The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-07-27

And won at last a lofy place.
And then he diedl Behold before ys
Humanity,s briefsum and story,
Life, Death, and all there Is of-Glory.
BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC SonooLs.-We copy
the following from the New York Journ-
al of Commerce. 1t is from its Boston cor
respondent, a gentleman who occupies a
high position, both asa citizen and a wri-
ter. II is excellent:
"The subject of reading the Bible in our
public schools is nov discussed with u.s.
The matter came up anew in the suburban
town of Winchester, where the Catholics
objecting to the readingof the Scriptures
by their children, the School Committee
ordered that they be read by the teachers,
and not by the pupils. This was recon-
mended as sort of compromise, and to
meet the Catholic view. The citizens were
not satisfied with this action, and ina meet
ing Of three hundred all but three sustain
ed the old custom of reading the Bible in
their schools by the pupils. There is much
feeling in town, and it seems that the com
mittee cannot be sustained in their recon-
mendation.
1T was stated at that meeting, that in
the town of Milton, near us, one of the
teachers, a Catholic, not long ago objected
to the reading of the Bible in the school he
had charge Of, that it was dispensed with,
and that now the book is read in only one
public school in the town.
The excitement upon this subject has but
just begun in New England, as it has only
recently become a practical subject by the
increase of Romanists among us. In towns
such as Quincy, Milton, Randolph, Wal
than, and Newburyport, where a quarter
Of a century ago, there was scarcely a mem
Der of the "mother church," now there
are large societies. And in another class
of towns, Concord and West Newbury,
they begin to agitate in reference to socie-
ties. OF course, the children of these
Catholics are in the public schools, and in
all these towns the question Of continuing
the old Puritan practice of reading the
Word of God in the morning by the schol-
srs, will come up for discussion, by a sim
liar opposition as that which has been ex-
hibited at Winchester.
There can be hardly a doubt how the
question will be generally decided. New
England sentiment says strongly, "No
earthly power shall take the Bible from our
Schools, AS to compelling tie teachers
to read instead of the scholars, it is replied
that teachers are not placed in schools to
do the reading. any more than they are to
learn lessons of the pupils. 1t is their duty
to hear the learners read, and to listen to
their recitations, giving such corrections as
they may think necessary.
Gas to the version of the Bible used, the
Catholics object to it. Many would not
object particularly to the Catholic Children
using their own version, but there is a diff
Guilty in using two reading books; and as all
agree that there is no great difference be-
tween the Deuay Bible and the translation
ordered by King James, and as the last is
the one always used in the New England
schools, is it not just that the same should
be continued in use?
Besides the Roman Catholics are new
corners. They found our school system
perfected, with its buildings, textbooks,
apparatus, teachers, &c, and a system
which is the wonder and admiration of the
world. They throw in a handful of child
rem into our already crowded schools
They are taken in, and enjoy freely all the
privileges of the children of the best ma
tive American that ever lived. Now, is i
quite modest that these strangers should
contend that we must change our schoo
system in a vital point for the accommoda
ton ola few, and to the great grievance o
the many? Is it just that they should at
tempt to pull down our carefully-raiset
structure, by removing its cornerstone, thu
Bible? No, no, our Catholic brethren
must ask for no such thing. They mus
not demand what is manifestly unjust
However much they contend, they neve
can remove the Bible from our schools
, We love them as well as ourselves by ad
hitting their children to all the rights ant
: privileges of our goodly heritage, and W
/ must not love them better than ourselves
by yielding to their request in removing
from u schools the Magma Charta of GU
education as well as our liberties. Indeed
this would be to cease to love them, b,
, abandoning the foundation Of all their hope
. as we'll as of our own