New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-23
THE BIBLE IN THE SCHOOLS.

common schools city has been the subject OF uch
criticism by Press In all parts OF the country As
the regular daily papers but little difference OF Opu
Sos heen exnressed With a few exceptions tho CRU
cisms have been adverse 10 the action OF the Cnc'n
Board and IN most cases bitterly An inJuhcuon We
served It will be remembered, preventing ,no 80
from enforcing its new order, on the grouHu '" - -
IN violation OF the laws OF Ohio ESTABLISHING 'He ,,a
School system it being provided that Tue ,
receive suitable moral instruction Ano 0" c.
bropgbt before the Special Term OF the gu
premo Court and postponed 10 INC L' c,sIv |
November next week when the Court W." o, - od. |
10 hear IT, Three questions Of law VIII tneh Oo
Isl Whether Board OF Education mas aly "s"i oAi'V
80 ,,rdor the laws of Ohlo question suggested by u
law OF 1853 under which the Board now acts; a. "he'ne
the Court has jurisdiction or contrOl over the VI
the Board and 3D. Whether this is proper place lot ls
sYerc,se Among the few journals which have defended
the course OF the Board abOhng the use Of the BOe
I'm the schools The Cienndh Commercial The iollo"
ing extract shows the strongest point
urged among ProleStants for that sides
Bible reading the schools affords continual excuse
10 the Roman clergy for maintaining separate sectalah
schools That and the priests must yeu
in schools They now barely succeed 6f ,h IN
keeping the large majority OF Catholic onareh 0SS "
institutions: they teach the Protestant BiOe ana
good Cahoc must send their children 10 such schools
Their only hope Of keeping the Cat0He churtn w VI
the Bible in the schools aud you furnish the prtSfs %ce
the prccxt, and backed with me power anu mn nced
sher in Keeping heir children generally ignorant or
only imparting such instruction TO them as Will eorro'
sp,iInd With the dogInas Of the Romish Church.
The Cincinnati Chronicle replies sharply TO the above
as follows:
II ia somewhat remarkable in this view Of the case,
that there should have been entire unanimity among t1
Catholic members OF the Board In opposing the wishes Oh
hno roialI single supporter among the faithful Of
their own Cnurchi Is there such rebellion OF tile iay
agns The clergy actually IN me i1 e Ie that
the NcnDshop distinctly Informed the committee who
with min
departure To attend the Gcumeneal ConncI-sthat
the S90 Pore OF S would to tie
Of C Gaoe T SGaSa emPhaesy declares
that the State has no night to teach al1 hG9 tg Tt
people must understand that the removal or nohe,noHa
of the Bible from these schools will make no difference
T MsSE sry % b eS se Whatever Catholic sends
children the public schools does SO In denance OF
Bible is read repudiated This apology Is therefore,
she that relies on such support.
Tie Philadelphia Press treats the matter as follows
Cincinnati has excluded Bible, sacred songs, and
prayer iro ner Which, bSpished these harmless in
struInents OF education from the schoolroom All OF
fundamentally. Doubtless the movement was weak
concession TO preiadiees which will IN time prove 9mGa
tory valuable any other anclent DOCK ana Is
the young mind The purity Of is English is SGother
TecoInme ndaOn which no selfshDess should be allowed
ignore. No higher model OF simplicity ana neatness
succnctness Of expression can be laid before the
pup' devotional song Is the DgST s1 be Io he S S
VUng guidance of the Holy One In the care OF the
Ssren. morally a. well as intellectually Will be glad to
injunction has been granted " restrain lhe
board from enforcing their resolution.
The Philadelphia Bulletin takes higher ground:
The exclusion Of Bible from the public schools OF
Cincinnati back ward step which we hope Will not be
followed in other cities Apart from the purely religious
snects of te question: there is consideration OF nearly
equal value IN the relation which exists between the
Bible civilization The doctrines OF the New Tesla
Iuent the foundation upon which modern eiyllSa'
ton rests aud only those nations thSt hdye ou upon
that basis are to-day rung the eaIth All nI aVnoh i
Iuents Of science and art which elevate ana enh9ole
duets Of condition Of society that is the direct
result Of the influence OF Christian doctrines mes
Aud than this precisely as Tree
Ihbe has been given to people SO nave ed 'hey
iIghtened nRtons"the freest nations in existence
those people have unrestrained access TO
tie Scriptures. Political liberty and an open Bible go
hand in hand; aud the primary act OF nation winch
a,tains the first is TO demand the second Inc quick ae
tOn Of the spanards after lsabeas reinforcement Illus
this truth The reasons for this are evident Inc
their creator and teaches principles Of morality which
tend to purify aud reiue aud consistent practice OF
tnU tTatp ms godebeoE should be read by ali but
especially preeept should be taught to the child
rem who day 10 compose society. We ap-
oinnati is to be begun in other cities. II 1t be IN
augurated here We hope 10 have every citizen VINO re-
Law, aud as the guide to that moral excellence wlhoGt
aide of free Bible matter whether one denomination
OF another claims Ills allegiance OF whether II eaeu
by none
The Albany Ere,ing Journal says:
The controversy which has agitated Cincinnati for
months regard 10 prohibiting the read
Ing OF the Bible in the schools, closed at mid
night night by the OF the resolution by
Of p yeas 10 Is nays. No better hour cOud nave
been chosen for the contamination VI plot so pe1arOu
The people of this strongly attached 10 the
Bible IL foundation Of all forms OF Christian be-
Ie the source Of all religions consolation the nsplra
ton Of oil pure morality ana practical phiantnr9py 40
hands OF youth IL 10 shut them up I'D Darkness ana
TO leave them 70 gope ~ doubt Ine easy PREY OF super
apparently little distinction of party in the
opposition 70 the movement The Buffalo Courier
strongly Democratic, says;
The Cincinnati Board Of Education has taken step
whereof We cannot applaud the wisdom Abundant
good reasons exist why the public school education
should he made religious IN its character, and still
stronger considerations forbid the smallest intrusion Of
the element into the public teachings OF the
young But the recognition OF the Bible as the sacred
from its pages involve Infringement Of the
secular character OF the schools and certainly docs not
serve tho interest OF any sect Such an exercise
amounts to no more than an acknO Wledg nent
of the indisputable fact that our civilization,
whether happily or the reverse, founded the
FacTed writings known as the Bible. 10 re1use
iTldet the seife7dent and rrerasabe ii is to exclude
the schOOlhOuse the common air OF the outer world
As we'll aud better might board education decide
iguore the worlds poetry, history science The
readily acknowIedge the basal relation borne oy the
Bible 10 the whole structure VI modern civilization The
decision Cincinnati board forbids also the use OF
0her religious books ana the singing 81 sacred songs IN
voted keep those outside their school DOORS but IN
voting TO exclude the other they not only committed
mistake, but attempted impOssbihty For so long as
ChrstendOm Is ChI1stendom the Bible cannot really be
excluded from any place shut the doors on IL ana ~
out aud Instantly all books will glow with the borrowed
hight Of It, aud proclaim that but for IT they could not
have been.
The Harrisburg Patriot however. which is also strongly
Deocratlc regards the hostility to the proposed