New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-15
LETTER FROM DIR. CHEEyER.
Gavazzi and our Public Schools

For The Tribune.
Ny DEAR FRIEND GREELEY: This is not the first
time that you and have had an encounter. and as
have always found you frank and courteous, so feel
sure you will allow TO set myself right with your
readers even it should put you little in the wrong
Let me then first make short quotation from the ed-
toral in The Independent showing the position OF Ga
vazz and then We will proceed TO the argument on the
School Question.
said that Gayazzi dsclamed the appellatOn of Prot
estant partly because for him and for the truth Prot
estantism does not 90 far enough. He proclams war;
and not reform against the system of the Papacy The
Papa system he declares cannot be reformed but must
be annhlated. IL is not any part OF Christianity not
even corruption OF it, but an entire Reconsideration
of il into Pagansm. The Papal Church is not Chris
tan ChurchnO, not even an apostae church. being no
church at all, but lie and blasphemy despotsm
and slavery, without any mixture of truth any posi-
by of appeal. am for war against that system, said
Gavazzi, and for only am not for peace. There
can be no peace between the Papa system and the Cos
pel You cannot have peace with that which is enmty
and blasphemy against God. The Papal system cannot
be reformed but must be destroyed annhlated.
Now said " it will be at once that Gayazz here
plants himself on the very ground occupied by Paul.
That Man of Sin and Son OF Pcrdition, who OppoSeth
and exaeth himself above all that is called God or that
is worshiped, that he, God, stitch III the temple
OF God, showing himself that he is God, is THAT
WICKED. whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit
of his mouth and shall DESTROY with the brightness OF
his coming In all prophetic disclosures in regard to
the Romish Church. there such thing minated as
q possibility of its reformation, but Its PcTdHOH Is dis
tincty ioretod Gayazzis doctrine is Pauline in this
matter and his position IN the Word OF God Is I'M
presnable.'
But | said he will not be misunderstood, and must
not be- misrepresented. The war which he means to
wage is moral and spiritual war-a war of argument
and truth-awar with the Word aud the Providence of
God for his weapOnSa against men serrors to save
their souls. Ii is not against individuals, but
apainst the system that would destroy them. Gavazzl
powerfully pleads the cause of Religious Liberty Shame
ON the press that would muzzle this eloquent man, and
denounce him srrerup OF strife, because be will
preach tie truth III regard 10 the errors ana lhes oI
RomanSm.'
Now confess that was never more asOnished than
when saw the tone adopted by the editor of The Trib
une toward this solitary monk But you attempt to
sanction il by argument you VIII not OJect To the iar
examination of your logic.
II has struck me from the outset a very singular
thing that YOU should be for sitting inquiry stopping
aeitatons in regard the points OF difference between
Professionalism and Romanlsm You are AFRAID OF secta-
ran btterness yOu who have perpetuay been stirring
the community at all hazards with the btterest of all
elements that on the question OF Slavery; you, who
have execraed and spit upon the platform OF party
when il would insist upon silent acqulescence IN the IN
Justice and ndgnity OF Slavery you, who have thrown
Marriage institution because you would not stife any
mans opinions; yet You have found one subject on
which men must not speak out; you would muzzle our
mouhsin regard to the of Romanism the Slavery
of which is infinitely for the heart and soul than
any other form Of seryude ever imagined You argue
that such speeches as those of Father Gayazz do I'M
mense evil TO the cause of Human Liberty.
Yet the speeches of GayaZzi are intended purposely
TO expose and demonstrate the tyranny and unscrpural-
ness of the Papacy the intrinsic perpetual and unchan
Ila ifinnn If he tO Ia
of mankind both personal and national and the danger
To our own country from silent and ignorant acqules-
cence in the establishment Of the Papa power among
us never heard before of any writer not himself a
Papis who regarded attack against the Papa system
as an injury to the freedom of mankind Youargue that
Gayazzs open and daring exposure OF the most cOpl
Gated and perfect form of Desposm that ever cursed
the world and his warning against its advancement,
bis endeavOrs to open mems eyest0 its abomna0ns are
an evil to the cause Of Human Liberty!
But Won say that the question you raise concerns not at
all the theology of this that Church. but the wisdom
propriey, and utility of dealing out such thunders as
Gavazzs Why then do You speak of sectarian strife,
if the question be not at all of Theology Why are GA
yazz thunders against the Pope and the Papal system
any more obnoxious than the POpes against the Bible
and against all PrOtestants How that you discover
such dangers of internal strife and secaran bitterness
in Gavazzs thunders against the Papal PRIESTHOOD ana
the ROmsh doctrines but none at all IN the mcessant
denuncations of Romsh Priests against Protestant doc
trnes and the Protestant Church Is it just to impose
silence on one party while you encourage the other 70
speak out That is the course adopted in ROmish
countries Do you really think it will be favorable to
the cause of Human Liberty TO have it adopted here
also
Now in fact the whole merit of the question lies its
theology The false theology of Rome is the bottom
of her tyranny it is the support of her despOtsm And
were not that the conflict is really between truth and
error for heaven or hell what need We for The
thunders OF GayaZzi of which you complain, are the
thunders of truth against error Can you deny the
Justice of his exposures of the system OF ROmansm!
Can you prove him false in any of his charges' Why
then, you unwilling that your felOwctzens should
have the whole truth on that subject Why not have the
light poured upon that well as the subject of Tenn
perance Slavery Those very sore subjects, both
Of them. TO many OF our citizens.
Indeed the light hurts all sectaran eyes, in pO
stons in some respects the whole truth cannot be de-
cared without this consequences but we therefore
70 keep the light from shining II the supporters of the
Papal system especially afflicted with Inflammation Of
the optic nerve so that broad daylight is intOlerable
must We therefore turn society into an Ophthamic
hospital Ii they wish their children to be educated in
a dark room. must We imprsOn also
Something like this seems 10 be your argument in be-
half of Common Schools when YOU require that for the
sake of the Public Schools Gavazzi utter Of
his thunders, and that the whole controversy between
Professionalism and ROmanism be hushed % silence.
You contend that We have been working very hard to
reduce Schools TO such harmless neutralzed
dition, such innocence Of Bible Truth such nOensive
To all Papal error that the Romaniss shall
slider them To all ntents and purposes good Papal
Schools; and now, just when upon the point of
victory, the tempestuous elOquence Of this Italian
patriot ushers in sectaran hurricane, that threatens
to oyerse our whole scheme. Still some might be in
cned ask, If the Schools first be exercised of
all religious truth as the primary condition of the
ROmanists sending their children them aud second
ifthe children are to be retained in bem only at the
price of telling the truth eise,cere only at
the price OF aburng all controversy against Romish