New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-08
THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.


ment to its foundations. Slavery was gigan-
tic evil and peril in its MONDAY of pride and
power; but religious antipathy and sectarian
bitterness threaten US with strife more en-
venomed and implacable than we have yet
known. For, profound as may have been our
interest, pro or con, in the eDslaved negroes OF
the South, our devotion to our respective
creeds or no-creeds is far intenser and, If con-
travened, may provoke outbreaks more tOrmi-
dable than was the Southern Rebellion.
The immediate bone of contention, so far as
this controversy has yet developed itself, is
the Bible in Schools.
Educated in the common schools of New
England (the seed-bed and nursery OF al
Common SchoOls), we like the idea of having
the Bible used as q textbook i'll schools. 1t
was so used IN the schools wherein we were
taught, and we cannot realize that it ever did
us any harm. On the contrary, we believe
that such use of the Good Book not only ex-
erts wholesome moral influence but imparts
a benefcent intellectual stimulus. We believe
the Scotch are moro intelligent, more capa-
ble moro thrifty race because of the Bible
reading to which they are generally and emil
nently addicted from infancy. We do not con-
slider every part of the Bible well adapted to
use as a schOol-reader, and would not have it
so employed-(as, in fact, it never isl; we
would, in a school attended by Hebrew chill
dren, select such portions for reading or reel
tatiOn as would give them no OtfensC and so
in all things we would respect convictions that
differed most widely from our own. But, so
far as it was left to our choice, We should
wish to continue the use of the Bible in Schools.
Yet our interest in Common Schools would
lead us to concedeImuch for the sake of con-
ciating those who might cherish views widely
different from ours AS the true mother to
whom Solomon righteOusly awarded the con-
tested child preferred to give it up rather than
have it divided, we would rather give up the
reading of the Bible in Schools than give up
the Schools altogether.
But here is our discOuragement and per
plexity: The great body of those who seek to
drive the Bible out Of our Schools will not be
satisfied after they have driven it out, but will
insist on breaking up our Common School sys-
TEN into sectaran fragments. They are deter
mined that theiT children shall be schooled in the
tenets of their especial theology and ecclesiast-
cism, not in their own churches and Sunday
schools, on that day Of the week which is by
law and usage devoted to religious uses, but
on other days, as a part of their schooling in
letters. They will not allow secular and reli-
giOus education to be given separately they
refuse to unite in uphOlding tho sanctity of
Sunday; they object to such general religious
instruction as has hitherto been given in our
schools, and object to education without reli
gion as godless-in short, they will be satisfied
with nothing but the substitution of denOm-
national for common schools. Hence, if we
give up the Bible, we only weaken the Com
mon School system by offending if not alien
ating many of its oldest and frmest support
ers, while we fail to cOnciliato its enemies, but
only incite them TO new and inadnssbe ex-
actions.
That our apprehensions on this point are
abundantly justified, we prove by showing how
this controversy is waged where the Bible is
not read in the Common Schools. Mr.. w. II.
Hurlbut, widely known as an intelligent jour
nalist, whose politics arc the antipodes of ours,
and who in religion is at all events no bgOt,
being on his way through Eastern Europe to
the Suez celebration, writes from Hungary to
The World, under date of Pesth, Oct. 20, as
follows:
"In Prague, came upon popular election markedly
the aDtagOnism Of races. In Pesth, have upon
popular riot originating In the antagonsm Of religions
say in Pesth, because Oen where the riot took place
is quito as much part of Pesth Brooklyn of New
York 1t divided from Pesth by the Danube. and has
mayor Of Its own the official who occupies that
post being q naturalzed American citizen-Mr. Has.
mann who lived for fourteen years in EewYOrk He Is
q member, too, OF the Hungarian Parliament, where
met him, and found him not only most intelligent and
pleasant man. but full OF kindly and cordial recollec
h{s Ma YOrk He
was in nowse responsible for the Ofen riot which
about In this wise The AustrO- Hungarian Government
as you know last year adopted system for che
arzaOn OF the schools This greatly needed reform has
been violently opposed by the Catholic clergy at least
by the utramontanes among them. Bishop RudIgeT, Of
Linz you will remember got himself into hot water
months ago by flying in the face oft 1t has just been
carried into effect in Ofen. Now Ofon many Jews
and these Jews dlsOrdery aud indecent enough TO
have great many children. The Jewish children being
sent, under the system, to the public school, the
Catholic pastor Of oen last Sunday got up in his pulpit
and called upon his flock TO suffer their offspring to
be contaminated by contact In the school with horde
OF Jewish brats-' Juden-bubep,' as his reverence
was kind enough to call the same. The good
mans seed fell upon fertile soil. On Monday, great
mob mostly composed Of what 81. Charles BOrrOmeo
called the devout female Sex marched upon the school
house. sormed walloped tho teachers and drove forth
the Jewish brats' bowling into the streets. IL is a
peasug popularity or human nature always TO hunt
whatever is hunted. so from all the highways and by
WAYS OF Ofen the eges sailed out and Joined the chase
a,lx if Tho parents Of tho sOrey-belabored 'brats
being as savage the seawolyes OF whom the conpaD
ions OF Vasco de CANA relate that they horribly
ferocous animals, and Whep hey attacked defend
hssevcs came 70 the Of their little ones and
general tight ensued The Jews got tho worst OF 1t,
and things went 80 far that the authorities had to send
for the 'HonvedsI orANational GunrGs before order
could DO fully restored. On Wednesday, the Prince
Primate of Hungary, Archbishop OF Gran came out
and praised Ofen priest his zeal in the assertion OF
the principles Of true resoni This is the shadow which