New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-14
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.

While the most Insignificant questions re-
iating TO the dispensatiOn Of Office are attract
ing general and lively attention, the gravest and
most pertentous movement Of our time At
tracts little regard from the Press and even
less from the Public. We allude to the now
evident purpose and concerted effort Of the
Roman Catholic Hierarchy of this country to
break up the system of Common School Edu-
cation, by Withdrawing the children Of their
flock, frOx the Schools as now constituted aud
demanding separate education instead. The
letter Of r. c. Bishop 0Ccnnor Of Pittsburgh
to Gov Bigler-s very able and careful mani
festo-sums up the demands Of his Church as
follovs:
"The plan would sugges. : not 70 cucumber the
system vlth addious station; no, 10 add new ma
chnerv 10 stimulate 70 reyuare the motion OF thu, a.
ready existing not 70 create new Offices IN the GIT OF
the general administration o. he STATE, Out ra1er 70
simplify legislation. 70 prevent the evils OF patronage
hy throwing back under tie immediate supervision OF
tie parents Of the children the whole administration Of
In word. to make every school in which parent
has confidence public school. and give every teach
share Of what is appropriated for education in each dis
trict il the proportion which the humber OF pupils en-
trusted 20 lis care bears 70 tee whole number Of CHI
dreu educated IN the district.
This AZ first may no plan a. all even s1 sb-
r,.riv VIII venture say, however that on reiec-
ton Il vii be ound 20 have the most advantages OF al,
viih fewest Inconvenience.
The systeu would work "a follows: suppose the
public money 10 Ne expended IN certain School
District a1Cunts 20 5000 Snd rat there are lVOJ ch-
DIRE, 10 be educated IN the district Ths would De 9
exTeuted each child Instead OF appointing SCI oil
officials 20 procure teachers srec Tor salaries, exercise
SUPERVISION &c would say Let every one whO desires
70 do 90 open School; let each parent send hs chud
to any school be peases Every teacher would
then be entitled the OF s. for every child that no
can show to have been in regular attendance st hs
School during The year Let any measure that Is deemed
necessary be adopted % yUarI against abuse or lmpOs
.on bu. lot the main idea be preserved that each parent
can send his child to any school be plsases and the
teacher 10 whom he sends him be enret TO the amount
the State intends expenoing on Is education.
We do not propose at present TO discuss
the grave question here raised, but only to
urge its general consideration. 1t viii doubt
less be presented ere long in such manner that
il must be considered, AMI ii is greatly desira-
bic that it be approached ooOlly, disPassiOnately
and with an earnest desire TO do what is right,
and to resist whatever is wrong and pernicious.
In our view, however, it is incumbent on
demanded on the part ofthe Catholics to show,
1. That the system they propose is practical
bic in districts Cike most Of ours) where all the
children on an area ofthreemiles square hardly
suffice to ill one good school; and ,. (since they
argue that the Voluntary System-say rather
absence Of system)-has somewhere, at some
time, resulted in the requisite diffusion Of ele-
meNtary knowledge. If DO people ever were
as well educated under that system as are the
natives of Massachusetts, at this day-then We
urge that the argument from experience
bears very strongly against the Roman Catho-
lie assumption and that Bp. 0'Connor, in
arguing that the schooling Of children may as
well be left 20 the unprompted, desultory ac-
ton of their several parents as their feeding
clothing &c, aiErms parity which is con-
tradicted by universal experience