Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-02-17
EDUCATIoN IN wIIMISaToN

Au Act reiatlnS 10 Jne management OF
the Board Of Public Education in
Wilmington, and Free Schools through
out the State.
WHEREAS, by the Constitution of the
State 'no ordained clergyman or ordained
preacher of the Gospel of any denomina-
tion, shall be capable of holding any civil
office in this State, or of being a member
OF either branch of the Legislature, while
he continues in the exercise Of this pastoral
or clerical function, and
WHEREAS experience has proven that
the cause Of Religion, as well as the
interests Of civil affairs, is best subserved
by total disconnection of the Clergy
with such affairs Therefore,
Be Il enacted by tie Senate aud House
Of Representatives. Of ae State of Delanare
IN General assembly met--
SECTION /. That no ordained clergyman
or ordained preacher of the Gospel Of any
denomination shall be eligible to, or
capable of holding seat in, or becoming
O member of "The Board of Public Edu-
cation in Wilmington" after the passage
OF this act. Provided, however, that such
clergymen or preachers as may now be
members Of said Board, shall hold their
seats, and exercise the functions of the
Office until the expiration of the term for
which they were elected.
SECTION 2. That it shall not be COM
petent for the members of said Board, to
dismiss any teacher in their employ with.
out vote Of two.thirds of the Board
thereupon, and this act shall apply to the
School committees" in each of the several
hundreds of their respective counties
throughout the State.
SECTION 3. That the provisions of the
first section Of this Act shall also apply
to the superintendents of Free schools in
the several counties of the State.
SECTION 4. That all laws or parts of
laws inconsistent with the provisions of
this act, be and the same are hereby re-
pealed, made null and void.
We give above the text of bill intro
dueed into the Legislature of this State
by member from Sussex county. Our cor
respondent has not sent us his name or we
should be glad to give it. The bill itself,
we do not know with what truth, is said to
be the work of one ofour U. S. Senators,
the one made distinguished by Western
correspondent as being ''the nearest to
nothing" in the upper house of Congress.
We ask our readers and the inhabitants
of New Castle county particularly to read
and carefully consider it.
The purpose Of the bill-we are not
certain that it has not become an act by
this time, as when we last heard of it, it
had passed to second reading-is to
exclude any minister Of any religious
denomination from having any eonnec.
tion with our public schools. As ex.
pressly stated in the bill, it looks cspe-
cially to the "Board of Public Education
in Wilmington" graciously permitting
those who hold the office to be continued
in it till their term has expired, when
they must not be reelected. The three
gentlemen aimed at are Bishop Alfred
Lee, Rev. Geo. F. Wiswell and Rev.
james S. Dickerson. Their names as
whole hearted loyal men, at once suggest
the reason which prompted the author Of
this bill to bring it forward.
We do not propose to argue this point
just now of the fitness of these men for the
post or of the general propricty Of placing
men of their profession as guardians Of
public education. Till now we never sup.
posed it open to question whether men
whose whole pursuits as literary, cultivated
men, brought them into courses of thought,
adapting them peculiarly for this very busi.
ness, should not be, if possible, induced to
give their time and attention to it. II
would seem that the most careless person
would at once select them as the very men
OF all others to be concerned with our pub.
lie schools. We wish rather to call tho
attention of the people to this bold inter
ference with their rights Is it not enough
that the Legislators from these lower coun.
ties shall lay every obstacle in the way Of
the prosperity of our city, refuse to permit
us to tax ourselves, or allow us to give aid
to the suffering families of our soldiers, but
they must step in and tell us whom we may
and may not have to guard the education
OF our children Is the style of education
and refinement in Sussex of such hial
grade that we must look to them for ex.
ample and for law on the subject Of schools
We have not heard the arguments with
which this bill is pressed. No one will
pretend that our public schools need this
interference. They alone save the State
from disgrace in the matter of Education.
We presume no arguments have been
given. The bill is simply very trans.
parent attack on the clergy of this city
and in the State. whose influence, the
men who framed it, stand in mortal dread
OF. The question is, how will our citizens
receive it! What will they do about it
And how much further do they propose
to be pushed to the wall?
| ---Nsase-
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
The New York Tribune, in speaking OF
the action of Delaware on the Constitu.