The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-12-06
Free Schools.

ton combined with something elscf
We know of many schools of q high order
in this city, in each of which dozens, yes,
hundreds of children are receiving an ex-
cellent rudimentary education, without pay
ing, and without being able to pay any
thing for tuition. Why should not the city
make small allowance for their schooling,
when it collects taxes from their impover-
ished parents for that very purposef Fifty
cents per month for each of these pupils
would ali ord great relief to those whose
charity prompts them to bear burthen
which conscience renders imperative.
We have not the slightest intention, in
this article, of agitating the common school
question. That system might, even, for the
moment, he conceded to be superior in eff
cacy to that of parochial or private schools,
without impairing tho justice of their claim
to some assistance. If the common schools
are four or five times as good rs Others,
where children are educated gratuitously,
then allow only one-fourth or one-ffth rs
much to these latter per pupil. Our Catho-
lie parochial sch ools will educate an equal
number of children for one-fonrth the
amount now spent on common schools, and
guarantee their advancement to be rs cred
liable.
But conceding, as we have said, that their
system and success would not be compare
BILE to that of the common schools, is that q
reason why no assistance whatever should
be given thcms Suppose that some pa
rents in Impoverished circumstances have
a mistaken prejudice against public schools,
of such strength that they will not consent
to their children going to them, even though
the result should be n total want of instruc-
ton. Would it be just towards those chill
dren to refuse giving an inconsiderable
portion of the public school fund for their
tuition, at a school against which the parent
has no prejudice
Honest prejudice in such a case ought to
be respected, even though erroneous
Would our city fathers, in their zeal for the
public school system, require any man to
violate his consciencef If parent really.
though mistakenly, believes that q certain
school will DE the means of corrupting the
manners, polluting the morals, aud running
the faith of his child, who could be so cruel
as to force hin. to send chat child there,
while still under the influence of his error
Such a course would be an enormity, an
outrage which the vengeance of God could
not forget. But to require that he send his
children there, under penalty of their re-
eeiying no education whatever, is a species
of moral force applied to him towards the
violation of his conscience.
Our city authorities are precisely in this
position now in regard to many of their con-
stituents and fellow citizens. No practical
| Catholic can consider the public school as
anything but school of vice, hot bed of
! immortality. An enlightened Protestant
public may be polite enough to laugh at
their folly, but what right has it to
laugh ct their fearsf Many of these Catho-
/ lies are too poor to pay anything whatever
for tuition. Shall they, in punishment OF
an honest conviction, be reduced to the
alternative of committing what they may
firmly believe 10 be a grievous sin, or OF
seeing their children grow up in Ignorance
This would be singular style of devotion
to popular education on the part of our en-
thusiastic advocates OF knowledge
Z Our community haf0iS Ie~ALAes hhat AsS
public school system, As now worked, Is q
real persecution of Catholics 1t takes fol
granted that the Catholics are totally wrong
in their condemnation Of that systematic
victims OF unreasonable fear as 10 its effects
They do not reflect that man may be per
secuted when he is in error as effeetuall!
! and as cruelty as when he Is right
-l,r hrSpc- This home
Suppose that Gen. GransShould favor tn
i, prescription policy. which would place tn
negro race in permanent control over III
whites OF this State! That policy woul,
. then prrvsail. Mr.. Conway system Of edu