New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-22

they are gifted. The churches do not complain, for
they are supreme in their sphere and may be con-
fdent that the common school Is not trenching on
their department of influence. Suppose, now, that
any public teacher in Boston school, or in New
York school, were to make religious instruction iea-
ture in his mauagement-were to expound the Scrip
lures for instance or put Theology into his prayers
were to distribute tracts among his pupils or warned
them against attending Unitarian Sunday-scbools--
were to walk home with them, attempting to convert
them by the way or visit them, and use his personal
influence to affect their religious opnions-that
teacher would be summarily called to account and IL
persistent would probably be dismissed for neglectng
his duties and engaging in tasks that did not belong
to his province.
Or the churches were to take up the doctrine that
the present system is immoral and Goddess that mono
but church members are competent to teach artnme'
tic, geography, or physiology that popular education
must DO in the hands Of the ministers in order that
civilization may not be divorced from the Gospel,
there would be such storm of indignation that the
churches might find it hard to keep all the privileges
they now possess.
Where is the element at the South, that should
make this system unsuited to its condition, or incom-
patble with its needs Are the souls OF the black
children so much better worth saving, or so much
more in danger of perishing than the souls OF the
white children are. that a fundamentally different
policy must be pursued toward them even at the cost
of repudiating wholly the experience and the wisdom
of the past Do the black children stand in so much
less need of secular instruction than the white child
rem do, that only portion Of tho time may be de-
voted TO it. and that qualifications of piety may be u-
diciously held of more account than gifts Of know
ledge in their instructors Are they specially de-
PRAYED as to need relays of deacons in place Of school
masters specially intelligent as to require none
but the most ordinary accomplishments in their pre-
ceptors Which dilemma shall we choose Ii the
first pray then let them have, in addition to the best
practicable school system, the best practicable reg
ious influence given by men trained and wise in the
saving of souls. II the second dilemma be chosen,
the first inference would be that best High School
system is too good for them; and go instead OF
giving them what they barely get along with, we
ought TO build colleges at the South for black intel
lgence is as well worth economzing as white. The
quicker it is the more claim it has to quickenng.
Our belief is that the same rules will suffice, and
the policy will work for both races alike. If our
school system is wise at the North it will be
wise at the South. If we have secured ii at immense
expense among ourselves, it will be foolish not to avail
ourselves of all its advantages in new field. At all
events the presumption is strongly in its favor, and
we solemnly protest against reyivng the old system
till the new has been we'll tried. The South has
suffered enough already from old world ideas and old
world institutions Do let it have q chance at some
thing really enlightened. Hitherto its so-called re-
ligion has stood in its way let it now be remanded to
its place. Hitherto it has had no schools. Let the
schools established and supported by the good people
of the North be free from the defects that the North
has escaped and represent at least one great feature OF
Northern civilization in its purity All muddling is
bad, but the muddling Of education and religion is
superlatvely bad. " lie that teaeheth on teaching,
and he that eIhorteth on exhortation," is good
apostOlical rule.