New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-24
SABBATH SCHOOLS.

In addition TO the Commission Sabbath Schools.
which have already been described in our columns
there are at present two hundred and foytwo other
Sabbath Schools connected with churches in this city,
Of every sect except the Jewish. Their parish Schools
are held on the Christian Sabbath the on the
other days in the week. and in these the religious edu
cation of their youth is attended 10. Among the
Church Sabbath Schools there AZ of the Episcopal
denomination 80 Presbyterian, 80 Methodist, % Bap
fist, 81 Dutch Reformed, Congregational, % Roman
Catholic, and the remainder belong to the numerous
smaller religious denominations, varying from one to
five each In those PAP Church Schools there are be-
tween 40 900 and 30 900 pupils and nearly 5000 teach
ers to which add the Nilsson Schools and the aggre
gate number approxmaes 5000 teachers and between
So 900 and co 900 scholars. In the Census of the city
there is q population of more than 10000 youth be-
tween the ages Of and Is, and consequently more
than half Of them not yet reached by all the ygor
GUS efforts put forth in their behalf OF that number
it may be fairly estimated that from $4,000 to 90 900
are children Of Roman Catholic parentage, while about
40, 900 of Protestant origin still remain unreached.
As before intimated, almost every church, whether
Catholic or Protestant has its Sabbath School which
is with greater less eiteiency Ihey are
thus univ ersaly conceded to be both popular and i'm
portant, although within the memory Of many of us
they were not so considered. II has however, been
proved that if we would have good citizens and good
Christians we must teach our children habits of order
law, morals and religion when very young, or else
Young America would get the start of us and hold the
rens in his own hands. Accordingly, the first thing is
to teach the child by example and precept, respectful
department and good order Outlines this discipline
is the first the child receives and it taught
cusyely by moral influence for rod processes of
correction are ever or used in Protestant Sabbath
Schools and We think not with any degree of severity
in the Roman Catholic. Herein lies point OF great
importance for our Sabbath Schools often the only
places where thousands and tens of thousands of chill
dren are taught the invaluable art Of govern
ing themselves. Moral appliances are alone
used and yet the most Of those schools
even when composed of the toughest children.
assume a quiet, orderly appearance. We fear
that this feature Of Sunday Schoolssef dscplne-is
MT sufficiently recognized an important one, for in
the family and in the dayschool, through the mas
ters impotence, the child is often made to bow where
the will does not break but in his voluntary cheerful
acquiescence in the regulation OF the Sunday-Schoo
there is far greater triumph achieved. The next
thing the child is taught is respectful treatment
toward Others. He finds himself treated perhaps for
the first time in his life, with courtesy and respect
ard he is expected TO conform to the rules OF the
school in cheerfully granting the same to others
PuIcuality, order and kindness next inculcsted
and the final process the moral preceps Of love to
all men, love TO God and all the plain simple precepts
of morality ard religion, laid down 10 the Bible, are
mixed in the mind and heart ofthe child If unlettered
a. Thousands are, the child Is on the first Sabbath
taught his letters then he taught to spell and read
This is rapidly accomplished. Three or four Sabbaths
often suffice. The children of rag and coal pckers
and Iaupers of all descriptions thus find the sabbath
School seppng-stone TO good plain education and
useful life. They 60 there because they are warmly
invited by kind men and women, who will SIT down by
them and endeavor to instruct them BY gentleness
Besides through the acquaintance and visits OF the
Sunday School Teacher the naked are often clothed,
the hungry fed and they in the teacher friend
who Will stand by them in time OF sorrow and want.
Our foreign population ofttnes cen with dhculty De
made TO believe that these Sunday School Teachers,
when they bohold their arduous, constant abors IN
al weathers, have not some pecuniary object, and
when told that they work for the good OF the children
without any earthly reward they sometimes are very
much astenished though doing good was not IN itself
| sufficient reward
II can't understand it," said sensible German,
why American Christians seem to care 90 muci Tor
my children. They call to see them, speak 80
kindly to them, teach them to speak English and 10
read, give them books and papers and all for nothing
II was not 80 in Genany-the priest did al that work
| himself"
Whole districts in the city, of 1000 or 5000 foreign
ers, are by the quiet influence OF spiritual Sabbath
/ Schools in short time thus revolutOnized and re-
formed il their antagonstc views as regards American
institutions and American Christianity. In most OF
q
the richest churches, the child of the millionaire ana
the child Of the rag and bonepicker and beggsr meet
on common ground and the result Is found TO be every
way beneficial. The influence Of associstng with the
poor child does not unfavoraby affect the eh1d
Of the opulent but, on the contrary the
eeuuptipy influence sometimes comes down tom