Le Louisianais. [volume] (Convent, La.) 1865-1883, 1868-10-10
The Public School Question...A
Novel Theory.
CHAPTER md.

1t, in onr introductory chapter. matters more
or less eStfane"nS to the direct issue, Were in.
u"i'1ced, nnr anxiety 10 clear onr skirts of any
ASSOCIATION or sympathy with novelties and
n"voi'y.nloI" arS, is tlrr apology We offer: aud
IT Is, as we ll'i,k. a Snilirieu, Justification. Bu,
at'fiougt novelties arc, III general. I" be sus.
p"cted, a new theory of recognized data. or n
new development Of universal principles. is
always allowable and a novel theory thus
conditioned, can have, attached to il. no other
worth or worilIlessness
On such a theory, we propose to show, first,
tina, The Public School system of the United
States, was always wrong and, secondly
that the wrong is immrasurably increased by
the black and corrupt enactment, known as
The School Bill'-eivinu, as il, .laes- IT,.
responsible control over the whole education
OF the Stale, TO a %fanatical preacher who has
no views in common with 'hr people on whom
he is foisted by a semi barbarous Legislature.
To this end, the starting pnin, mus, be a
proposition too often lost sight OF, but We,
t'unded on eternal truth namely, tia, ''man
has no absolute risl., over HIMSELF. And this
must be conceded to be true. when we reflect
that God is the author Of human existence,
and that the author, originator, or maker. has
the sole night of properly in the thing origin.
ated or maize. Our whole being, then. body
and soul. is His and if His, we can not dispose
Of ourselves as we please. This may seem
strange, particularly 10 those who pride them.
selves in denying all accountability, even 10
the Creator but j, is a truth The statue has
no rights as between it and the Sra'uary. Col
is the Statnary; man the statue the property
= absolutely. and without the sha low Of re-.
serve, of God who male him.
Since we are Goh's-hody and sonl-ws can
not be our own for two persons can no, have
absolute property in the same thug. Besides,
if the proposition that we were our own, were
snpposab'e, snicide wonld then be i,nss,ifabIe;
for the owner Of property can 10 with il, what.
ever he wishes. Now then, recognizing COTS
property in every human being, as well as in
ourselves, we must do nothing calculated to
i"inte that propes,y in body or in soul. But
tor nearly twenty years past: the authors Of
the Public School system Of Louisiana, have
perpetra,ed this double injury. The first, they
have done, by compelling a large class of onr
fellow citize"s-,he majority Of whom. par,i.
cularly in towns and cities, are of the poor,
handwriting, laboring classes-to contribute
to The support of those goddess schools, from
which they receive no re,nrn; and by making
them sectional, or purely secular, which, is The
same thins-for the absence of religions train.
ing inevitably breeds indifarentism or nnbelief
(either of which is good pro'estan,ism)-
obliging them likewise 10 maintain other edu.
cattnnal establishments, in which Religion is
the avowed Indispensable basis of instruction.
And, as there are, unllappily, many who make
eonsc'ence yield to temporal necessity. the
promoters of The Public School system, have
accomplished The second (%injn.y to The sonD by
forcing, on this flexible class. the fearful al,er.
native OF educating their children as christian
children should be educated, at the expense of
a double impost! or of committing them, 10 The
pagan training Of the Public Schools. a= RI
The rigA 10 do aorong can never DO predj.
Gated of any individual, Of any community, Of
any society, of any government. 1t is All alb.