The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-04-07
For the Express

For the Express
GARRY Owen, March 22I, 1852.
4AlEssRs. ED,roRs: Permit me through tn
columns of your Journal, to give the followin!
i'm reply to a communication, which appeared
in the Western Democrat Of Bellevue, March
10th, purport,ng to be communication OF !
pretended officer in Batter Township. Jack sol
CO.. Iowa In which The writer SAYS, he ssdeem
il his duty to lay before the public, the facts II
the case.
would he had done So, and he would, there
bv, save me the painful trouble of exposing hi.
vicious and Illegal course As for ms SELF, afiel
stating the .sfac,s' as they have occurred, vii
leave It to the impartial public to judge, whcth
er or no have ou'stepped my bounds, as cit
zen and legal voter of the district.
The referred to comnunic alton, would no!
have been noticed, were it not To Sc, a, ease ana
arrest from the public mind, the false impress
sions it is calculated to make.
His first false statement is, that, .s7trife and
tumuit, exists in the District" on the contra
ry the Oldest settlers here, assert that they have
never kaown the District more tranquil in school
matters.
second. He asserts that 81 announced from
the pulpit, that had employed Teacher aud
vented the school house.
Third. Ii was unnecessary for me 10 employ
4 Teacher. since there was one already employ
ed by the President at the Board of Directors
said teacher also obtained of nv predecessor.
permission to open a school in the Church of
ST. Patrick, where he taught schoo! for five
weeks, after my arrival. At the close Of the
fifth week, school was for the first time, since |
came here, taught in the school house referred
to, not by me, neither by The Directors, but by
the teachers as an independent pay school
The gentleman laws great stress upon his
ssoa,h of Office and his right 10 exercise ais own
Judgment" In common with my fellow cit
Gems of B. township, | never denied him the
right of exercising his private Judgment: but
we deny to him or anv other man, right to
compel US to admit their private Judgment as
undeniable facts, unit! they prove them to be
such.
Neither do we deny that he has taken an
oath to act Secretary of the District; bu'
who authorized him to do so? Did the peo-
ple Of School District, No. 1, B. township Z
No indeed: for Mr.. James Deacon was their
candidate, and by them elected; and accord
ing to law, he appeared before David Burke,
Esq, Justice Of the Peace, 10 be qualified; when
and where, he, Mr.. D. was informed by (Mr.
that he, david Burke,) had already qualified
and given bonds for the fnlfiment of said Office,
MIR. Deacon, acting every honest man must,
sensible of the responsibility of office, turned
home quietly, and much pleased at being reliev
ed from the burthen, his friends and fellow Cit,
zens were DESTROYS of placing upon him. Had
the gentleman at the same time, thought proper
to qualify for the Presidency of the u. S ,wonld
the American people in consequence thereof,
admit his ipse DIRT law binding. l, a
citizen, think not, and so think the people of
this township.
Third False statement, is, that ins'itnt d
the new code for the bill, the Cen'lem,n's re-
collection seems not TO serve him, if he will but
we'll recollect, on that day: | read to the con-
yrecation these words of Christ, in the Gospel
ST Matthew: render therefore to Cesar, the
things that Caesars. and unto God the
things that are Gods" and from the Ep ST
Paul 10 the Romans, g He that resiste,h the
power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they
that resist purchase to themselves damnation. =
Thus, after explaining 10 the people. the
necessity OF willing obedience to The laws
not alone for fear, but for conscience sake
which had .sgreat effect" | then referred &c
the school law, CHI. "a, sec 90 where the law
expressly states, what the qualifications of
teacher shall be, aud in what he shall be exam
ined. Again CHI, 81, sec. 9, the law is positive in
asserting, that the people shall sav what mum
Der Of teachers shall be employed, shall cause
the District Board to make such Classification oi
the pupils, as they may deem necessary; and The
extra compensation shall be paid by the private
subscriptions, not from the School Fund.
M, says our pretended School Director, W,
shall have certain Professor, who Is able t
teach our children to navigate pillow around tho
globe, before they are able = spell, to teacf
them I, measure the Heavens, before they car
enumerate; also 10 handle the intoxicating glass
and blaspheme their Greater, before they art
able to return him thanks for their existence
and for so doing. he shall be paid from the
School Fund, $25 per month"; while one q ali
fed to teach those branches, required by law
can be had for $40 per month.
This .soath Of office" is certainly binding
thing, since it binds men to an observance Of
their own private judgment, and not to an obser
vance OF the iaw-.shall be excluded from The
Church and sacrament, for six months" YES
in common, with my brother Catholic priests
throughout the world, fearlessly assert, tina
1 never will admit TO the sacrament obsti
nate sinner, or those who refuse to obey lcga
authority, (the law since believe they .sresis
the ordinances of God, and purchase to them
selves damnation;" hence the cause why "Presi
dent Fillmore" or any other person taking b,
force, from the Treasury nine dollars per montl
~wouid not be eligible tor teacher in Town
ship" The amount of funds apportioned to us
this rear, with l66 pupils over and under g
years of age, is the small sum OF $905 81 some
cents less than last year. The amount each chils
in attesdance at school, is required to. pay, iii
able) is the small sum Of II cents per month
or every family sending them so cents pc
month";. Seventy children is the average mum
Der, in attendance, making fund of S11 81
per month, or $l42 so annually; thus giving il
all, fund Of $233 80. The teachers salary, i
10 true, is but $i6 per month, as the gentleman
says. but he oinits to inform the public, tina
there are two teachers, who are, and have beer
engaged, even since the "free or moner.
school was opened on the Gath Nov. 1852
Now suppose each and every child, paid its /.
cents per month, the amount for the fou
months past, would be $47 90, this added Il
so so. would amount 10 $l4S 10, take from
this the salary of two teachers, for four months
at $l6 DER month"; and it will leave a balance 4,
the treasury, Of $50 10; and still we will no
let Mr.. Secretary, "put his hand on it, as Ions
as we have q treasurer.
The gentleman refers to the letter Of Judg
Spur, g which" he says, "was written in
spririted and truly polite style. will give il fo
snblic perusal; then shall leave the matte
with an unprejudiced aud impartial public, t
cav awho took the fools course, to gain note
rietr.'~
All further communications from the abov
source, shall be passed by me as unworthy {
ustice r. F. TRACY.
Pastor St. Patrick
sThs subject would have hccn noticed before, had
uos bcen necessarily absent at Iowa City.
ospy Of Letter received from the School Fun
0oynv niee:0