New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-22
TIE BOsTON SCHOOL CASE.

TIE BOSTON SCHOOL CASE.
The Boston school case has 90. before the Boston
Police Court, where it seems likely to raise some
curious questions, as the coDfIct of authority
between fathers, priests and teachers, and which, in
case Of col fct is to take precedence.
The only witness yet examined is the boy who
was whipped. he is but ten years old, and was
il seems, pupil in the primary department at
tached TO the Eliot school, and he refused to repeat
the Commandments by order of his father, who
told him not to be coward where his religion was
in question, and not for his life to repeat the Prot.
estant version of the Commandments. In conse-
quence of his refusal the school mistress dismissed
him from the school, bat his father sent m back,
still requiring bin not TO comply and to inform the
teacher that be was 80 commanded BY his father.
Upon bis again refusing, man who came In, prob
ably a school committeeman who was present in
the school, and who was consulted as to what
should be done, told the school mistress, that all
the boys Who would not conform to the regulations
had better be sent to the Masters Department
there to be whipped till they did. Upon being
commanded by the master to repeat or read the
Commandments, the boy declined as before, but
said he would if bis father was willing. The mas
ter said this would not do and passed him over to
the sub master, who proceeded 10 strike his hands
with rattan, telling him he would whip him TIL he
yielded, if it took all the forenoon. This was kept
up at intervals for thirty minutes, when, the boys
hands being nAsmed and swollsn he finally yielded
and read the Commandments as required. The
boys conduct seems to have been approved by bis
priest who subsequently gave him medal ia token
Of his appreciation. He testified further that
though be had attended the school for seven years
and that particular department of it for seven
months, he bad never yet read the Lords Prayer
nor the Commandments according to the Protestant
form, nor sung Old Hundred, which, it seems, is
another of the religious exercises OF the school,
having been instructed by his father not to doso.
Such is the boys statement, upon which we have
q few remarks to make. In the 6rst place, what
ever may be said about the immsterial differences
between the English and Catholic versions Of the
Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments, that
point 10 Of no consequence whatever TO the decision
of the present controversy. II those differences
are of no consequence, why not discard the Pro-
But let that be done aud see if the consciences Of
.undry good Protestsnts are not as much troubled
thereAt those Of the boys father and the reVer-
end father Wiget appear to have been at Catholic
children being required to use the Protestant yer.
sion. Then, as to singing Old Hundred. That
venerable piece Of psalmody has to the good people
Of New England very high aud sacred associations.
II is perfectly 6t and proper piece Of music to be
used o! meeting. ike that Of the Alumni OF Har-
yard College, by whom it is invariably sung at the
close of their Commencement dinner. mere
Catholic, on hearing il for the fret time, and with
no knowledge Of its environments, % Harriet Mar
tneau might say, though not likely to be wrought
up BY it to any high pitch Of either musical or pl'us
ecstasy, might yet listen to it entirely undlsturbed
But when il is remembered that this seemlDgy
very harmless piece Of music is neither more nor
less than an old Puritan wsr-sopg, 80 to speak,
closely associated with religion sersices and opin.
ions totally opposed to those Of Catholicism, ii
seem, decidedly unreasonable TO require OSjecting
Catholics to sipg il. There arc great may mach
finer pieces of music used in the Cathol, service,
the introduction of which as devotional exercise
into the Boston schooh might be apt to excite the
indignation and stir up the rebellious spirit Of the
Father Wigets among the Prote s.ants.
We do not see why the scruples Of the heV'
Father Wight, aud the boys father frivolous and'
perhaps, f-igDed az they may seem TO those VINO
DO not share them, are not just as nucn emu
ted to consideration az others about surphces and
responses. and spoken instead Of written prayers
which occupy very respectable place in history.
Bot. granting them to be ever So sroundless, what
can be said either of the common senie or human
ity of attempting to disspase those groundie~
,cruples by corporeal punishment inflicted, lot
on the father or the priest whe entertains them,
bu. upon a chdd Of ten years old, the son
of tie one and tie pupil Of tie other. and
who openly PrOfassd to mt not % hi,