Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-06-15

Bridge Doaahoc bvnerf friend rs, Joha
D Richards Ct At.
(Coacialcd J
The case finds that the experimenting
School Committee directed that the Eng-
#E.sh Psotcsiau, version should be used IN
all the public schools OF Ellsworth, ant!
that all who were OF sufficient capac ity
to read therein should be required TO
teli that version IL school. TINS IS the
requisiiiou Of which complaint Is made.
The camnon schools are aot iur the
puf,Nise oi distraction IN the theological
d eiri.es Of ANY teIissou or OF any srei.
Tie State .rcgs'd> no sect as superior to
any o.hrr-and TO thfoIo. cal views u
lr,oul,4fiy entitled 10 precedenee. It =
,,o ,au oil the du'y nj the instructor to
.isc ,hcolos.ea Hsirat'iou-ahd It Tie
pecuItar tenet. OF any patHeaIar seei
wef. s., taught. t wulsil iututsii well
stouuled e.t8ss OF eoinP,nnl on 'he Paf'
o. Hose who cntcftaiaed dillefelt or oP.
pJsuy religious sentiments.
Bii the instruction here given Is not.
IN i.ct. and !, ~, l.iEged 10 have been.
In articles al faith No theological doc.
tfiaes were tai. lit. The ctetsl OF aa
sect NJ, aiiiaacd of denied, The truth
or false hood at book N Which the
scholars acte required TO read, WIS itai
asserted. No lntefetaucc 10y wa, ot ~.
s,fuclion, xIth the views ot tiir scholars.
Whether derived from parental of sacef-
daal authority, t. shawn.
The Bible was used merely a. = boon
III which instruction IN reading Mas gN.
en-. But rcah,us the Bible l. nn IIore
an interference with religious heiIel,ilt,n
would reading the mythology oi Greece
or Rome be regar ded AS interfering With
religious be ilei or an aiiiflnance OF the
Pagan crre.is. A chapter IN the h"f IA
mi. hi he read. ye, 1t would not be an at
t,rnation oi the truth ol MahommeIan.
Ism, or All interference wtlh f,hetou,
faith The bible was used merely As a
reading book, aud iof the lniofmatlon
caniiained IN II, as the koran might Ia.
and not fur religious Instruction. ii SUIT
able for that, It was suitable Tor the pur-
pose Tor which i, was selected. NJ one
Was required to beIive or punished TT
disbelief, either 10 It's inspiration or watt
OF in.piration-in the fidelity of the
translation or its inaccuracy--or IN any
set OF doctrines dedueible OF hot deduel-
ble thereiron.
|, is made. by C. 1913, s., art II, the
duty of all the Instructors OF youth,
whether in public or private institutions,
Ito take d,llgen. care and exert their
best endeavots, TO impress ON the minds
OF children and youth committed 10 thelI
care and instruction the prime pies o.
morality and justice, and a sacred regard
20 truth love To their country, humani'
". and universal benevo,ence sobrie
ty, industry and frugality chastity mod
Grafton, and temperance; and all otEel
virtues, which are the ornaments Of hu
man society,"" |, will not be insisted
that this duty. So beautifully set forth. Is
other than in entire conformity with the
constitution. Neither Is il cloimed thai
the bible. in any OF lis uansla,lons, Is
adverse to sound morality or those viz
tues here designated as proper TO be IN
cuica,ed.
The plaintiff, indeed, makes no obiec
tion To the bible as book which shs
may not r,gh,fuIly be required 10 read
IN schools. bu, only to particular trans
iation. Indeed, the repot. fluids that she
was willing to read from the Douay yer
sion. II is apparent tina! it is highly de
sirable that in the same class there
should be an uniformity OF books to b'
used. But ii the book is proper, if con
sonant to the soundest principles OF NOR
ality, then is there any translation which
can be justly deemed adverse, to thos'
prlncipless Does the version in which