The New York herald., 1870-03-31
THE SECTS AND COMMON SCHOOLS.
Indignation Meeting at Cooper Instituts-Ad.
dresses by Henry Ward Beseher, DR..
Thompson and w. e. Dodge-Ap
preparations Of Funds to Secta-
rian Schools Denounced.

large sized Indignation meeting was held LAST
hsht IN the hall OF the Cooper Institute where every
So"' ana every standing place was occupied by .
very attentive ana very audience After the
mee'ihR had been called to order Mr.. Peter Cooper
was eiec'ed 10 the chair and the following resou-
tons preceded by preamble, were adopted
Rssovsd ah.s we enter emphatic pross, sg.,ass the
nations. .ahor.s: fo Or support & q sec
Resolved Th., every such appropriation violation OF
hs @ srs5es " ri liberty and before
the glory Of our nsisus,oas n the Illus
Resolved Tha, any every religion. sec which attempt.
to support Churches secArAn schools charities
w sgsIp hs pSs1 ps1e m0asy .n y y
into politics. and deserves the condemnation of AL good
Resolved Th. every such appropriation q public moaey
an attach upon The free non .sc.r.n public .SnSS q a.
republic free OF cost TO every child In ihs ssAis
Resolved That section ten chapter s7s Of the laws 1892
relating TO the city Of New Yors which In fac though
annually TO few sectaran schools in this city unnscss
ssss By s ali s g.:
sna pa the to aSa as. r =
can politics and array !. the ballot box the Prosssanss
Resolved That the Legislature be petioncd and is hereby
called upon to rep sso & the sal, section and to take the ys.
ys s1 s ARE r ana 1s sr s and what
chickering's OF religious sects
HENRY WARD BEECHER WAS the nrst speaker,
who, In q glowngly eloquent address, described the
tenth section as endeavor to fasten upon Ameri-
can policy that which was particularly and essen-
tally European While he would give TO the for
egner all the privileges and chances that the Aneri-
can mad, he would not give the foreigner q single
chance more. lie described at length the pecu-
larty Of the two policie5-the European, which was
cenrazing, and the American, winch was compara-
llvely local and submissive To u large extent to no
imperial mead The government OF America was
the development OF American ideas. and thus pro-
utxyx nj and
knew how to make republics betters than
Europeans aid The danger 10 be guarded against
specially In the common schools was the danger OF
the prlestly hand loud cheers.) II was question
of the continuance OF tree schools without secta-
rian Dias He repudiated the idea that the school
system OF America was sysrem OF charity. 1t was
the rignt Of every American 10 send his children 10
Alter reviewing this point AZ some length he con-
cluded by some excellent remarks on the conserva-
tive aspect OF the question.
WM r. DODGE was the next speaker, and spoke
mainly against the power which the present school
appropriation system naturally accorded To ,he ko-
Dr. J. r. THOMPSON said he should connnc himself
chiefly to the resolution commencing ''that every
appropriation OF pubic money! &C., and his aim
was 10 get before the minds OF the audience simple
statement or that issue, because when seen exactly
| as it was, there would to unanimous vote for fts
repeal and the settlement OF prohibltory legislation
for the future. This is not question or cnarity
which puts Itself forward IN the statement that chill
dren not suitably clothed for attendance at public
schools were shut out thereof for the want OF that
| cioIhing Supposlnx II were so-and II might Dc-
clothc these children ~ II so this country beeaa
| to play the part OF European governments by pau
perzlnR lts people. II tneir children were 70 DC
MS 1t ought be, but by sectarian boards. NEEDED
to be done It would be done by all Christians. Tue
manly spirit OF every American must be stunned
when he told that bis children were educated a.
/ matter OF charity. Ine children went there ~ =
| right and knowing no class distinctions. Americans
were free born and took from the State that which
was the citizens right. There had been All average
1 increase for some years OF nve thousand cniI-
1 ner
| was o decrease OF three thousand chill
dren. Now tnat was explained by the testl-
mony OF cye-wtnesses that priests have been
| into the wards where this had occurred and had
taken the children TO tho parochia schools lie
hoped that every Protestant church IN the state aud
city OF New York would refuse 70 receive any con
tribution from the pubic treasury. lie read an ex-
tract from the Catholic World, which stated that IN
the common schools the children could not u
trained into good Cathoncs Ilis was what the,
Th,s was Inc trouble. Another extract IN which Il
was stated tnat the Catholics wished tnat the ser
wee me discipline inc preeept and lailh Of "a.
would enable the CathoiIc Church 10 brin,
| them up good Catholics and therefore good
| American citizens. lie wished to know why Ireland
was not educated before II was shipped over here
(Cheers.) There was before the British Parliament
| at that moment a system exactly similar to the Ame-
rcan school system because the ecclesiastical and
| sectarian system had utterly failed. What was I'd
! be done with the large population OF Germans who
did not ally themselves on either the Catholic ur
Protestant side OF regionlsts2 In reply to that IN
tie article tn the cott1c U0f2f that appeared In
| the April number 1t sad:-'Ihe people who have
| no conscience nave no religion. and the people
| who mad no religion had conscience that tho
| people was bound TO respect Immense indlgna-
tion.} When taey broke up The fabric OF this
common school system tney provided for a religious
conflict and war tnat must be extremely bitter and
disastrous. II was more needful 10 look after the
politicians than 10 look after the Roman Catholic
Church; for when that Church stood Win It's hand
full or v0tes-'what are YOn gong 10 do. II wa
send you TO Albany OF to the City Hallri lie
read amusing extract from the article TN the
Cdlhottc WOfo stating "thaL iemae suffrage
would very likely swamp those votes ior women
fanatica the followers OF fanaLical preachers
and lewd. inhuel women; for Catholic women were
too retiring and 100 delicate and refined to "a
register their votes At the pols.n He closed by urx
ing the momentousness or this question, which II
not resisted now would prepare the way bloody
struggle.
Rev. DR.. Stewart and other gentlemen briefly al
dressed the meeting. which closed about half past
ten O'Clock.