The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-12-13


the equal rights of all citizens, and, indeed,
of all men; where all religions, not contra
bonOs mOres, as in Mormonism, for instance,
simply are under the protection of the laws,
the voluntary system is the only consistent
81 stem that can be adopted, as it is the only
practicable system with regard to the
Church and the sects. Under that system
some children might be neglected. and some
of the sects, we can easily believe, would
refuse to tax themselves for the education
Of their children but we think the people
generally of all denominations would pro-
vide for the education of the young, as they
do now for churches and meeting-houses
for igious worship. One thing we know !:
under the voluntary system Catholics would
do SO, for the proper training OF the young
is part, aud an Important part, OF their
religion Wherever the Church has been
tree to edscate in her own way, and she
could command the means of education,
she has never neglected any of her children.
We see her now, in this country, straining
every nerve to provide schools for all her
children, and in a few years Catholics will
be recognized as the best educated portion
ofthe American people. The Church al
ways cOnsuIts and labOrs for the true inter
ests of the secular order, as we'll as for those
of the spiritual. If any of the seets fail to
do the same, that will be their reproach,
not the condemnation of the voluntary
system.
But we can hardly hope that the State
will consent to place education on the same
footing as religion. Public opinion is,
atpresent, too strong against it. The only
practicable remedy we see is, therefore, in
adopting the denOminatiOnal system, which
already is adopted in nearly all the states of
Europe, whether Catholic or Protestant.
The objection to this system, that it would
require separate schools for each Protestant
sect, we have heretofore answered. There
is no need for more than two classes of
schoOls-one for Catholics and one for Pro-
testants. PrOtestants are, indeed, divided
into multiplicity of sects, but among them
sect and sect hardly differ from one another
more than do individuals from each other in
the same sect. AS Protestant doctrines are
mostly negative, or founded on compro-
misses, and as no Protestant holds that posi-
tive belief in the distinctive doctrines of
any one sect is essential to salvation, there
is and can be no urgent reason why each
Protestant sect should have its separate
schools. They all agree in their hatred of
and may be satisfied with anti
Catholic schools. Indeed, the public
schools. as they are, offend the consciences
ofvery few, if any, of them, and, indeed,
they all agree in supporting them. They
are its founders and supporters.
Let, then, the system of public schools
remain for Protestants, but let Catholics
have separate schools of their own with
their proportion of the taxes and public
funds for education. In that way no con-
sciences will be oppressed, and no one he
taxed for the support of schools which his
Church disapproves. The change required
is not great, and is demanded by Catholics,
not as IL favor, but as Il simple act of Justice,
1t is demanded by that religious liberty
which the country recognizes and guaran-
tees. The State might we'll tax us Cath
olics to support Protestant worship, spirit
list circles, or intidel halls of science, as to
tax us for the support of the public schools.
give us our share of the educational fund
held by the State, or allow us, at the public
expense, separate schools for our own chill
dren.