The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-17
rnE Roman CalhoIlca throughou. ID.

NEDSESDAI AORaING, AOS, II,
THE Roman Catholics Throughout. the
United States appear 10 be last now
very active in promoting the interests
Of their Church and faith. They are
organizing In Philadelphia an AssoclA'
ton under the tile Of "The National
Institute Of America Tn object 10
affirmed 10 be "the cultivation Of every
.p4cles OF learning, Is well Is every
AociAl, political And financial interest
which can be rendered subssrvIent TO
the cause OF the Church IN America"
The WnstItuts" IL 10 be divided into
twelve schools, each giving attention TO
\ particular branch Of study. Iu
object Ia thus defined 10 the printed
prospectus: "ThIs academy viii de-
vote itself With unrsmItting zeal 10 tho
extension Of Catholic ideas In the edo.
cation OF the people. While acting
with prudence, determination and a
just RESPECT for national Institutions, II
will lose no opportunity OF combating
The false and disaHrous educational
system which Ia at pTeseD! favored By
our authorities"
On the other hand all the Protestant
churches are VIgilant; and the contest
between Catholicism and Protestant
i-m, which has come down through
many centuries, and which In past
times provoked such bloody wars In
Europe, goes on to day there as we'll a.
hsFe, with scarcely Iess Intense though
more tolerant and better directed zeal
than OF old. There ale those who look
upon this irrepress!ble conflict with
grave apprehension Of Its results 10
his country. Such apprehension does
not 4ren to US we'll founded. The tens
deucy Is all In the direction OF toler-
ance and enlightenment. spiritual
no less than secular. The CAlho
Itc Church itself which has stood for
aEes almost unchanged and i'm pene;ra-
lie begins TO yield 10 the Influences Of
the times. When men Ike Hyacinthe
break away from It's trammelA and de-
clare that the real faith and vitality OF
the Church do not consist In certain
Of It's long accepted dogmAs, such as the
inialIibil'y Of The Pope; when we find
the German bisLopS going into the Gen.
era. Council inbued with sIrnilar ideas
and resolved TO make them heard; and
when We ind the Pope himself seeking
to avoid any discussion OF the IntAl!I>
bllIty dogma, We conclude that
even ancient Rome Ia beginning
to mellow under the religious enllght.
eminent that Is shedding its rays over
all the Christian nations. We believe
In 'hegreatest possible freedom In such
mNtt"Ts, and, accordingly, that there Is
nothing 10 fear bat everything 70 hope
from the utmost activity among all
churches and creeds. so long a. there
Ia no coercion, 30 long as they use only
moral suasion, to propagate their be.
iIefs. let each make all the converts and
accessions 1t can. There need be no
apprehension that the truth has any.
thing to fear In the outcome OF the
conflict.
II by 1.-THE false and disastrous edu.
cHIionAl System which Ia ut present
favored by our authorities" this INA.
tIon"l Institute" refsrs 10 the common
school syAtem OF this country, we re-
greet 10 see such an Indication that the
Catholic Church iutendH 10 make war
on that system which by common
consent the whole American people
look upon a. the bulwark Of their lib.
critics. In such contest all the Pro.
testant churches will be an unit on the
other side, and so.will all that large and
powerful mass OF opinion which may
hs described "a unrelIgIous or not
attached to any Of the many Christian
creeds. II there Is TO be, as recent
events indicate, general war on the
common schools Ofthe country, In order
that the funds by which they are
maintained may be diverted as special
endOwments TO schools cond ucted In the
interest OF particular faiths. then It will
become every one who values general
education and believes the Inclination
OF Church and Stale dangerous, 10 fight
on the defensive. Nor does there seem
good reason TO doubt that II such a con.
fllct Ia preclpItated It will re-
suit dlsastrously 10 those who inau-
gurate II, and that the interests OF
free education and liberal reUg.
Ion. will be promoted rather than In
Jnred by 1t. In country where people
are free to think and act, speak and
write, agItatIons OF this kind never
harm the truth or fetter the conscience,
They are sure In the end to vlndIcate
the one and widen the liberty OF the
other. However II might DO under the
shadow OF imperial government, We
believe In this Republic the common
schools can stand as much war as any |
church which may choose to undertake
their overthrow.
THE PUBLIC SoHooLs.-we learn
from Prof. ZsIgler, the State Superln.