The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-03-31
CORRESPONDENCE.


public-spirited citizens, and teachers OF the
people, making clamor to derogate from
public or common schools, and talking
about the men who have been appointed,
in accordance with the law Of the land. to
watch over those schools, and see that they
are made as efficient as possIble-as being
hostile to independent schools, and conse-
quently, hostile to principles of freedom,
etc, etc.,-it is natural to pause and reflect,
and, if possible, to inquire, whether the
utterance of such stuff is attributable TO
the oblquity of moral or intellectual facul-
ties. If there are any such things about
as independent schOols--and for my own
part, though / take great interest in the
subject, yet can hear of but two, for the
native population-it is to be inferred that
they have been established and are main
tanned by persons who think that there is
a call for them, and who maintain them
for their own profit or for some other ad-
vantage, which they think they can obtain
through their agency. Consequently, it
is fairly to be inferred, that those people
who establish such independent schools, if
they have professional ability as teachers,
will maintain them just so long as they
have patronage, which means, just so long
as there is a demand in the public for
them. The said independent schools may
be valuable auxiliaries to education and
their proprietors, or those otherwise inter
ested in promoting them, must feel, very
naturally, pressing interest in their wei
fare but the public man, who is set over
the public education, is called upon to make
the public schools as good as possible; to
see to it, that the means of education are
as accessible to all classes as it is possible
to make them. He may, too, feel a salts
faction in the fact that the community,
round about him, is willing to maintain
better schools than those which the taxes
he has at his command are able to secure.
But when men, born in New England, up
braid others, continually, for promoting
and encouraging public schools, one natu-
rally stops and asks what can be the reason,
and the first answer that suggests itself, is
that indicated by your correspondent last
week, q mean Mr.. Goodale) where he says,
THAT it's 1.-THE Ruokoa) favorite aversion
is Boards-Health, Education and Emigra-
ton" nor has it ever done aught but find
fault" / have said above, that persons,
besides the prOprietors, may maintain these
independent schools for some advantage
other than profit, which they think they
can obtain through their agency. This is
especially applicable to those occupying
the position of clergymen. They may es-
tablish schools, which they denominate
parochal schools, and use such persuasion
as they can, to induce people to send their
children, on such grounds as, that they
belong to our meeting" attend our Sun
day school," or indeed, may make the
whole week one long Sunday school. This
is natural, for the person so seeking to
maintain his authority or influence over
his congregation-and is, in accordance
with the experience of all men, with re-
gard to the body clerical, in all parts of the
world, and under all systems of religion
and church government.
To these men, it is generally of no mat
ter, that their school may not furnish so
good an education as the public school, or
some others which are not sectarian, and
have more extended means for providing
and paying instructors. All this is met,
in their minds, by the superior good OF
preserving their focks untainted, and ben
eftting the young by losing no opportunity
to inculcate their own dOctrines-the i'm
portance of which, in their view, is not only
temporal, but eternal-and depreciate those
of their opponents. In many instances, the
Importance of maintaining their own per
sonal interests, and accustOming their con-
gregation to look to themselves, and to
themselves alone, as the sole source of in
struction-as the great sun, from whence
comes all warmth and light, is superior to
everything else.
Now l do not pretend to say that such
is the case with the reverend gentlemen
who conduct, contribute to, and support
the Kuokod newspaper. 1 only say that
such has, sometimes, been the case, with
gentlemen of their class in other denomi
nations, and in other parts of the world
1t may be an effective way of maintaining
personal influence, especially in congre'
cation, where the experience and reflection
of the heads of families is not very pro
found, and where, consequently, they art
very apt to exhibit their docility, by say
ing yes" to whatever the pastor may pro
pose. Hence, these gentlemen, though
born in a country where the Truant Off
GERS are, or were, as regularly elected al
any other magistrate, observing no othel
material of which to make grievance, fine
fault with the Board of Education, because