The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-09
The Public Schools

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schools, for SO many years the pride and
pet of our good city, have not been opened.
Why this wonderful delay, this strange
neglect7 The school system has fallen,
along with other municipal and State adj
ministratiOns, into the hands of party
which claims to be the exponent of pro-
gress and the pioneer of intelligence. Why
does its first essay at education fall 30 COM
pletely stillborn
It is evident that the real friends Of edu-
cation in our community have not much
confidence in the professions of that party
and are not waiting for the performance of
its promises. The Presby have es-
tablished parochial schools under the gen.
eral superintendence of Mr.. Rogers, SUI
perintendence by the way which insures
their success, if the material of success is
there. Already the number of their pupils
has doubled sirce the opening of their es-
Establishments. The Episcopalians also are
pushing their schools ahead rapidly, show.
ing by their energy that they have no in
intention of having further recourse to the
municipal or public system. OF course the
parochial system is as popular as ever
among the Catholics, and in condition of
constant development with them.
Now all this leaves the Republican adj
ministrators of education in sad dilemma,
especially in view of the approaching cleo
ton. If they open the schools, shall colored
children be admitted or not? If not, great
Will be the indignation among the colored
brethren and direful the detection in their
ranks at the polls. But what if they should
be admittedf That would manifestly be
the ruin of the schools, for white children
would not attend, as is evident from the ac-
ton above spoken of m the part of our
fello citizens. If th6 people would not
send their children, they would not of
course vote the necessary subsidies for the
support of the establishments.
We are inclined to think that the carpet
bag managers have no intention of mixing
the schools. We think SO from the fact of
their hesitating to open them until after the
election, and especially from our belief that
people in the world. They make great
outcry about equality among men, but it
is chiefly in theory aud for use among
others. When a practical application of
the principal is required, they turn from an
inferior race more scornfully and uncom-
promisingly than any others of the Cauca
sian breed.
Then again Republication is, to a great
extent, Radicalism and, wherein it is such,
it is anti Catholic. Therefore, above all,
it hates to do anything which may in any
way result in relieving Catholics from in
Justice or grievance of any kind. 1t is
very willing to spite Southern Presby-
terians and Southern Episcopalians, but
not when by so doing some relief may in
cidentally be brought to Catholics. 1t
cares not whit about the public schools
and would be very glad to suppress OF die
grace them, if thereby the people of New
Orleans could be mortified or inconve-
nienced, but when it sees that the forced
contribution heretofore levied ON Catholics
in the shape of school tax will be re-
mitted by such action on their part, it
hesitates. That will never do. The oppor-
tunities of depressing the Catholic Church
are so rare in this country, where all re-
ligions are supposed to be on footing of
equality, tudC ~ VIZ NV Wv ~ oottauou ZIG
most ingenious and effective trick by which
that provision of American Constitutions
has been so successfully evaded. Any tax,
SO applied that those who pay it cannot
consciertiously receive benefit from it, is q
religious persecution. The Radicals know
well enough that the school tax is asper-
secution of Catholics and consequently they
will never imperil its continuance, if they
can possibly help it by any concessions
short Of the destruction of their party.
The mere chance of their abusing the
power which they hold has, however, we
think, opened the eyes of honest Southern
Professionals to the dangers and evils of the
system itself. They find, first, that it may
be made, and is made, mere political en-
CINE to influence elections; secondly, by
being forced to try the parochial system,
they discover some of its many advantages.
They witness the good fruit of keeping
children under pious and spiritual in
fuences. They recognize the fact that
Christianity ought to be imbibed with
every breath and seen with every glance,
instead of being left to dry catechetical in
struction one day in the week and ignored
during the six others. This step forward
has already been taken by our most in