Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-01-10

Their Douay Bible is to them equally the work
of God that our version is to us. The Roman
ist says to his child am willing to have you
90 to school, but if the devotional exercise is
compelled by the reading of Bible, want that
version to be the one which our fathers read
and taught to their children. The Protestant
says the same thing. Then you get into the
school spirit of division and a spirit of sec
tariansm. We know, sir, what those quarrels
are, and when this government was formed, its
inherent principles was to keep out such ele-
ments from our institutions.
Again, sir, | do not want to be thought
heterodox in this matter. Nor do l desire to
get up here and say what think of the bible.
1t was the earliest book which l ever read. 1t
was taught me by a sain;ed mother, who taught
it to me precept upon precept, and line upon
line, until that mother was taken to Heaven.
l could wish, sir, that had followed more close
ly those lessons But, sir, l am speaking
through my intellect, and if my intellect says
that it is not for the interest of the people of
the State to adopt this law, l must say so.
Again, would take the practical ground, that
schools are not made for religious teaching, but
for intellectual and moral training. The true
controlling power of a mans nature, the prin-
ciple of right, is destroyed if he be not morally
educated. But we do not go to school for the
purpose of being taught religion. 1t is not
the place for it. We 60 there to educate the
intellect. lncidently we educate the heart, be-
cause by educating the heart you get symmet-
rcal education. You cannot properly educate
the intellect without educating the heart. A
man is but half made without religion. He is
like ship at sea without rudder, garden
without flowers. But here. in the common
school, is not the place to be taught the Bible.
The pupil is to be taught intellectually. There
is distinction here, and nice distinction, but
it does not involve heresy or a want of rcver-
cnce to argue this question in this way. The
great place for Bible instruction is at home.
We get it from the examples and the teachings
of our fathers, our mothers and our sisters.
We get it in our churches, in our Sunday
schools, in those institutions which are estab-
lishcd for the purpose of religious not intel
lectual culture.
believe that the passage of the original bill
would have been productive of the greatest
mischief and believe that the passage of the
bill as amended would be productive of no good.
There is another view to be taken of this sub
jcct, sir. Under our system the property Of
every citizen is taxed for the support of schools
Every man by our Constitution is guaranteed
this liberty of conscience. Shall we then bur
den the property of a citizen with the support
of schools, and then compel him to submit to
school exercise directly in violation of his con-
scientious convictions? | desire, sir, that my
position in regard to this subject may be per-
tectly understood. Personally, would greatly
prefer to have our schools opened with the read
ing of the Bible and prayer. No one more
highly appreciates the moral effect of such an
exercise than do. No one is more anxious to
have the children of the State educated, not
only intellectually, but in the highest moral and