The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-03-14

ElQA 20 bnelf 1nSLituktouHs At7oc Hs5nOictttsii
represent some seven thousand children,
and therefore como before the Council and
I the public in an attitude 70 demand re-
specsfs.l and attentive consid lion, and we
are happy to hear that they are snre to re-
! ceive it, so far as the committee Is concern
ed to whom theirpetition has been referred.
The committee consists of Messrs. Shields,
Brady, and Pessoa. "a a
Itis proposed that advocates Of separate
school appropriationsa and the opponents of
that policy, shall each be represented by
one or more gentlemen before the commit
tee, with permission to produce ali atatisti-
cal and other information mud to urge
every argument that they may deem rele-
want to the issue In this way much of the
labor of Investigation VIII be taiken from
the committee, while they will, at thesame
time, be the more capable of making an i'm
partial and thorough report. .
Thus the question 10 fairly before the
public, and the agitation viii never cease
until New orleans ahall have come up TO
the advanced standard of the day, and
adopted as enlightened and liberal policy
a. the European Catholic and Protestant
nations of France and Austria, ON the one
hand, and Prussia and England on the 9th
er, or the State of Texas and the city of
Nee York In this country. Liberal ideas
mnst progress.
We know that the public school system
of New Orleans has many enthusiastic par
tisans and supporters who are not fanatics,
who would blush to be suspected of using
that system as q covert sectarian weapon.
These gentlemen honestly and indignantly
repudiate any such motive, or any affilia-
ton whatever with sectarianisin. They
simply think that the common school sys-
tenn of New Orleans has been reduced nearly
TO perfection In It's working that it is an
ornament and blessing to the city, and that
any division of it's funds among other
schvelsfweald iBjure if not ruin it.
In the first place, it is not the object of.
the promoters of this movement to attack
the system to which these gentlemen-are SO
much attached. Otherwise that eyes could
be opened considerably as to the sectarian
tendency and working of their system. In
the recent excitement at Chicago over Fa-
ther Hecker's lectures, several Protestant
clergymen-Re Messrs. 7. Al. Eddy and
Laird Collier among others openly assert
ed that the public schools were the saliva
ton of Professionalism in this country, and
though 20 per cent. of the children born in
Boston were born Of foreign parents, so per
cent. of them left the Catholic Church be-
fore arriving at 20 years of age. OF course,
as we have had occasion to remark before,
T.
CathDlicity and Christianity lose-them, and
Professionalism rejoices over it as gain.
The Chicago newspapers Joined openly in
this view of the case, and gloried in the pub
lie schools as an agency that would arrest the
progress Of Cathoiicity in this country, as
long as Catholic children could be induced
10 frequent them. If this working of the
system could once be clearly established to
he satifaction. of our community, it would
be abandoned by large class
If iss most influential and respectable
Iriends,f who would never countenance any
such unfairness. sr
The gentlemen at the head of the present
however, waving this disputed
view of the question, expect to base their
claim simply on its innate justice, on the
anfairness of tempting and in a manner
forcing people, through their poverty, to
send their children TO schools against which
heir conscience WARNS them. They expect
% strengthen their case by adducing the
precedent of tho most Advanced and Illus
;Tious countries and cities of the world,
md to do away with many theoretical diff