Daily national Democrat., 1861-08-01
The Catholics and the school BIN.


The Catholics and the School Bin.
During the last session Of the Legislature,
Zach Montgomery ofSutter, who is warm
Breckinridge politician and a Secessionist,
and who also happens to be a Catholic in
troduced in the Assembly bin to change
our Common School system. Now with all
the faults which must attach TO anything that
is human, our school system is blessing to
all our people of whatever birth. II reh
gion Is introduced into schools it is wrong,
and ought to be prevented by legislation if
necessary. Secular knowledge can be i'm
parted to the youth without any invasion Of
the field of religion. We ol ject as strenuous
ly as any to any sectorian bias being given to
the young in the common schools. We be-
lieve that sectarian teachings belong to an
other sphere. If reform is needed at all in
our school system it ID not that which would
have in view the esta tablishment Of II system Of
Protestant or Catholic teaching, or both. Let
there be no religion taught at all in the
schools. The Protestant church is divided
into branches which are as hostile to each
othrr--nay, more co. than even the Protest
ant and Catholic. For instance, the Univer-
saist regards the Baptist as a pagan. and
vice versa Our nominee for Governor saw
fit, most wisely as we believe. to oppose alont
gomerys school law amendments. lie has
therefore been made the mark for most in
decent attacks. not at The hands of Catholic
journals but of red-hot Protestant sympn-
thiziug journals, like the San Francisco Alta
and Bulletin. Are the Catholics to be de-
ceived by the noise Of such false friends
Did ever those papers defend civil and re-
ligious liberty in Know Nothing times? No
Nor can they now become the trusted adyo-
Gates Of measure which they advocate
only to injure Conncss. and not to do justice
to a sect. The opposition Of Conness to the
Montgomery amendments was mild and argu-
mentative. 1t was not the offspring Of pre-
iudice, and could not have been in the nature
Of things lie has as much reverence for the
SIul C'i 40 Ihe any NUN III tut tAdASi Ni'O "S
sufficient intelligence and sense Of Justice to
recognize and acknowledge the thousands of
fcts Of benevolence for which humanity is
indebted to the Catholic Church in this State,
No true Catholic can or will oppose man
for public station, because Of his kindly eX-
pressed opposition to an unnecessary aud i'm
practicable measure, to urge which could
have no other effect than to create an un-
healthy excitement ngainet the cause they
have so much at heart. We find the follow
ing upon this euliect in the Sacramento Bee
of Tuesday,
"A resident of this city yesterday received
a business letter from an irish friend in the
interior, in whicI occurred tie following
passage relative to State politics. We know
the writer to be one OF the most honorable
and enlightened of our citizens, to be esteem
ed by his countrymen, and to be worthy Of
that esloem. We have been asked to give
the extract place, and we do it freely, for
the writer is IA representative man--n Catho-
lie himself and one of no little influence
either. The party to whom it was addressed,
is an lrishman, also, as will be understood by
the context:
81 mn extremely sorry our countrymen
nurse feelings OF hostility to Conness Most
Most certainly if any people oHght to prae-
tice tolerance they ought For centuries the
Roman Catholics of Ireland have labored un-
der disabilities, have suffered persecution for
conscience sake from proud, higoted, and
intolerant Professionalism. surely they ought to
he the last to persecute a man for doing
what his conscience approves am cory
the priests of the Catholic church have taken
it upon the selves to make this school qnes-
tion an issue in the politics Of this State, for
under no possible political resolution in this
State can such thing succeed For the whole
scope, scheme, and iuten of such an amend
ment as was proposed last winter, is antngo-
nisic TO democratic institutions. Besides, as
| view it-and think all enlightened Catho.
lies aI:o-religion neither requires nor de
mands it,
A few years ago no people were more op-
posed to the intolernnt spirit Of Know Moth |
ingsm than the Iiish. Die that deectable |
party exhibit such an amiabe spirit, that |
they who most suffered from its existence
must now not only initiate but improve Oh
it? If they vote against Conness on account
of this thing they will deserve all the scorn !
"uu coH'ohIlI lhbS Will NC utuIlcu upon lheh |
For my part. Hanuibal's oath ageinst the
Romans will he my example. l am proud of
my race--their spirit, their ambition, their
great natures, their impetuous disposition,
their warm hearts, their invincible courage
and bold, brilliant ana adventurous intellect
I'll cir faults and foihle--l am proud of all
all but q confouuded spirit Of bigotry that
contaminntes everything it touches Well,
for our pert we will hope ;kHt even this
spirit will give way before an advancing in
telligence