The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-17
RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTY IN A BOSTON
PERLIC SCHOOL.

The Boston Courier Of Tuesday says: Yesterday
difficulty occurred in the Eliot School for boys,
on account of the refusal of portion Of the schoI-
| ars whose parents are Catholics to recte the Ten
! Commandments and the Lords PRAYER as they are
written in the Protestant version of the Bible
! The circumstances are these, we understand
| them from Mr.. NJ. +. Cook, sub-master in the
! school:
A custom prevails in the various schools in the
| city, under the sanction of the School Committee.
! of reading from the Bible daily and of repeating
| the Ten Commandments and chanting the Lords
| Prayer more or less frequently, in some cases not
more often than once week, as is the case in the
| Eliot school. In accordance with this usage, on
| Monday of last week, Miss Shepard, a teacher in
! the school, conducting this exercise when she
| observed several of the scholars vary the usual
form to agree with the Douay, or authorized Cath
! olic version of the Scriptures Although the diff
ference is very slight it sufficient to render the
exercise dissonant and confused. On induiring
into the cause Of the change, she told by the
scholars that their parents unwilling they
should say the common version, and told them to
repeat the Catholic. AS the matter was confined
to two or three, it was compromised and passed
lightly over. Yesterday, in attempting to 90
through the same exercise, Miss Shepard found in
stead of two three the majority of her class utter
ly refused to comply with the general usage in this
respect, although they were willing to re-
peat and chant the Catholic versions. The
reason assigned was that thus they had been
instructed to do by Father Wiget, of st.
Marys Church. of whose parish their parents were
members. She spoke to Mr. Cook, the sub-master,
whose room Is ADJOINING, concerning the difficulty.
Mr.. Cook Immediately told the fact to Mr.. Mason,
! the master, by whom he was referred to a member
of the School Committee, then present on some
business connected with the building. The member
of the Committee went to Miss Shepards room and
inquired into the matter more deeply He found
the boys unyeldingly persistent in their position.
Two he called to his side one of whom, Thomas
Ward, lad of thirteen, took the lead in the diff
Guilty the week previous. After time Mr..
Cook, on going into the room, found matters
tirely unchanged, upon which he remarked that
''thev had better be turned over to his rattan"
The Committee then gave Young Ward into the
hands of the sub-master with direction to enforce
obedience. Mr. Cook says he found it necessary to
punish the boy severely, which he did with a conf
mon rattan, striking him upon his hand, but that
he used no more severity than absolutely
cessary to enfore obedience knowing that the boy
was disobeying his religious instructors in comply
ing with his demands; nevertheless his hands were
so much swollen and infamed at the end of the
in cold water, and used other means to soothe the
irritation.
During the chastisement, which was frequently
remitted, the boy expressed a willingness to
ply, but for the explicit instructions by his father
and the priest. He was told by Mr.. Mason, who
came into this at this time that his father had
told him he desired that the boy should repeat the
common versions Ut appears that there was a
misunderstanding in regard to this between Mr.
Ward and Mr.. Mason.) He at length yielded, how
ever.
1t thought that this example would deter the
OtnefS from luftnef QlSODedlenCe: Dut tneN SI re-
mained firm. Of course ehastisement was then out
of the question and further punishment aban-
doned. The Committee had meanwhile found, by
going from room to room, that out of $50 scholars
in the entire school, upwards of 300 had been in
structed in like manner.
In the afternoon Mr.. Dyer, Chairman of the Dis
trict Committee, came into the school and sent
away about 100 who still refused compliance with
this rule. Thirty-six sent away from Miss
Shepard's room, and about thirty each from two
other rooms.
The Courier SAYS: We shudder at the prospect
of a religious controversy. The parties show them
selves so fierce, cruel so unreenting and un-
christian, that it becomes uninvting at the out
set it is sure to be proftless in the end. At
of our public schools an occurrence yesterday took
place which is deplOrable in every view A Roman
Catholic boy, acting in accordance with theinstruc
tOns OF his parents refused to repeat the Ten Com
mandments and the Lords PRAYER in anv other
form than that authorized by the church in which
doctrines ne has been educated the teacher by the
order of a member of the School Committee, infic-
ted very severe punishment upon the boy, compel
ling him by the pain of absolute blows to disobey
his parents, and virtually to adjure his religion
The accuracy of our information cannot be doubted
it is from the teacher himself. Supposing these
facts to be true, shall be thankful to any power
which shall at once relieve us from the stain of
such intolerance-from the barbarity of such an in
quSition
GAzzANIGA previous to her departure from Ha-
took farewell benefit in that CITY on the Sd
instant. At her appearance the stage, little
''''''iN
quet, birds let loose, boquets and wreaths cast at
her feet, with printed slips of complimentary verses
The opera was Pacinis Soppbo. At the end of the
first act the prima donna was called out and shower
ed with flowers; after the second she was presented
with gold bracelet and a rich crown. During the
fourth act the enthusiasm increased, and after it
ended the curtain again raised and lo the
was changed, and there was Gazzaniga surround
ed by glare of Bengal lights, for all the world
like Mr.. Crummes infant phenomenon, standing
on her head surrounded by blaze of fireworks"
At this juncture two little girls from the Keller
troupe presented her with costly album; and then
a dance, composed in her honor, entitled ola So
fa,'' was performed hy the ballet troupe. The
pecuniary profit the lady received from this graft
flying benefit amounted to near $4,000.
Maretzek presented with gold baton the
same evening, while Miss Philips and Messrs. Gas
ser and Stefani, who also took part in the opera,
were enthusiastically appauded.
The store of Messrs Frost and Cushman IN the
35th ward New York. entered by burglars on
Monday night and S3, 900 worth of silk carried of
Within the year past burglaries have been com
mtted in the ward amounting to Soo,uuU.
Professor Henry Vethake, l.. L.. D., has resigned
his position as Provost of the University of Penn
svlvania, and among his probable successors are
named John F. Frazer, now Vice-Proyost and Pros
fessor GeorgeP. Marsh, of Vermont.