New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-04-14
THE BIBLE IN COMMON SCHOOLS.
LETTER PROM DIR. CHEEvKR.

LETTER FROM DIR. CHEtYER-
l1Ios CEoRGE BRlDFcsD H,rbeT Of tA> strt> Sesais
Ny DIAR SIR: have been surprised 20 meet 10 the
columns Of The TRIBUNE publ. letter addressed you
by Mr. Randall accusing me Of injustice toward him. and
Of deliberate ss6cston Of his records in the preface to
my work on the Right OF the Bible Public Schools
II simple Of courtesy and us:ce due to all the
parties concerned that lay before you through he
channel answer TO that letter.
shall enter into no personalities II Mr. Randall smiles
with hf r nd at the idea Of humble parsonage my
sef being deemed Of sufficient importance for his notice
him that my personh aspirations not lofty
and that quite content if the truth gain his sen
ton. Something has touched him. whatever il may be ;
though not Why amid the macy expressions of opin
ion in regard 70 his late decision he should single me out
on the ground Of solitary sentence in which not even his
mentioned, and attack me under my venerable
tile Of d D. with b very remarkable bitterness.
He evidently irnagnes tina, my book was directed against
himself and that it was called forth By his decision the
con plant Of QUICKLY lie il greatly mistaken, and m4y
relieve bis wounded seDsbIes by stating that the work
has no reference whatever to him. suggested
or prt pared in any way by thing he has done writ
eD rOr would the reader Of be that such an ind
vdusl himsen has ever been in existence The only
paragraph taking notice Of the famous Quigsy case
was ADDED in the preface, after the whole volume was
printed Ez arte decisions generally arise from hearing
Only one side and not very unSise maxim 10 read
book before judging Of lis contents and denounng is
author Aud o1erom p0rten is essential rue OF jus
tee which if Mr. Randall had Observed there would have
beer no occasion whatever for this difficulty That il
possible even without official precedent arrive at
"a pQrte conclusion be has himself shown in attaching
illusions Of sectarisp bgoiry the opinions OF de
Tense Of the freedom of the Bible Of which, at the very
same time he confesses that he knows nothing all hay
ing only read two paragraphs ia the prelace II
Moreover unfortunate that Mr. Randall should have allowed
bimsef TO descend to the mputaon of my having been
myself the author OF the article signed &, in The NeU
York OJserter which my remarks in that part Of the
preface we're based and TO which referred with approba
ton knew not then and do not know TO this day, who
the author of that article may be only know that Mr.
Randall cannot deny the facts overthrow the rea-
sobng
MI Kendall pours forth the vials of his wrath on me
from the place Of his dgnfed retirement and seems to
magnify bis late Office into sacred form Of msgsracy
among the powers that be- the prescrptve awfun-ss Of
which ia heaven ordained inviolabiy, should have kept
the clergy AT distance from all investigation OF his con
duct he thinks that in renarkng upon one Of his de-
cisOn have failed to the sacredness Of this dig
nitv and that wearing myself "the venerable title of
ID D. might have been expected that the conscious
losstssor Of such insignia would silently and at a
al distance, contemplate the magnificent movements of
the SuperiDtonden of the Public Schools 1t is quite
new thing and in reality amusing in Republican So
Gle " 10 zee under the hellucinatOn Of imagining
that official dignity protect him like the power of
clesastcal immunites in the middle ages from the
animation Of his official MIR Randall is mistaken
if he suppOses that such divinity doth hedge about
Judges and establish iheir decisions, that becomes
ireyerent presumption in any man to question them. !,
as one of the people, TO whom public officers
amenable claim the right of investigating the tenor of his
luminous delyerances and according my light. of
marking upon them. Some fifteen years ago in an ad
dress delivered before the New England Society this
City took the opportunity OF asserting the Importance
the absolute necessity of Christian Education and
Of the Bible in Public Schools for the vitality and
leDanence of the freedom of country and claimed
Dalenable the New England privilege Of speaking ones
mind ,eHtiyC and Ces quOd sntius deere have al
ways Maintained these views and exercised this privilege
and certainly, in sGcTed the deksse of the
Bible agaipst those who would expe il from our schools
not going lay aside this freedom and TO shut
my mouth.
In noting the main points Of Mr.. Randalls letter, as
they occur have first his defence of Parte de-
cisiOD under the acknowledgement that his decision
was, Ms have Gverred, or pdJfc.
If Understand Mr.. Randals meaning he admits that
his decision porte and injurious but ustiies it as
such, whatever injustice 1t may have committed because
has always been the custom Of his predecessors III Office,
and rule of this extraordinary tribunal TO make pqrte
decisions He even goes resoutey into argument 10
prove what an admirable rule il is summary expe-
dious so saving Of time and trouble When a has
heard side and feels comfortably convinced it s only
exaspefatiO and needless peryleXity 10 hear the
other Besides il occasions i'll feeling in negbborhoods
otherwise quiet TO have one mans statements ripped up
and contradiced by opposite testimony 1.-The practice OF
hearing and answering parte statements. Mr. Ran
dali says is practice that has worked well In eight
out of ten, il nips controversy in the bud
1t might almost be regretted in the contemplation OF
this argument that Mr. Randall could not have been
companion the bench with Judge Jeries, or privy
counselor of Charles IL In all the history of despOtism
in all the records Of judicial monsroses before
encountered deliberate defense of parte decisions,
the ground Of their convenience their saving OF time and
labor and their nppiDg controversy in the bud. Truly
they do nip it, and the character and life of the in ured
party with it Mr. Randall shall stand in this wisdom Of
concentrated jurisprudence unrvaed Neither Webster
Livingston, Story in America Blackstone
Hale Mansfield in England ever discovered prin
cle Of codhCaton rule of law that would constitute
such simplifying and universally determining process
in the most inve,erately perpe1ed and
tangled Indeed il would speedily bring the whole world
OF questions in dispute into the happy predcament OF
having only one side, and nothing at all TO be disputed
am anxious that Mr. Randall should have the whole
benefit Of this defense and add his application in
the Of the lady injured by his decision lie scknowl
edges that he did give forth that decision part, in
terms of harsh Censure knowing all the while that she
might be innocent and that the feelings Of an innocent
ana delicate woman would be deeply wounded But he
trusted that the teacher ra' innocent speedy oppOr
tuny would be given him, issEeof fact brought be-
fore him by appeal 10 yndcae her publicly she had
been censured. He sentenced her a criminal az the
complaint of Roman Catholic Priest, not knowing that
she guilty having tried the question the
issue of fact lin accordance with the rule established by
this most original tribunal of pare decisions with the
determination that If she really innocent, and IL
the QUE stion Of fact should really up the question
whether any crime had been committed at all then that
question OF sct she shoud be indicated after having been
seDerced and DETAINED and suffering by the p1re de-
csOn He noby determined beforehand. tbs after hsv
ing carried out the custom of his predecessors in Office
summary and labor svng Of deciding by parte test
mony and without trial OF the fact he would then ynd
her from such oppression the question Of fact should
be brought before him he would do it. and do il in
ner that should teach lesson to all oppressors. But
meantime the parfe decision be made because
he importance Of the 0dritted Of alternative and
this had been the mode of the tribunal The vindeaon
could be deferred the ghng Of the injured could be do
hutf H. H.