New-York tribune., 1870-01-29
CATHOLICS and THE SCHOOLS.
70 u. Editor Of me Tr,oune.

prosperity and perpetuity, who loves progress law
and coed government. must interest himself lr tli'
great question now attracting so much OF the pnoH'
attention Our Pubic Schools have hitherto heer
strongly instrumental in raising the American co
ple TO their present prosperity and COMMANDING
position among The nations OF the ear'h' An "su
ent in favor Of the maintenance OF those schools Woud
bo as pDnece.arr AS deduciug proof TO establish the
truth OF axiom.
We Mas, Hare Fee Seiools-They of vital and in
iispensabo necessity, not only 10 our future progress
and deyoopueu bat even 10 the very existence Of the
form Of government under which we have the happiness
live We must have those schools for majority OF
avery class whether Catholics PrOtestans Jews, or In
adels All denominations must resort TO those schools
Tor the elements knowledge There is no sect SO stu
aed so located In this country to be able to support
It's own elementary schools purely sectarian basis
and Roman Catholics, perhaps, less than Protestants
could do so. Outside Of a few large cites, sec
tartan or denominational schools would be an
ntter impractcahility. This being the case, the
law wisely provides for the education OF those
whose parents and guardians are unable TO
educate them and who could not be reached by the be-
nevolence Of any sect or denomination IL Ro-
man Catholics may demand portion OF the school fund
for the establishment OF schools TO teach their religious
tenes in connection with science too, may each and
avery denomination in the country and as matter Of
course the concession OF such demands would be the
death OF the Common School system. What then 2
Woud the different secs each working in its orbit,
give the same universal diffusion OF knowledge that the
common school system with all ITS defects has given
INTO the present timei BY no means They could not
10 So and il would be folly expect it, We must, then
,apd by the Common School system We must suffer
hand TO tear down this great prop Of Institutions
Bot VIC must take away its defects; must give more
efficiency to !s working; We must make 1t unobjecon-
.be to those Of every creed; in word, must make
the Of diauSing the blessings OF unmiXed seen
lr,u slr a a. OF lie
are to avail themselves OF 1t.
Have our Public Schools rather has Free School
system been conducted in consouauce with the public
Interests and the rights Of all our citizens and TO sub
servo purely educational purposesi To this question:
the answer Of every candid, unpreudiced person must
be-NO.
We may talk as We please about the march OF intellect
the power Of the press the mighty revolution effected by
te scameugHe and the telegraph, and the enlightened
condition Of the nneecuthcenury folks This is all very
weand very ur but Is also very true that our boasted
enlightenment has not taken away tine large leavcn OF
religious bgotIy and religious fanaticsm that We have
eherourseves generated inherited from our ancestors
the Public school which ought to be Theoretically sealed
-lns this d.s Of gous intolerance, has beenlOpencd
rr its reception and to-day 1t enthrones itself conformity
m science in that institution. There is class Of old
fashioned religonsts in these United States known as
Roman Catholics or, II you Will, Papists They number
some four Millions They composed Of rich and poor,
ignorant They are believe. neither better nor worse
lan tie same number OF any other class classes COM
osuz our population. From the time Of Columbus to the
present time Roman CATHOLICS have been nstTumenal IN
eyeoriur ciyizing and Outstanding this continent,
both North ard South, in building its towns, cities r
roads and toegrapIs IN shaping It's institutions ana gov
o.nmcus and defending the in their hour Of peril
Don't you think Mr.. Greeley, those four millions Of
Catholics ought to have liberty OF conscience, both In
theory and In acti know you do for, though Protes
tlut you are stood up more brayely more nm
uuchincy to assert right, and defend them I'm its
exercise than Horace Greeley himself, and gratefully
aud uEocuOnatcy they remember your laJOrs IN their
behalf
goddess pack Of knaves fools have flooded our Free
schools Will copies Of English book got up under the
cyde.s and auspices OF King James l., former sovereign
Of England. II is called the Bible and purpOrtS 70 be
translation Of the Holy Scriptures from The original
Greeh Most OF the editions Of This book are stamped
with the lion aud unicorn Notwithstanding that more
than twotirds Of the Christians Of the whole world de
rounce that book being an unfathfal ana perverted
caty of ,e Scriptures, Notwithstanding that we have
million, # Ievs and others who do not at all believe In
tre Oh and Nov Testamens, sti from day to day ana
from year % year tins book Is oiste on the 81
thousands q uOu.proicstaut children who attend the
Public Schools.
Protestant hymns are sung in many OF these schools NJ
ue o. lg. of the teachers aud books GcnOuuciuE the
faith q. 'lulcs and fdl-ifyiug history to hold up tho
Cathol.. l,dgon TO public rcIrobauon are Often found
Cau,, have time and again. protested against these
vulgar and indecent ouragcs and eHdcayOed TO put an
end 60 tUem but IN vain. They have asked that lnelr
tuusU uud aud legal immunity from tlIs persecution
o. reco lied aud respected Bnt 10. Ihey have Reeh
shicF that this Protestant government, and our u-
et,uus based the Bible aud on Protestant IDEAS
that AOlc, hate Book Of Books and fear us CIR
Culgt.r that the Catholic clergy want TO Keep tnSr
people ignorance OF Evangelical truth, and that the
Biblo H. the only safety Of this Government ana our
people -aust Rome, her ministers, and her srersuous
aud RI c iaSehoOd given 10 us Catholics when We ask
that tic Public schools be ccanaed from this ueace'
destrOy uOustIOsiy- -Blbereadug.
Catholics have the most profound respect for The
sacred scriptures Many Of that denomination sUTeVcr
"a. Bible to read knccling Itwasti6 Catholic
New n -fi'.snf md tbe CsILoIic CLurdb by the i'm.
press t authorization ana testimony, that established
the inspiration OF the dherent Gospels ana Eplstes oi
We are not afraid that the readinC Of King James,
Bible be Public Schools would change the aiih OF one
Catholic child IN whole century Du as IL h5S peel
lpstcJ upon 10 insult our religions belief and brand
us rs n Interiors Of PrOtcstauts before the law we WI
resent tuu Hpudeut insult as people ought 10 40 M'
know. TINT under the glorious AAerlcan Constitution
tlsIeI 900 pet religion, no roprObated cresd. r,,
This King Jameas Bible ana every ohcf Klhd OF blg't
must b. removed 70 the church and the lauiIy cIelt
where it belongs. 1t must yan.h rom tlo Comno, ~
School II not no course Is Ieit TO rs Dnt 70 NluId"
every thoic child from those proseytzing schools.
present our views ana demands cAlIy' telIpeIa,eiS
and Uectfly, 10 the American people, ana demand
from them IN tIis matter nothing but simple Jusucc,
right secured to us by me organic ltM avn OF I.o ao' %
lgOus liberty and, believe they WI DO Us Pfom'Jus
ice.
You assume that The Ncur- York Tablet reflects the
the entire Catholic body M the United Sjaes III
regard the school question. This Is great error
That constituted Catholic organ, suppose, does le
Ncct The views Of majority, II not all OI inc CathoI'
clergy Hut not the views OF Ouchtth OF tLe CalhOlI
)aty. aOIe than fOur.htths Of the Catholics OF iAe
United IN favor OF the Public schools ana VII
support lcm il they be rendered HOrsectarlan the dc
uands ct The Tablet and kindred newspapers, as wei a,
OF the iAOAc clergy to the contrary OtWAstaGlDg
know Oi uO commandment or plecept OF my 1dlth as
Bishop he IaTogeue1t and control of the secular odu
q. NJ
and IM --Lluc ms hcIevO hucAk the scntlmcut Ol