Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-26


in the schools was agiteted, his efforts did
much to decide the matter erights'
This enables MS TO inquire what is the right
decision of this question which. seems to be
rather disturbing one. AS the Enquirer
has settled 1t in its own mind, will it ex-
pound, 30 that those less favored may know.
Is it "aright that the Bible should be used
as a reading book in the public schools' or
used merely for prseept2 There are different
tyanslatiops of the Bible. Christians differ
on the question Of their authenticity. Which
of these she'll be the publio-sohool Bible2
Will the Enquirer say that the question
shall be governed by the majority, aud the
different versions of the Scriptures voted up
or down by popular sovereignty, as Mr..
Douglas proposed to do with the slave prop
erty Of Southern emigrants2 Or will it de-
eide that the King James versiOntis theonly |
ripht Bible for the public schools; and that |
the church which decided on the authenticity |
of the sacred books, aud whose decision is
now accepted by Christians of every sect as
Of equal authority with the Word Of God
itself, is incapable Of making translation
fit for the use of public schoolsf
But iftbe Enquirer answers the last qucs-
tion in the affirmative, how are the public
TO be protected from a false Bible, in case
future political changes should~ introduce
other control9 Have our children got to
have a false Bible taught them at our own
costP Would that be 'aright2' Or is it
only 'aright' while we can keep the control
Of it, and very wrong if we are ever COM
PEELED to lay down the part of the bull which
cores, and take up that of the OK which is
gored
The Hebrews, large element in the ma
terial progress of this city, do not accept
our New Testament as the word of God.
"On the contrary quite the reverse" They
regard its divine pretensions and relations
as false, and its moral preGepts as made bad
by their connection with imposture. Fur
thermore, it has has attached stigma to
their race from which they have suffered
prosecutions compared with which the
wrongs OF negro-slavery are, benevolence
and humanity, Is it "aright" that their
children should have this New Testament
erauomed down their throats at the public
schools, at their own cost2 How much bet
ter is il to tax people to pay for teaching
their children a religion repugnant to them,
than to seize the children and educate them
in Christianity without taxing the parents
Yet all Protestantdom howled when the lit
tie Mortari was forcibly subjected to Chris
Ean education at Rome. r, .,)
p There is quite a large class-we grieve to
esy it-wbo claim that even unbeIief has its
rights of conscience which public institu-
tions may not tIample upon. While the
energies of believers have been occupied in
burning each other for believing wrong, a
class which does not believe at all has grown
up, and has become too numerous to be con-
verted by the means which were formerly so
greatly blessed and which have unfortunately
gone into disuse in modern times, muchaso
the decline of religious zeal. Unbelievers
now even claim political rights. AS it is
prophesied that in the latter days-which
has always been supposed to be the present
days-scoffers shall abound, it is not impos-
sible that eventually these may get the con-
troll of our schools, and may use them to
teach 'rationalism,n thing not to contem-
plate without horror, especially by those
sects which allow the freedom of reason in
religious belief. Then what will become of
the frame work Of society,"
Coed men have not been able to satisfy
their own minds as to the right course on
this question, and have been troubled about
the consequences on the one hand, of leay-
ing the schools Goddess, and on the other, OF
trespassing on the rights of conscience Of q
portion of the community and besides, oi
introducing religious teaching into the
schools which are subject to political con-
troll and which may fall into control which
will turn the precedent against those who
established it. 1t will not do to assume
that any party or sect, or combination o.
sects will always retain the control of ar
institution which is subject to politica
chances. No system is safe which may b
perverted by majority and made oppress
i've to the rest; and. there is no excuse 70
introducing such danger into the control o
children.
The Enquirer pronounces, authoritatively
what is the right way to settle this matter
1t is troubled with no doubts or fears, bu
rushes into subject where even angel
might tread cautiously. OF course, it ha
fully satisfied itself as to all these points
and will not fail to respond promptly to 81
iRquiring public,
As~rnvatIus the sxmnfor.n IN C'ura I'll,