The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-23
Educational cri.i. in 1relsnd.

An educational crisis is at hand in Ire
land, and the following declaration on the
subject of education is being signed by, 90
stated in the document, the Parliamentary
electors:
We, the undersigned Irish Roman Ca
tholics, clergymen and >faymen, being
registered Parliamentary electors, deem 1t
our duty to declare, asfOllows, our conscien-
tious convictions>Tespecting the mOmen-
tous question Of education in Ireland: That
education, 70 be fruitful of good, must be
foundedon religion; and that non religious
education tends to subvert religion AND
morality in Catholic youth. Our practical
of the truth Of these principles
is evinced by-euf maintaining over COCO
bows and youths in Catholic schools and
colleges, at an annual cost to ourselves of
about a quarter of q million sterling. That,
while unwilling to interfere with the rights
of our Protestant fellow-countrymen, we
claim for ourselves, as Christian guardians
and parents, representing four and a-half
millions of Irish Catholics, the right-a
right with which we will admit no inter
ference-to give to our children an educa-
ton based upon and interviewer with the
religion which we believe to be true ana
conformable to the teachings of the Church
| of which we are members that, our ia
theirs having transmitted to us our religion
| unsullied we are determined to hand IL
down unsullied to those who will come
after us, and as, for this purpose, Catholic
education is necessary, We are determined
to use all constitutional means in resisting.
"a an encroachment ON onr civil and re-
1 figions liberties, every attempt to force
| unon u.s. Catholics, any system OF educa-
tion-university, intermediate or primary
which is not based upon the Catholic re-
ligion that we protest against the asser-
ton that the just claims Of Catholics can
he met by the extension or perpetuation of
the mixed system, whether by the erection
IF new institutions, by the maintenance OF
the Queens Colleges aud Model Schools,
OF by changing Trinity College, Dublin,
into q mixed college; that, inasmnch as
we. Catholics, who entertain these con-
scieutious opinions, contribute equally with
our fellow subjects to the public taxes, 1t
is but lust that endowment and all other
advantages afforded by the state to educa-
tiopal institutions, based upon Protestant
or upon non-religious principles, should,
in the fullest sense of equality, be shared
/ with Catholic institutions, which alone are
Hin accordance with the religious opinions
of tile great mass of the people of Ireland
! we. therefore demand such q change In
the system of public education-primary,
intermediate and university-in Ireland as
will place US on a footing OF periect
Quality with our feliow-sub]ects, VINO en-
! terrain no conscientious objections to ex-
| istipg systems, and will remove the civil!
disabilities which are ut present inflicted
upon us for our religious opinions in this
matter of education.
The Frceman's Journal supports this
document in an able article. Its tone
stamps it with the character of prologue
to new agitation. 1t declares that,
though the Land Act is passed and the
Church disestabIisbed, "EDgland's sin
certify in doing tardy justice to Ireland y
will not be demonstrated until "the
calling badge of ipferiority "--the exist
ence of mixed system of education-is
destroyed.