The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-03-28
The Republican on catholc Asyluns.

4 n
lence, famine, death of parents, nakednass,
misery of all kinds, have heretofore, been
their enemies, while the popular voice SYM
pathized with them, and the popular heart
rose up to comfort them. No man, spoke
against them. Now, at last, it is different.
A daily newspaper, the organ of a numerous
faction in the community, the Republican,
comes ont in q leader to discourage the eff
forts of public and private charity in their
behalf. t5i r.
1t is true that its criticisms are pointed
not so directly at the charity itself as at the
channel through which 1t is administered.
Asylums are not the thing for the proper
care and rearing of orphan children. Hear
the Repnbliean: s+,asg 5ssf8, tp
70 The manner in which they are reared within
the wallis of these asylunls is almost certain to
| unfit them for any nsefnl purposes outside of
! the society to which they have been accustoni
ed. The society, of the world is comparatively
unknown to them.
Does not the same objection apply to all
boarding schools where young misses are
kept secluded from general society through
out nearly the whole of the year, and fire.
quently for several years at a time 2 1t
might, possibly, be better for children to be
reared with somewhat of daily intercourse
with the world in its ordinary phases, at
their own homes and under the watchful
eye Of prudent mother, but many persons
find their situation such that their children
are safer, md progress better with the dis
cipline of well-regulated school than
would be the case under home influence.
~ 80; s liuip o,~I
wealthy, how much more advisable when
all immediate friends are dead, where there
are none to give that watchful attention
which love alone inspires, and where even
poverty steps in to render more dangerous
the influences with which the young limo
cent must he surrounded? '-.-
Again:
strong sectarian bias is apt to be nstilled
into their {the childrens) youthful minds upon
the srbjeet of religion, that depriYes them of
that Catholic feeling SO essential to overcome
prejndice.
So, by being reared Catholics, children
are " deprived of Catholic feeling" ga
sectarian bias is given" 1t would appear
that this objection is little too general.
How is it possible to teach any child reli-
gioR without giving it sectarian bias
For this same brilliant reason advanced
against asylums, there ought not to bs any,
churches parents ought to be careful not
to bias their offspring in favor of that creed
in which they themselves believe, and Sun
day schools are an absolute determination.
ALI these things are means of taking an un-
due advantage of youthful credulity, and
influence the judgment before it can make
its own philosophical investigations.
The directors OF directresses of these insti- q
buttons consider themselves as taking the
place of parents towards the unfortunate
children under their care, and to the ex-
tent that parents consider themselves bound
to Undue child with the principles of tina
faith of which they consider the true one, to
the same extent, and in the same manner do
these, their representatives, consider them
selves bound. Until the home circle is first
reformed in this respect let us not attack
the asylums.
t'And them" says the Republican, -. these
asylums are not entirely free from the frail-
ties of poor human nature.n 1t continues
They are liable to mismanagement They
may be managed more in the interest of those
have learned to make q business of their
than in the interest of the help
less little ones whom misfortune has driven
within their sacred precincts.
Here we must say, beforehand, that we
excuse the real editor of the RepubHcaa
from responsibility for this statement. t
These words could not have been penned