difficulty. They complain tina, thew can.
not eonscicntiously send their children 10 the
public schools because religious instruction of de-
mite character is not given in definite form -b.
Cause The books IN common use are Protestant and
contain passages rejecting on the Roman Catholic
Nhuroh-and because the schools are opened every
morning by reading chapter of the Bible Of the
common version, without note or commcnt--,h,, II
lhey SEND Their Children they will be weaned from
the form OF worship and the faith OF their fathers
ana ihat sooner than submit TO this invasion of the
riSh' OF conscience, they will keep their children
nom school oNosether-which is NANTES, Injustice,
Us 'hey, IN common with other citizens pay tax for
the creation OF the school fund. Gov. Seward con
sders their complaint well founded, and thci, de-
rnand Tor part OF the fund ACKNOWLEDGMENT dunno
the past session Of the Legislature he exetted his
influence TO procure the passage Of a law consonant
10 their wishes. IL was, however, strenuouslv and
successfully resisted on the ground that il did no,
fall IeSiiimately within the province ofGoverpnsr
10 imp'rt sectaran education-that the Roman Ca.
tholics had no superior claim to a s.porotc anna
priauon over the MethodSts the Presby,.,i,ns IN.
baptsts, or any other christian ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
n la h,,
distinct and privileged class and would ENCOURAGE
a seetarIonsm in derogation of good morals and the
well being of society.
we make an extract from very able speech hy
MIR Hiram heichum, before a committee Of the Sc
nate, IN opposition to the report of the Secretary or
State OF New York and the bill granting the petition
of the Catholics:
There is no proposition contained in this Report
that religious societies, as such shall participate r
tins iund-none. Ii is too late in the day for any
man 10 make that proposition. Anxious as The
Secretary is TO accommodate this matter he does
not say that religious societies shall participate in The
fund. But what does he say? He saws thai the
trustees OF districts shall indcae what resion shall
be taught IN those schools; that is to say that Won
shall have small masses; that these small masses
snail elect their trustees and the jority OF the
people IN those small masses may direct so shall he
the character of the religious instruction Unmarried
lie assumes that there must be religious instruction
IN the schools; that although the law makes no pro.
VISION Tor It, yet that 1t Is left practically with the
people themselves through their trustees 10 Indicate
the religious instruction tina, shall be given will
read what the Secretary says at page II Of his Re.
port
at is Ivy adopting the principle Of the orgoniza
ton that prevails in the other paris OF the State which
VIII leave such parents as desire 10 inv con-
troll over the amount and description Of re i.ous in
struction which shall be given TO their Children the
opportunity of doing So"
Now, Continued MIR. K.) let Us see how the arru
ment stands. The compliments here are the Ro.
man Catholics. They cannot conscientiously have
their children taught IN these schools because rei.
glous instruction, in definite FORM is not given and
because the Bible is read But when school is
formed IN the sixth ward of the city of New York
IN which ward flor the sake ofthe argument we will
| assume) the Roman Catholics have a majority in
the district; they choose their trustees and these
trustees indicate that specific form of religion To
wit, the Roman Catholic religion shall be tnught in
that school-that shall be said there-and thai
| the children shall cross themselves with holy water
in the school, having the right TO do so according 10
tins Report, the Catholics being IN majority there
Then, and not TILL then, can these Roman G. stho.
lies consclenously send their children 10 school
that Is TO say, their objections this system are to
| be overcome by having school to which thew can
conscicntous!y send their children and that school
must be one in which religion is to be taught nccord
| inc to their particular views. Now suppose that in
any gwen district, there should be about 500 Ro-
man Cothoic children, and 200 Proie slant children
These Protestant children are compelled to worship
| according TO the opinions OF the m,iori,y-thnt IS
to say, they compelled to be taught religion nc
cordng 10 the doctrines Of the Roman Catholic
Church. | ask you, gentlemen, If that is not the
tyranny OF the majority The Secretary admits
ihnt majority Of the people, in c given district
has right to Indicate what religion shall be taugbi
in the district school and to that religion or Tint
form, whatever II may be, the minority must sub.
NIT. Thus, in given district the Protestant shall
be taxed for the support Of the Roman Catholic re.
! Lyon; or, on the other hand, the Roman Catholic
shall he taxed for the support Of definite Protestant
religions and thus, by abandoning the present sys
TEN, we are TO form and create n system which W
overcome the difficulty. Is this reasoning like an
American salesman
deny the Secretary's proposition. I affirm that
u IS false and erroneous from beginning TO end
This school fund can never under any cIrcumston-
Gee, be made use of, or employed in teaching the
particular doctrines, or partcllar dogmas olany
religious denomination. II there were 500 in one
district, and but one man in that district that
protested, he would have n clear reht 10 do
| so. He has n right to say, will not pay
my money 10 teach the Roman Catholic religion
II will not pny my money to teach the Pfotes.
tant rclig'on-l will not pay my money 10 teach the
doctrines Of Tom Panel will not pay my money
to teach the doctrine Of those who affirm that nv
Saviour was an impOslor. Imagine a district in tho
city Of New York, where there is a majority of per.
sons Of this description, and where they shall ttneb
these being IN the majority, have right 10 teach
what religion they please.) I am supposing an eH.
IRENE, but possible case Is this the scheme by
Lob Ia s~s. -. a .