The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-10-17
The 4war Of opinion" and Education.


J We take the following from an English
paper, touching, as it does ON matter of vital
Importance The concluding portion shows
the confusion consequent upon certain modes
of teaching: 3Ee@1
believe it was the celebrated statesman,
Canning, who said that, when the "war of
opinion, IA as he called it, broke, OUT it would
be the most terrible of all wars. Are we going
to have something of this sort respecting the
question of education f-war with the pen, but
not with the sword, it is to be hoped for
fortunately for Catholics, tho sword day is
passed; no more "hedge-schools" for Ireland
We boast to foreign nations of our liberty of
the Press-that it is the great palladium of the
liberty of Englishmen. 1t is IA fallacious
phantom. The bulk of the Press of England,
and Ireland, too would, at this moment, quash
religious liberty of conscience, had il the
power. Every one that reads the daily papers
exclude religion entirely from the Government
National Schools, because the variations of
Professionalism cannot be taught under the
same roof Consequently, Cardinal Cullen and
the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, fully
alive to the threatened evil, have raised their
powerful voice against the proposed system,
as will our Archbishops and Bishops of Eng
land and Scotland. They require that the
children of their people should be exempted
from such secular and irreligious schools, and
demand denominational ones for their young
ffocks-the "lambs" of the one fold. These
are they whom Isaiah the prophet speaks of
appointed by God to watch over the faith of
the faithful, as, ST have set watchmen upon
thy walls, o Jerusalem, which shall never
hold their peace day nor night; ye that make
mention of the Lord keep not silence" They
would teach their children on the maxim of tho
inspired prophet, Train up child in the way
he should go and when he is old he will not
depart from it," They would have their
children trained up in the faith of their fore
fathers-of st. Patrick and the Catholic
Church - and not thrown promiscuously
amongst the children of Prestyterians, Angli-
cans, Baptists, Unitarians, Wesleyans and
scores of other Protestant sects, and TO whom
one general system of religion cannot be
taught. Yet the, in general liberal coDtem-
porary, the Daily Telegraph says, those
q Romanists," as he calls the Bishops, would
claim supremacy in Ireland" and tells us
that, though :. liberal Catholics believe the
tenets of their creed to be divine, and
firmly attached to their creed, they shrink
from blindly obeying the political dictates of
are to be considered political dictates" and
Catholics are to act, as regards their children,
quite contrary to the mandate of st. Paul,
"Obey your prelates (overseers) and be subject
to them who have spoken to You the Word of
God, whose faith follow, for they have to
render an account of your souls" The
IeIeqraph saws these "model" schools and books
are SO excellent that they have extended to
India and the colonies. Allow me to give you
an illustration of two of these "modeP schools
that met with in the former place. / once
met with soldiers wife, very pious, good
Catholic, who told me that at one time she
used to send her little boy--a very intelligent
lehild--to the regimental school. One day he
came home with very serious face, and
addressed his mother thus 'Mother, does the
schoolmaster ever tell lies ?" mo, child, what
do you meant 1 believe he Is n very respect
able man." Mother, do you ever tell lies ~
tMot what makes you ask You know /
never do" ''Well mother, ono of you tells q
lie, and big one, too. He tells me that there
are only two Sacramento and you tell me there
are seven. Which of you am l to believe 7"
The other case was of little Catholic bOy-a
soldiers child-whom knew. He was strolling
out alone with two small books in his hand,
one of which he was at the time attentively
perusing. Istoppedhim, and said: "Well, Tim,
what small books are these p ''Catechisms,
+ sir" "What, two 7" {" Yes, sir. The Protes-
tant regimental schoolmaster makes me learn
one, and the Catholic priest makes me learn
the other"