The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-12-03
THE BIBLE IN THE SCHOOLS.

THE BIBLE IN THE SCHOOLS.
1t will be remembered by our
readers that the School Board of
Cincinnati, few days since, prohib-
tied the reading of the Bible in the
public schools of that city, and that
thereupon a portion of the citizens
asked for an injunction to stay the
enforcement OF the rule. Tde case is
now on trial in that city and is ex
citing a great deal of interest. We
have before US Judge Stailo's argu-
ment for the defense, and must say
that his points are well taken and
difficult to refnte, yet one who has
read Thomas Paine's theological
works can at once trace semblance
between the sophistries of that skep
tic and the equally sophistical rea-
soning of those who are thus attempt
ing to stab our common school sys-
tenn by rendering it odious to the
Christian world. Judge Stallo makes
tie assertion in his remarks that the
Bible is not q source of religious
truth to the Catholic unless it is
accompanied by appropriate com
ment by the Roman Catholic Church,
and that the reading of the Bible
without comment is an essentially
Protestant practice. If this be true,
and we have reasons aside from the
Judges assertion for believing it, we
are not surprised at the willingness
of Catholics to dispense with the
Bible in the schools, or, indeed, in
ary ether social or educational capac.
ity. We suspect, however, that the
present crusade against the reading
of the Bible has a deeper meaning
than its mere exclusion from the
schools. 1t is a war-not against
the Bible-but against the common
school system. If we are Chris
tian nation-if we accept the Beibl
as the foundation of our Christian
eivilization-we cannot exclude it
from the nursery Of our educational
system at the behest Of those who
fear the effect of its plain, unvar
nished truths, and who seek, By
system of construction of their own,
to warp its teachings into the sup
port of theories which will not bear
the test of scrutiny or the free
and unbiased perusal of the truths of
Gods Word. II the Bible is such 8
book that its reading will be delete
rious to the morals of any child, then
it is poor guide to place in the
hands of older children to teach them
the way to eternal happiness, and we
beseech those who are leading in this
mock reform, to make their war upon
the Book itself, and not upon the
common school system, by depriving
il of the sacred influence which all
Christians and Christian nations
attach to the Book of Books.
The natural sequence of the whole
sale exclusion of the Bible from the
schools-and we have reason to be-
lieve that the contest in Cincinnati is
but the precursor of general on |
slaught-will be the establishment
of denominational schools and the
shivering to pieces of our present
unequalled system for general
dissemination of knowledge. Let
those who are tempted to listen to
the sophistries Of these would-be
reformers pause for moment of
calm reflection ere they cast aside
that which is the only foundation of
true knowledge. By such action we
resolve our present concentrated sys-
tenn Of impartiug instruction into a
thousand separate systems, each
as specially some favorite
religious dogma. Religious prose
lytism will take the place of prac
tical education, and that which we
cannot afford to barter for all the
religious dogmas and tenets of the
age-a general diffusion of knewl-
be numbered among the
shings of the past.
the development of this suit will I
be regarded with interest by all, as
the decision will vitality affect not ;
only the citizens of Cincinnati, but ,
hose Of the whole State and nation I
DIR. JARVIS, of Boston, has made
/ very interesting census estimate, t
1T the instance of Commissioner s
Wells, who has furnished him all the
lata in the possession of the Gov +
,rnment. According to this esti- C
nate the population of the United o
States in june, 1870, will be 39,613,- =
is persons, of whom 1864, AIS will :
be blacks, and of this population, the o
Northern States viii have &c, ,000, 600. '
This shows the increase in popula-
ion for the last ten years to be over 3
!, 100000. He estimates the aggre h