Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-10-26
Morality in school.

Messrs. EDIToRs.-I apprehend that d
is entirely at fault in regard to the PR
mary objects. end and design OF our Free
School system. otherwise he could no
have taken such limited view of this
sphere of duty. 1t is only as Govern
mental Agent, as a prime necessity OF
Free Government, that the principles o
Free School can be sustained; take away
this element and you have no right t.
tax the whole people for their support
The whole history of our country from
the landing of the Pilgrims to the last
State constitution is rcplete with tho
fact that the common schools are consid
cred the nurseries and supports of Free
Government, not simply because the pm
pill was taught Reading, Writing, Aritis
metic &C.. but also because in them he
would be taught the great and funda-
mental principles of civil and religious
I liberty which form the basis WHEREOF
these republican states, their laws and
constitutions are erected' because IN the
language of the ordinance of 81 "Rc3i-
gi9n morality and Kno,rtedge, being
necessary to good government and true
happiness Of mankind schools and the
means Of education shall forever be en-
Outraged.
Under the full conviction Of these rrn-
ciplcS and ccause they believed and sad
that the blessings of free government
can only be maintained by a firm adhe-
renee to justice, moderation, temperance
I fUgdLHy md rjriue' our State has ap-
propriated school fund Of a million OF
/ Dollars. the interest of which is sacredly
devoted to this object. and further by the
sovereign power of the state have author
iscd each county and school District to
double if not treble the proportion re-
ceiyed from the State. For all this grand
design and muniliccnce of Government
the oaly return 3D." would give is that
our children shall simply learn to read
write and cipher" The great principles
of Right and Wrong, of Justice and In
justice, of Civil and Religious Liberty of
the brotherhood Of men and the Father
hood of God. and all the great fundamen-
tai elements that enter into and make
up the fabric of Free Republican Gov
ernment, all those virtues which will
alorn life, and the principles which will
guide it, are to be ignored and bluttcd
out because forsooth Adam Smith may
be an Atheist, Pantheist or what not.
Now supposing there are "One Thou
sand" different systems of Religion in the
world, do not they all agree essentially
upon the fundamental principles of NOR
atty? Are not the Atheist Panthcist,
DeiSt the greatest sticklers for morality
and virtue at least in the ahstract2 Win
they be willing to have the moral ele-
ment blotted out of the common school!
Win even they be willing that the in
scription which our country by all its
laws and prccepts has inscribed upon
these temples of Freedom knowLedse,
Virtue, Morality shall be supplanted by
that other inscription There is no God
and Death is an eternal sleep" Would
they not much prefer and say with JEFF
Gerson that Error of opinion may be safe
~ tolerated when Reason is left free to
combat it; )" will they not say with me
that if our State Observation-Disclosures by
excluding "sectarian instruction" that
thereby all virtue, religion, morality and
whatever is of good report is excluded
from our schools, then " farewell long
farewell to all our future greatness. y.