The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-06-04


ing his ships, found nearly twice that time re-
quisite.
INCEST SANCTIONED BY TIE CuURCH.-We hope
and believe there is a mistake about the follow
ing statement, which we copy from the Cleye-
land Herald. Yet the responsibility of the
Journal and its near location to the scene of the
General Assembly's acts, would appear suffi-
cent to dispel any doubts about the natter
The move in regard to dancing is one of the
foolish foibles of another age, which two or three
branches of the church still cling to, and had
better be laughed at than denounced; but this
marrying ones nece, is quite different affair.
BY the laws of Minnesota, and most of the States
ishable by Imprisonment in the penitentiary,
and very properly is it so. The Herald says:
! At the session of the Presbyterian On. 81
General Assembly now sitting in Buffalo, the
committee on Bills and Overtures to whom was
referred memorials touching the subject of dan
cling, made report referring to the former ac-
ton of the Assembly, which action strongly
condemns that healthful and innocent amuse-
ment. The same committee" tell it not in
Gath, publish it not in the streets of AskeiOn!'
report that a man may marry the daughter of
his O,on sister, and retain his connection with
the church. Oh consistency thou art jewel
1t is sin to indulge in an exercise which i'm
proves the manners, promotes health, and brings
JOY and gladness to the heart; but marriages
which by the we'll known laws of physiology
bring imbecility and wretchedncss, are allowed
according to ecclesiastical law. We entertain
| for the Clergy of our land the highest respect
and willingly make great allowance for the do
ings of deliberative bodies composed in the
main and conducted by gentlemen of the :! sa-
bic clOth,' but here is a violation of the first
principle of common sense--we almost said
common decency--having its parallel only in
the history of certain members of highly dig
niied body belonging to another branch of the
church, to punish the accused. after having vo-
ted not guilty as to the charges preferred
against him. Any member of the General As
sembly living in Ohio, who may think the re-
port of the committee the higher law" had
better, before popping the question to his neice,
consult the statutes of the Buckeye State, which
say. THAT male persons of the age of Is years
and female persons of the age of ii years, of
not nearer Of lin than first cousins, and not
having husband or wife living, may be joined
in marriage" Weask this truly honorable body
of divines, did We not 81 strain at q gnat and
swallow camel?''
SUPERINTENDENT OF COMMON SCHoOLs.-Wc
|
Mr.. Neill to resign this important Office. We
do not know whether or not he would have
been removed by the present Executive, nor is
it a matter for lis to enquire into but certain
we are, his equal, for the discharge of the duties
of this responsible post cannot be found in the
Territory This is saying much but it is say
ing only what we honestly and conscientiously
feel and believe. None who truly know and
fully appreciate the man, and his services for
Minnesota, will gainsay our belief. The follow
ing letter, in reply to one addressed in kindly
spirit by an intelligent Roman Catholic citizen
to the late Superintendent, we publish as a
matter Of interest to all of our home readers =
ST. PAUL, May 80, 1853.
DEAR SIR,-With unfeigned pleasure | ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter. addressed
to me as your fcllOw-citizcn and as the civil
officer who is the Superintendent of public in
structon of Minnesota.
1t is perhaps unnecessary for ME to say that
my religious preferences are very different from
yours, and that / have strong sympathy for
men, who, like John Knox, will reprovc even a
'.Quccn Mary for wrong-doing.
i In discussing the Common School question
it is entirely out of place to magnify our rcli-
gious preferences, and / have regretted as sin
cerely as you, that partizans should attempt to
make political capital, by arousng the preju-
dices OF either those who adhere to, or protest
against some of the teachings of the Church of
Rome.
In Minnesota, as far as am acquainted, there
has always been readiness to employ teachers
who had the moral character and ability to
teach common school, without reference to
the fact whether they had or had not denom-
national preferences
| With perfect safety think | can say, that
Roman Catholic could procure school in a
strong Protestant district, if he would give as
surancc that he would not attempt to tampcr
with the denominational attachments of the
children.
In asserting this, however, do not mean to
deny that you are correct in intimating that
there are some Protcstants "who set up in their
own little minds a miniature Star Chamber or
Inquisition.'
In my possession there are now printed let
tcrs, written by men of worth and intelligence,
telling it abroad to Gath and Askalon that the
Bible has been excluded from the common
schools of Minnesota. Had not these honest
men been blinded by prejudice they would
have made some inquiry before they made such
an announcement, novel as it is, to Minncso-
tians. The fact is, that the subject. whether
the Bible should be read or not read in the pub.
lie schools, has never been acted upon by those
who have the authority.
The Superintendent selected schoOl-bOoks
that contained no reading lessons from the cat
cchism of any church, nor from any version of
the Bible, and carefully abstaned from saying
one word concerning religious instruction in
the schools, supposng that it was more repub-
llcan to allow each district to settle the uucs-
ton whether they would read this or that YER
sion Of the Bible,-whcthcr their schools should
be prayerful or praycrlcss.
But in one case, if am not misnformed, has
the public school money been used for the adj
vanccmcnt of sectarian principles, and in that
case. priest of the Roman Catholic church was
the instructor.
Here would take occasion to say, that Pro-
testantism must indeed be a weak and totterinr
system, if the omission of the public reading of
the Bible in the common schools, endangered
its existence and q Professionalism that laws
great stress on the mere letter of the Scriptures
and supposes that there is any great moral elf
cacy in the reading of chapter, without note
4