The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-01-31

THE MORNING STAR
Catholic Priests and Common Schools.
The CAristian Adrocate, the Southern Method
list organ of this city, in its last number, takes
issue with this paper upon the Common School
question, in o singular style.
1t is excessively offended at the presumption
of Catholics in daring to oppose that system,
and appears also to be surprised ut our finally
having had the impudence to avow that oppo-
sition.
Now, the fact il, that Catholics have always
regarded Common Schools as nothing but an
engine of opposition to the Church-of propa-
gandism for infdelity or Protestantism, accord
ing as one or the other predominated in their
control. Leading Protestants knoE just a. wen
that this 10 the practical working of the system,
and that it 10 Intended to be such, and conse-
quently any surprise on their part at our oppo-
position cannot be very genuine, though their
indignation doubtless is They have abandoned
all hope from the meeting-h0us and fed to
the school-room for refuge. It 10 natur&l that
there should be great outcry when they are
on the point of being unearthed from this LAST
ditch. sS
Instead ef calmly arguing the true issues Of
the question, the advocate argues the motives
Of those to whom it finds itself opposed, for
getting the old maxim, "judge not" The very
title Of it's article shows its character" Ca
tholic Priests at War with the City schools.n
The merits of the controversy are here evidently
dropped, and recourse to the arssmestsm ad
homi,em indicated. The principal points are
the following: .ftssa
A.
the Catholic Church and Clergy on the School
question sqwayely.
2. The Clergy only are responsible for this
position. r'.-7 af.a
3. They have heretofore practised disguise ON
this point.
4. The Clergy and the MoRnzsa srAH arc
glad that the negroes are in power. Z
s. The Clergy are opposed to the education
6. They are vipers, and the State has been
warming them in its bosom by appropriations
to charitable institutions.
Let us glance at these chSrges seriatim.
We are happy to be able to agree with the
advocate in the very first point. Yes, we did
state the position of the Clergy Gerry squarely,
if there ia any degree in squareness. Our lam
guage was as follows: %
We are no friend of the Common School
system. We are its unrelenting opponent to
every extremity and under every circumstance.
This language the Adrocate repeats several
times, with increasing horror each time, finally
reducing it to italics, "that the State" as it
says, "may know where to find the Roman
priests Now, for the benefit of the advocate,
we take pleasure in reiterating the sentiment,
adopting the amendment of the italics to give
"a MI r.
succeeded in stating our position squarely, as
we certainly intend to maintain it r0aadty.
Before quitting the first point, however, we
hope that there will not be any misapprehen-
sion in the use of terms. We use the expression
/" Common Schools" in the ordinary and popu-
lar sense, and we are not aware of it's being
used otherwise anywhere. By it we mean
"schools under the control of the State" We
have no objection that the State should pay the
erpense of educating poor children of merit, but
we object to the assumption by the State of
power to control that education. We ask con
stantly that the State and city shall give pro
rata of school funds to our parochial schools,
but not with the concession of their appointing
or controlling single teacher.
As to the second point, we cannot accord with
the Adrooate SO cheerfully. In fact, it appears
to us that herein that journal has not initiated
our squareness. We fear that it has rather
avoided being candid in stating its sentiments
about Catholics, and has prudently omitted
attacking laymen through policy, while making
it's assaults upon the clergy, four fths of whom,
it says, are foreigners just landed in the coun-
try, and against whom it may count upon the
popular prejudice of generation ago.
It assumes that the " Rev. Fathers are the
principal Directors" of the MORNING STAR,
while our columns show that three of our most
respectable Catholic lnymen are equally respon-
sible with the clerical directory for the conduct
Of the paper. The lay element of the Church
concurs fully with the clerical on the subject of
Common Schools, and it is insult to it's in
telligence to intimate that it is not equally re-