The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-05


children. They are docile and can be forme
to good with u kind of certainty, while tn
grown up generation, if irreligious, is al,nos
beyond the ordinary influence of the priest
hood, and requires for its conversion tn
ministration OF a veritable apostle. We Sc
the most learned and powerful orders in tn
. Church devoting their energies almost ex
clusively to the training of youth, not as tn,
pedagogue, merely to store their minds Will
a certain amount of human learning, but i,
order to form their moral character ant
educate them in virtue
To the proud and worldly, this devotion
to the care of youth looks like an inferio,
grade of employment, unworthy of the ex.
elusive attention of the wise and the gifted
The enemies of the faith are now, however
awakening to the paramount importance OF
the principle it involves, and are determined
to make use of it, Their theories can ueye,
make any Roadway among persons reli-
giously educated; therefore, the rising gen
'eration must so through schools where reli=
Slon Is ignored. Professionalism first in
vented this system as atfording it chance
OF success; lnfdelity adopts it as an accom-
plishcd success. There is no Disgusting the
issue any longer; they know that the real
arena Of the contest is the school, rooB,.=
How will they get Il footing there The
proposition at the head of this article here
stands them in hand: 8. Ignorance is the
parent of crime. 1t is, therefore, the prero-
gative OF government to dissipate Ignorance
and thus prevent crime. Intelligence makes
good and valuable citizens; therefore, the
state has the right to require and superin-
tend the education of all its citizens
Never was there Il holder fallacy more
unblushingly advanced, whcrcon to build IL
system OF material wrong and religious per-
sccution, and one that now bids fair to as
sumo most alarming proportions. 1t is the
eliminating point of Puritanism,-the dead
Hest fruit OF that Upas tree, the most subtle
artificc of that religion of craft and malice.
1t has already pervaded much of the State
legislation of this country, and has made it's
appearance in the national councils.
Our attention has been recently recalled
to it by an able speech of the Hon. b. J.
Webb, of Kentucky. 1t was delivered on the
occasion of the proposal of n bill in the Legis-
lature of that State to increase taxation for
common school purposes. In the course of his
remarks in opposition, Mr.. Webb introduces
passages from report heretofore made by
DIR. Fosgate, physician to the New York State
Prison ut Auburn, in which some of the pc
culiarities and causes of crime are consi-
dered. The Doctor states that the average
education and intelligence of the inmates of
that penltentiary were greater than those
OF the surrounding population. He says
'The popular 'belicf that Ignorance is the
source OF crime, and, consequently, that in
tellectual cultivation will improve the
moral sentiment, statistics accompanying
prison reports, for the past serenteen years,
show to be an error.s~s 1t appears quite
safe to conclude that school learning is no
preventive OF crimes against society. In
factl the larger proportion OF offcnscs pre-
supr"scs Il tolerably educated offender
In amy country, ancient or modern. the
greater innocence will he found among the
rustic and more ignorant population. while
vice and crime haunt the intelligent ccnters
of refinement and knowledge. The print
tive Romans, i'll their comparative rudeness.
were eminent for the natural virtues, but in
the golden age of augustus, and thereafter.
vice and intamy paradcd unblushingly be-
fore the public, and seated themselves in
the most conspicuous places. The rural
pcasantry of France, or the honest but ILL
teratc ycomanry of England would stand
agliast ut the accomplished villainy of the
hdotfaes of st. jacques or st. Giles
We are no advocate of ignorance. 1t is !
great evil. We merely protest against it's
beng considered II moral evil, when it is
simply intellectual. We protest against the
effect OF their poverty being attributed to
the poor as crime or the fruitful so,roe of