The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-04-29
OUR COMMON SCHOOLS.

parents,-without providngfo FOR them any ade-
quate substituted; and that in this way many
thousands of those children who need instruc-
ton most, will Represented from receiving IL
utter 1t has been brought within their reach.
We should witness such result with great
regret. In this city, and throughout this
State, there are very many among the Catho
lies who will not consent thus to deprive their
children Of the advantage Of good instruc-
tion, because religious teaching is not COM
bined with it:-so that very many thousands
of the children Of Catholic parents are now
receiving the benefits Of our Public Scho.l
System without detriment Of their religious
faith. We trust that this WILL continue to be
the case; and no effort on the part of the
friends of the present system should be spared
to make the schools perfectly unexccptionable
in regard to the character Of the instruction
given, and in the highes: degree attractive
to all those who have children to be educa-
ted.-M Y. Times. ~
! There is sound common sense in the above.
1t is certainly to be hoped that the parents of
Catholic children syih mas - far overlook
their best interests as TO feAnse to send them
to common schools, unless they have the abl-
ity to educate them in schools Of purely Sec
tartan. character. When il is considered that
no system OF sectarian theologyis taught in
our common schools, but that all these mat
tcrs are left for the parentsto arrange at home,
or to go unarranged, az they see fit, it seems
that the complaint of sectsrian influence a
gainst the Catholics is not well founded, and
ought not to be made. Our idea o. o common
school, is: A place where silence alone is the
main thing to be taught, and where the pecu-
liar religious notions that aye prevalent in the
land are entirely unknown. We know and
appreciate the importance and value of sound
moral training g. freely subscribe to the doc
trine that mere knowledge, unaccompanied
with wisdom, is not calculated to make the
possessor what he ought to be as a member of
society. But we have yet to learn that six
hours in twenty four cannet be proftably en-
ployed in the acquisition u scientific knowl-
edge, exclusively, while TIE other eighteen
remain for other purposes hnd that moral and
religious training which tile parent may feel
, disposed to bestow.
The system of common schools is based
upon the theory that the children will attend
, in their own district, cand that the districts
, will be so arranged that they can 60 from re-
turn to their own homes each day. From
morning till nine O'Clock she scholar is with
its parents under their own roof, and entirely
subject to their control. 'From the close ol
school in the afternoon, I'll the child retires
to rest, it is under the exclusive control of the
parents. All this time the scholar can be en-
. ployed in studies or readAgs that shall tend
to cultivate its moral or religious character
Is not this time enoughss, Is it necessary tc
devote more than half IT, time of a child to
this department Of its education! What par
ent now devotes even o:se hour per day spsci'
ally to this! Why, then, object to the chile
: spending five or six houisiof each twenty-loul
in the acquisition acknowledge, and in deve
oping the intellect! Isjtnot unphilosophcaI
and absurd to pretend thai this amount oftime
cannot be proitably eirp3oyed daily, and tina
: it is obiectionab!e, h:s.hse instruction in re
Eliai.us iaaa,,o.s 8 t,osg.snparted with these
4 scientific studies, in the same lessons, ant
from the same books and teachers!
With some persons Of Wealth, the education
of their children occupied more of their time
: They are sent to schools away from home, &
l
. ment during all the hours of the day are mat
ters within the control and supervision of the
, teachers. In this class Of cases, moral ant
, religious training become duty that SHOULD
not be neglected. The parents can make theil
, own selection of teachers, & have any system
of religion taught they desire. All of these
things are well enough; yea, they are to q
certain extent necesSities TO that class who are
able to educate their childsen in schools and
seminares away from home. But it must be
evident that these reasons do not apply to our
system of common schools. They are de-
signed for only one department of education,
the training of the intellect.
The objection that religious instruction is
not specially impaired is really no objection
at all to our syst EN- of common schools. 1t is
their greatest recommendation. Amy atte mpt
at that department would st once, and nevi-
tably degenerate into sectarianism. There
would be a struggle to get teacher of the
denomination that suited the parents. The
majority would rule, and the minority
would refuse to send their children to the
chool. If they were rich enough, they
might get up a school TO suit themselves,
| anu III tnev were poor, tney Woulu keep
their children at home. What, then,
would become of the families of the poor,
the degraded Who would provide for the
education OF that very class that are now pro-
vided for, and who need it far more than any
other, il our present system were destroyed!
We sincerely hope that Catholic parents
will not adopt such a suicidal policy as it
would be to keep ,her children out of the
fee sUhools that are now ny law offered to
them. We Gun see no advantages, nothing
but great evil in so doing. Look around
Columbus. Who are the parents that are
generally able to educate their children in pri-
vate schools and semnaries. Are they the
Catholics! The great mase of that faith are
Irish They come here poor, They are gen.
orally honest, industrious day laborers, Some
of them have accumulated enough to get them
snug little home of their own, and others
are daily struggling to reach that desirable
point, Meanwhile they have children grow
ing up around them. They have Catholic
churches and the means for religious instruc-