New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

pposcpIpTIoy-Tbe newly elected School Directors in
the lower of pha have removed some nj
teen of the teachers Public Schools within the last
few DAYS sectaran groundsa the discharged teachers
belong TO the Roman Catholic Church Much feeling Is
manifested among the friends of the prosecuted teachers
We find the above paragraph afoat in the jour
nails but have not yet been able TO test its accuracy
That there some foundation for it, we cannot doubt;
vet we trust the foregoing is at least reinstatement
Probably pretext of ncapaclty or indocity was
found for the discharge of the obnoxious teachers
even though their real Ofense was simply adherence
to the Roman Church.
Yet all men must realize that Know-Nothingsm,
as it now exists among tends directly aud inexora
bly, to such prescription at is here asserted ltwould
be preposterous suicidal to hold Catholic unit for
a tide.waiter yet fully qualified for the far more re-
sponsibe duty Of tescher-dsqualifed for watch
man or constable yet unob ectiOnabe former OF the
minds and guardian of the morals of our children III
the Know Nothing conspiracy trumpbs, its leaders
carnot for very shame stop short OF turning out OF
our Common Schools every Catholic employed therein
as teacher.
And herein is exposed one great'daDger of this and
all kindI ed schemes The leaders will naturally say,
1--WE don't mean to carry this matter to extremes;
we only wish to give the priests lesson and teach
the Irish to behave themselves at the polls and not
Dto be so clspnish and greedy of Office" but those
leaders will find that they have evoked spirit which
will not down at their bidding-that they cannot stop
the whrlipg of the grindstOne just when they shall
have had their axes ground but that more eager
crowd stand Just behind them, who will insist on
having their turn served as well. Once embarked on
this current say where we shall bring up;
but it will certainly be very far beyond the point
l,-t andA np.t
men whose adherence gave the enterprise some show
Of respectability.
For Common School Education-free, universal,
effcient-we have made some efforts in times pact
and are willing TO make not efforts only but sacrifices
also if need be. We have long felt that their great
danger nheres in the eaousies and struggles of rival
presthoOds each eager to make them subservlent TO
the upbuilding OF its own church and creed Unless
we have msudged the Catholic prelates and clergy,
especially the Jesuts, they dislike the very idea OF
Common Schools and common education, and desire to
educate at least the children of their own people in
schools distuctively Catholic. We have conceived,
from their occasional limitations, that many of them
would prefer that those children should grow up in
ignorance rather than that they should be educated in
Common Schools from which all teaching Pathological
dopmas is vigorously excluded But it is most obvious
on the other hand, that fairly conducted Common
Schools are popular with the great body OF the Cath
ole laity who are mainly poor; that they are glad to
have their children taught at Common Schools where
the expense to them is little or nothing, and where
those children learn more of our country and
its ways than they could do in specially Catholic
schools II plain that the establishment OF Catho
lie schools, unless under great provocation, goe
against the grsin-that nine Of every ten Catholic
parents prefer to pay dollar per quartert, have the
children instructed in good Common Schools thai
treble or quadruple tSat sum to have them taught
dstincvely Catholic schools at least better con
Quoted. Hence there are at this day in spite of SOM
real and more imaginary causes Of complaint thrie
ss many Catholic children attending the Common
Schools in all the States which support Common
Schools as are to be found in the specially Cstho
Schools Of those States. And the tendency, q
the matter comes to be better understood 10 constan
, and strong toward the neglect and abandonment b.
the Poor Of denoninational schools
This benign tendency the Know Nothing move
ment Immediately threatens to arrest and subvert
were absurd to expect that Catholics q class vii
persist in sending their children to Common School
il those schools are conducted the basis Of rgor
Gus ex cuson Of Catholics from employment as teach
ers. No amount of plausible talk viii sufhee to re
concile this prescription with the fundamental Amer