The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-03

The School Directors.
Last night, it will be seen, four of this body,
consisting of twenty-one members, performed one
Of the most important acts which can devoive on
the Board, They suspended the Superintendent Of
the Public Schools, and appointed another in his
place. BY an ordinance, fivs compose quorum
Last night just that number were present. We
think that rule must be bad, which gives to so in
significant minority as five in body OF twenty
one the right to control its action. At this time it
is well known that a majority of the Board have
refused to act, believing that the repeal of the ordi
nance under which they were elected, has ousted
them. The Superintendent has been compelled
to disobey either the Council the action of mi
nority of the Board. Placed in situation of great
delicacy, he has chosen to pursue the course
pointed out by the direction of the Council and in
which he finds q majority of the Directors who
elected him Under such circumstances, we think
the FIVE, in whose hands the power was
lodged last night, might have well adopted the pru-
dent and modest and dignfed course proposed by
Mr.. Hillman. He advised the suspension of all
action until the Court had rendered its decision.
If that should happen to be adverse to the preten
sions of these gentlemen, they will make very
ridiculous figure.
their conduct. They complain that the Council
have expelled them without a hearing, and yet
turn right around and expel Mr.. Shaw without
giving him hearing. 1t is true he was notified
of the meeting this evening, but no notice was
given him of the intended indiguy He is sus-
pended without any notice. In looking over the
ordinances for the management of the public
schools, we do not find any such power given to
| the Directors But we have not learned that Mr..
Shaw has committed any offence even against this
powerful minority. The twentieth rule provided
that the schools should be opened by reading pas.
sage from the Holy Scriptures, and by short
prayer. This was deemed offensive to some tender
consciences, and the rule was repealed. What
was the effect, The rule simply ceased to be
compulsory. The Minority Board, with all their
newborn religious fastidiousness, did not compel
| the Superintendent to desist The mode of OPEN
ing the public schools was left with him, and he,
full of sectarian spirit, chose, of his accord
to continue the discipline which for nine years had
| been compulsory Whenever the Board shall pro-
hb the reading of the Bible, and the delivery of a
prayer in the schools, it will be the duty of the
| Superintendent to carry out the rule,
| What right have the Comm tees to give orders
to the teachers. 1t is the Board alone which is to
prescribe rules for the discipline of the schools
Tie Committees have no such power. If they
object to the Bible or that prayer, they can obtain
a rule to prohibit them But there is nothing in the
ordinances which gives them the power to inter.
fere with the rules of the Superintendent Other.
wise there might be different systems in the schools
| an evil guarded against by the ordinance which
says that all the schools shall be governed by one
| uniform sysem.''
IL ia, tlaea
maintain their seats in spite of the repeating ordi-
nance, that they had not waited until the question
was decided by the competent tribunal. After SUBJ
hitting nine long years to this horrible imposition
after the minds of the children had been for this
long period corrupted blythe daily reading of Gods
holy word, and the daily reading of simple Christ
| ian prayer we think that few weeks more of
outrage might have been borne with for the sake of
dignity. This fussy indignation looks more like
uneasiness. 1t is said that the severest test of mill
tary discipline is to stand quietly under fire-the
men with difficulty restrained from advancing.
Our gallant Board, thinned down 10 less than one
half, by single discharge from their enemies, can
not stand immovesbe and wait for the word to ad
| vance. The five members in that big hall, though
they form quorum by law, are not recognized by
the community authorized to make important
lished discipline, and to suspend faithful public OIL
Ger, 'cthout hearing, and for offence but enter
tanning the opinion that those gentlemen who claim
to be Directors have ceased to be such. Ii we may
be allowed to express an opinion, we concur with
Mr. Shaw in the belief that the repeating Of the
| ordinance under which they were elected, neces-
sarily evicted them. And secondly, that the repeal
| OF the obnoxious sectarian twentieth rule, did not
| require of him to silence the Word of God and the
voice of prayer in the schools. In looking over the
debates in the Convention which framed the Con-
stitution Of the United States, we found the follow
| ing:
Governor Franklin benjamin franklin. read some re-
marks, acknowledging the difficulty of the present SUBJECT
Neither ancient or modern history give light. AS
sparrow does not fall without divine permission.
pose that governments be erected without his will We
shall afraid be disgraced through little party views.
ImDUe that are haze prayers every morning."
We wish we had few more such sectarians left
in the country.