New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-16
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE,
TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS.

CATHOLIC TEACHERS IN SCHoOLs.
To n. E1i,O- 9 7AsX y TT'1-.<
SIP. Tn T. Nur remarks upsa the removal OF honan
Catholic ssbo. Teachers b! the neUy-e'ected scaoo
Direction, of p iladePhia you carefully avoid th'
real reason, that urged why teachers OF the Ko
ms, Catholic faith ,louId no, hold the positions o.
cusrd.ns mr. ins.rnc.o of the children of America
a, vour article admit. III. 1.-THE Roman Church op
posed 10 the common schoe system US 1t u.s. although
altered and amended as it ha, been 20 'aer views
The removal of the Bible VII zen was SIMPLY READ
from once d.y wss in conseque. zee as we all snow
Of the opposition of their comparsth ely small number
and to show that We were willing TO make conces-
sops 10 their demands. But, has that satisfied their
objections to our schools No. Nothing short Of
actual Roman Catholic doctrines being taut aud the
con pete control OF the system VII satisfy their cray
inc appetite for power. Now. SIR, since they boldly
shev their opposition and boldly demand separate
portion OF the State educational fund for the separate
education of their own children is 1t not reasonable
that those who love our common school system, and
see in It's protection the safety OF glorious Repub-
lie should demand that the teachers III those schools
should be engaged heart and soul in the enterprise ln-
stead OF hating the very school system that gives to
item their maintenance and support. The Roman
Catholic plan LOW Is to control the election oil school
ofic,rs. and thereby secure the appointment OF Ro-
ISL teachers quently overcoming in quiet way
the diff cuty Of obtaining sectarian State schools
You further that you "hsve loag felt that their
cre, danger nLeres in the jeslOuses and srug cs OF
rival pleihood- each eageT to make them suOserient
"to the upbuidirs OF It's own church and creed.
Now, sir | would ask. where III this state Or IN tue
Tinted Stas have YOU ever witnessed struggle tor the
supremacy in schools between the Romsh and r.,
Protestant Prie,thoods, you choose to- term them
Never within my knowledge has any Proestantsect oeen
nan ed in connection with the school sysem made any
demands requirements in regard 70 ITS own secular faith
being Taught The question Is Shall our schools be en-
4 - ,rAna of EtudF ar
sba thew be given over 20 the Roman Church AMI Is
between The Romh priesthood and the Amercan people
The removal of hoe teachers was not simply because
they proessed the Romsh faith, but because they
in TACT 81 seciarnn and because Of the known opposl-
ton Of Roman Catholics 10 oar Common School system
The Know-No;hDg organization Is not sectsran
one. they would not question whether man was Ortho.
COX or Uuiyersas reg zionist, so LOT as he IL
sound upon the American principle OF government They
world WELD their influence and power ag Lst any denom
IN alton that would seek 70 elevate Themselves TO political
power attempt to take exclusive control of the religious
education Of youth against any party that would
attempt to unite Church and State ASrI-oEcIARAN.
l. No Sir You lie under serious mistake. We
said we had reason to believe that the Roman Catho
lie clergy generally disliked or distrusted Common
Schools preierring that the children of their people
should be educated by themselves but that the greater
portion of the Catholic lauy so far as we had knowl-
edge were satisfied with our Common School system
fairly administered. But if ninety-nne of every hun
dred Catholics were hostile to Common Schools that
would be no reason for prescribing Catholic teachers
unless it were proved that thy abused their positions
to damage our School System. We do not punish men
in this country for their own erroneous notions,
much less for those of others but for injurious aes
Let every one answer for his own SINS heteaehers
being all Of the laty it is monstrous lmpohey as well
az Injustice to prescribe them for the alleged pur-
roses of their priests and thus unite the entire Cath
oic body in opposition TO Common Schools.
9. We have said nothing about Protestant priest
hooSs though there certainly priesthoods in this
country other than the Roman. The Episcopal is
one; tie Hebrew another; but we did not imply that
all Protestant clergymen are priests. Yet ia the
State of New Hampshire, less than forty years ago,
we attended Common Schools in which the pd1ils
were regularly instructed TO answer the questions
propounded in the Westminster Assembly's Cate
cli.m-that is to cay: they were indoctrnated, as
part Of the school exercises, in the Calvnist Theo
ogy. We know that clergymen, not Romauist, have
held meetings aad consultations in this City, to de-
wise the ways and means of bringing our Common
Schools under religious influences, in their sense.
We state this as not at all TO their prejudice: they
did as they thought best; but is IN ust to impeach
the Roman clergy as alone seeking to derive adyan-
tsQe from the Common Schools.
9. If the prescribed teachers were in fact secta-
rian" ss our correspondent alleges that was no ex-
cuse They had right to be sectarian; we all have,
and most OF US exercise it. Unless they abused their
position as teachers to subserve sectaran ends they
were not aInenable to any civil tribunal whatever.
The case stands thus We all seem to agree in
wishing the fullest success to sur Common School
system and the consequent education Of all children
whom their parents do not Otherwise provide for.
To secure this, we insist that Catholics and Protest
anti. Jews and GeDtiles nut be equally in The eyes OF
the law-have their honest convictions equally re-
,pected snd be equally eligible to all positions con-
nected with the schools. Nothing but incapscity or
moral delipqueDcy-proved, not inferred from the
imperiections of his creed-may be justly urged IS
valid ground of objection to teacher. This is the
true American dectrine-the doctrine OF che consti
tution-and he who impugns it is in effect deadly
fee to Equal Rights and Common Schools. led.
CATHOLICISM-SLAYE