New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-19
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
rhe Flushing School.

Preeuming from the time winch mas elapsed
that the Board of Education do not deem it
consistent with their position to enter into any
controversy with John Mcmahon, eleve of
Archbishop Hughes at this place, any further
than to deny the assertions made in his first
communication in your columns, take the
liberty of dssecting few Of the statements
made in his letter Of the 9TH inst, the charac-
ter of which and it's logic would certainly lead
no one to suspect the writer of Jesuitism.
He denies that Archbishop Hughes has adj
vised or had any knowledge of this School
movement. Now, it is somewhat notorious and
doubtless susceptible of proof, that Archbishop
Hughes did breach the School question in the
Catholic Church in this village, insisted that
Catholic children should be taken from the Pub
lie School, and that Catholic School should be
q, once established The memory OF John hcMshon is
not reliable In this matter In assertions Of fact
should always know where they stand
He complains that The statements Of Catholic parents
and children not heard In the investigation re-
speeding the alleged beating of child for not re;tng
the Lords prayer. Of what avail would be the ev[
| dence Of parents, none of whom claim TO have been
present at such alleged beating and of what avail the
evidence Of their children compliments in the
In the experience Of the Board parents have often in
sisted that the evidence Of their children should bs
taken respecngthe guilt Of an ofense with which those
very children stood charged. The testimony Of cul
prit is rarely admitted in Court Of Justice Ii well
known and II II fruitful of trouble that chill
dren frequently carry home fase complaints against
their teachers, 10 which parents often niudciOusy
hften. II child plays while his way 10 scholar
ryes there consequently late to get before the
doors locked, which Is done precisely at well
known hour and Immediately before the repeating of
IA sbNA for n
late by detention after school, he will be very likely
hide his fault by telling his parents that he
punished for not repeating the Lords prayer.
II the teachers the Board 10 listen 10 the com
plant Of parent made under the conviction of the
truth OF his chds ststementhey would In theopinon of
every sensible seriously nure the school, In all such
cases as in the present when parent claims that MS
child has been uDiustly punished the investigations OF
the Board have been founded upon the evidence OF
either complainant defendant but upon that of others
present whose age rendered their testimony reliable.
Neither do they deem it, their duty to invite the villa.
gers be present at such invest cations while the
a. is wen known that they object presence
Of none As evidence of the guilt Of the teacher John
Mcmahon FAYE, tits not easy 20 see how teacher
could be justified in inforcing custom which had
the entire approval Of the Board" He does not seem 20
perceive that there Ia essential difference between
the approval OF custom and the ordering its enforce
ment by punishment.
lie considers the including Of Catholics among pro.
fesng Christians Tue Board In their commu-
ncaiion evidently did intend it, could they
for a moment eve that Romanists would deem Il
insult 10 be considered professors Of Christianity.
His denial, however Of this designation are bound
in all fairness 10 receive. The whole question however
lies in nut she'll Five years ago the whole Catholic
population and large portion OF he Protestant
growing up in ignorance the only Public School in the
village beng scarcely worthy OF the name.
BY great effort, and assisted by the of many Of
the Catholics themselves sPublc School establish.
ed capable Of educating five hundred children and in ts
grade equal to any In the City Of New.York The
Catholics seized with JOY this opportunity of educating
their children and with very justifabe interest aud
pride they saw them month by month and year BY year.
under the training OF this school, growing into a
knowledge Of literature, science and art which they
themselves bad never dreamed. have had my eye
upon individual scholars OF this school since it,
establishment and can point out Irish boys and girls
whose abilities aud whose requirements second 10
Protestant children in the school These very chill
dren were fast preparing themselves for future useful
in perhaps the highest stations in the land aud
their parents knowing this were jusfsbly proud Of it,
But In tins process their reflective d reasoning pow.
became developed and they also taught their parents
&c reflect and reason Now this reasoning and rehec.
hon tended 10 shake their allegiance 20 the peculiar sys
tenn OF which Archbishop Hughes and John N ,Mshon
are the opponents and they began perhaps to question
by what night their presy rulers cxacted from them
onetenth or one.hhh Of their hardearned wages for
purposes OF the benefits OF which they the presty ru.
lsr, were The sole recipients. They heard these rulers
decainng against Protestant Drawers and Protestant
Billie reading" but they knew that they dreaded as
much their own Dousy Bible without note or Comment
ior N th also Is found much of the truth dangerous
! 10 Their tystoIn.
They stl farther and recognized the fac, that N
these prestly rulers there sti another cause of
fear which would exist were all Protestant, prayers and
Bibles Of every Kind removed forever from the coyni
Of their people This cause was the iutehgence
and mental cultivation Of Catholics those Qualities of
which the people now found themselves possessed
This 10 the real cause OF pnestly fear behind all
prayers and bibles Their only hope is in ignorance:
their only fear V in intelligence
In this alarming aspect OF things confer was had
with - John, Archbishop Of NewYork who forthwith
came to the Catholic Church Of this place derlaimed
v,hementy upon the evils resulting from the attendance
Of Catholic children az the Public Shoo and insisted
that IL must be stopped He and John McMahon knew
however that Catholic parents valued the future welfare
OF their children too much to yield cheerful obeieoce
and was eoaciGGed TO compel the Board OF Eiucson
| To drive them oct.
They were therefore gathered together in a mee,ip,
ana made 10 pass certain resolutions 6oabtess rmana
ing from the pea of John McMahon These Resolutions
demanded the disconiinunce Of the Lords PRAYER and
| Suggested the removal 1.-THE teacher
No tcTker aem1sd Ead( that tine or has Jer.
fRads siHet, Nov the Board Of Education were very
desrous thst the Catholic children should make As in
tclngeni men snd women the Protestant children
anG they deemed the School intended for one A. much
a. or the other They rejected also that the State
hiss by lts establishment OF these schools decided that
the intelligence CT eG is people is,essental TO s wei
fare, set Of men Lad right FOX their own purposes
TO retain any portion Of tbs, people II iynorsnce
The Board therefore determined 70 foil this Priest as
far they could do without compromising praci
pie deenng prayers slisito par OF public eiu.
os and knowing that Pedestrians object 20 the
Of f0rmsl prayers, they decided th4, the Lords
prayer should be Discontinued in the school and gave
their orders accordingly, which obeyed ErfEe
Satisfaction EiA 1s S<c<ioH eTsSSe4 b. tke CatAo
ses but John McAsfcn foIed and he then made his
charge upon the teGcher-s lady forgetting that the dis
continuance Of the practice by order OF the Board obvia
ed all future danger from any efforts enc might make
II deharrcd himself from the huraasEzne influences
Of snsle socie he should recSot the OPINION OF the
world respecting revenge upon womsn.
He was fooled however-he could not induce TIE
hosrd 10 drive TIE Catholic eharen from the School
~ refusing that for which their parents asked He was
thc'ecre Obliged TO come cut without any such aid and
say 20 bis people sORay ths they must no longer ex
pose ther children 20 heresy rssray that they NUT
eeeestt The uiDds other children 20 degre.
that VIII induce them to think Tor thersclts And thra
offprsstly don,ir sion
he hss therefore levied upon the hard earnings OF his
people mid grosrs which dare not De uttered sni he
sy 49,, ~ as oo1ees-the establishment Of secta-