Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-02-11
aloot1lNGroN, IOWA Il, 1912.

O. The foQ wing article from the Free
alan Ja1l Catholic paper published in
New ~ al .he request Of some
Ct ons 1.in the north, who wish
tie pdlfc r .s! q muses. which led Bishop
Hugh O O. pal. he did in the late cleo
lion, q ~ pbieh be I'D. his church were SO
much 1h1 Ed.
How - School SYsrEm WoRKs.--~The
Report tie Superintendent of Cod6on
SchooM shows, that the average nnaater Of
pnpil4 ATTENDING the Public School-4s Fonly
THIkzxks thousand, though there .arein this
city 4eaHy~ slxTE4rHRkE ,housandR<childre
over I've and under sixtae> syears Of age, Of
whom thirty tlo1shlId 40 mol attend any
sehoQk The Traslees ef the Public School So
caefy lamented this evil-and that il is an
evil mt with tremendous consequences,
no one VII deny :--they assure US they have
used their Vest endeavors to induce parents TO
send their children TO those schools, but with
out SUGGEST Have those gentlemen troubled
themselves 70 inquire why their darling sys-
tenn has tailed Of success, and exhibits palpa-
bic ASideqec THAI it does not, and Cannot real.
ize heot4ect il Processes to contemplate, viz,
the education Of The rising generation! Is it
that the great majority Of our city population
are not aware Of the benefits which good ed
sucati0n confers or that they are so corrupt
aud abandoned il their habits, that they are
utterly indifferent to the future well-being of
their offspring, and have thus become careless
to avail themselves of the precious advantages
OF instruction provided for their children? BY
no means. Few in our day and in our city can
be found either ignorant OF, or Indifferent 10,
the advantages Of education; but there are tens
Of thousands Of our fellow citizens, who will
mol permit Their cnlluIrn 10 attend me Tntiix
Schools, because they know that the system
of.edncation established in them lie Atheistic in
theory and infidel in its tendency, at the same
time that it is ostensibly Prolestat in its prac-
tical Development Seeing, then, that secular
instruction in the public schools is afforded
Only on condition Of their sacrificing thei! re!i-
gious principles, and submitting to discipline
so decidedly anti-C Catholic as to imply virtual
apostacy from their faith, they reject with
scoru the proffered boon Of education on such
terms, and protest against The unconstitutional
violation Of the sacred rights Of conscience
.0hich- il Involves. Being thus virtually ex-
ciuded from the public schools, for whose sup
port, neveriheless, they are taxed as well as
others, they are reduced to the necessity Off pro-
vidiag out Of their private means the benefits
Of education for their children in other schools
whore their religious principles will not be as
sailed, directly or indirectly. Unfortunately
Inere are many VINO cannot bear this addition
al burden, and the consequence is that their
children grow up in ignorance aud contract
idle habits and vicious propensities which are
seldom corrected in after life. but rather s'grow
with their growth, and strengthen with their
IL - IF nj
turns that there are in this city thisty-two thou
sand children who did not attend any school
Let tl6 Cristian philan,hropist-let even the
infdel who has any regard for social order,
contemplate this alarming state OF society and
consider its inevitable consequences, and he
will BIZ convinced that the present system OF
public instruction must be modified so as 10
meet the wants and wishes Of the community:
The sooner this is done the better. lhe evli
has already reached an alarming height, and IS
daily becoming more invetorate and more diff
cult to be eradica'ed. An immediate and eff
cient remedy is needed. The voice OF suffer-
ing humanity demands 1.-THE dearest inter-
csts Of society require it. As under our re-
publican form of government parents cannot
be compelled to send their children to school
or to church, such system ct public instruc-
ton must be introduced as shall inspire pa
rents with fall con6deoce in its management
and induce them 10 send their children TO
school. This most desirable result would be
attained hv The adop,ion of the measure intro
dpced into the Senate at The close Of the last
session LII; in accordance with the views and rec
commenda,ion Of the late superintendent of
common schools. The only improvement we
.....nla ssrrres, wonld he. the insertion Of a
,..c1 ;h;t:nr updor heavy npnalfIpS. tina
use Of any religious or sectarian books, and
the introduction Of religious exercises or In
struction. in The co1nmon school room during
.sskool4,ours. By q clause to that effect the