New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-18

whistle and quite Incompetent 70 the contest ne hSi 70
rashly provoked with god who played elegantly on the
harp to SAY nothing Of his remarkable accomplishment
of singing After Apollo sijudged the vi-torby the
Muses., be grabbed his late competitor and in 1T OF
passion doubtless proceeded 10 dvest BIN of his outer
ost envelope. Nov, this is very different story trOm
that told on Apollo by our correspondent, and We pro-
test against his slandering respectable parsonage
And at the sane time he viii alloE to observe that
il is not the best proof either Of good temper or OF
thinking Justly" to charge dsputant who has con
Quoted himself With exemplary Kindness add courtesy
as We have certainly done toward our cores
pondent-with an inward instinct Of contumely aud
fierce contempt If the writer viii cooly refer 10 cur
remarks On bis former article he may see reason TO re-
greet bis unjust accusation.
But let US leave these comparatively worthless con-
sderstons for the momentous subject at issue which
ispsmely Whether there shall beCommOn Schools or not
We mean BY Common Schools. those supported wholly
or mainly either by taxation levied the entire com
munity or by money derived from the public domain or
other source Of revenue in which each citizen has the
same right and interest. A II. d. contends that
,rang,lcal Protestant religious teachings influences
shall form part Of the course Of instruction "a such
schools We maintain that this is equivalent TO break
Ig item htOrelntIs puibiuI ~ IA NAV NaH
be called public education, and substituting therefor
system of sectarsn schools, which, however good aud
useful they might b. must, all experience teaches,
prove utterly inadequate to all the children OF
the community full average amount Of learning and
mental culture
Among the many singular assumptions which appear
ID the letter Of onr correspondent is this that We who
claim that State Institutions the public schools shall
be based on religious tolerance, DO thereby propose to
make concession 20, or bestow a favor on the Roman
Catholics This is altogether erroneous We ask 10 IA
yors for either Catholics Calyinists but simply de-
mand that all shall have their rights and that great pub
lie interests like that of Common School education
shall not be sacrificed the views held by por
tiors OF this or that religious denomination
The Common Schools are established by the State
whose Constitution maintains the position toward
all forms of religion, tolera'ing and protecting
all, patrOnizng and supporting none. Does this
Constitution result in a prevalence Of irrel-
eon and immortality BY no means. We fearlessly
assert that there is country under State Church
where there is much religion and morality as we find
here under the system of freedom and equal rights.
Just so it must be with the State Schools Thy cannot
reasonably be based any other than that system.
They are not established to teach religion, since our
Institutions make that the private concern Of each
person and each family They are TO instruct o useful
knowledge and mental discipline Men Of all esns Of
faith taxed for their support and to make them the
vehicles of teaching the religious dOgmas of any denOm
nation would be invasion alike Of the rights Of nd
yduss and of whole political system. Ii this be TO
prescribe religion A. Ii. d asserts, why then religion
is prescribed by every Constitution in the thrtyone
States and this country is instead Of blessing
of mankind But such is papably not the case nor
would it be though free unsectarian School were
tabished in every neghborhOod throughout the entire
land Ind eed the Of pure and undefled religion
ard morality could only profit by the general diffusion
of good learning which such Schools must produce.
Now to enact that instruction in that system of faith
which our correspondent describes evangelical,
that worsbip in It's spirit according to is forms shall
constitute part of the Common School course would
result, say, in the breaking up OF the Common
Schools altogether Not only would the Catholics with
draw therefrou but the considerable body Of
geical sects such Uniersaists, Unitarians Christ
ians and others would do the Our correspondent
jealous as be is for that very imaginary religious faith
heretofore known as held By the American people,
imsgnes that this might be done and the School fund
remain intact in evangelical control forever. But
does he not know that such withdrawal would presently
be foloWed by powerful agitation for the division Of
the fund among these numerous and varying denomna
tions and may say in passing, that We nothing
but good even to religion, in their great number and
varetyand that thus the unity Of the Schools would
be destroyed and they be converted into sectaran
Institutions This must inevitably be tie result, and
without here repeating the argument prove the
sity for public as c0ntrasted with sectarian educa
tion earnestly and soennly deprecate such event
Our correspondent is haunted by Two fears One is
that if Common Schools are maintained on the basis Of
tolerance, the community will become Infde aud
this" he says would be the likely result :" the
other that in the event the Jesuits will come in
and make everybody Roman Catholics. The Puntans
Of Massachusetts, equal danger in the presence
OF Quakeu Bsptists, and the good Roger Williams
was hunted out lest religion and morals should be over
shrown. To those Pilgrim fathers the idea Of modern
federation ard equality would have seemed but an
Inspiration Of the devil as worthy to be punished as
any friend of hobgoblins at Salem There are always
those who regard the present with alarm, and shrink
from the future With dsmsy; in their timid
and unbelieyiDg eyes the good enjoy is noe
go good as think IT, the danger that threatens is
more awful than We suppose Such is the spirit Of
the article replying to. The Church, the Family
the teachings Of the Minister and the Sunday school,
the influences Of home, the inculcs,ions Of parents
and religious lrieLd.-in short all the potent agen-
cies Of religious education, lie seems % US grJss-
ly to undevaue Bat if they are what be
would have suppose if the Churches are 50 nefica
cous if Protestantism Is 10 danger if Catholicism
bears deadly menace to bis faith, and in6delty