The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-01-13
Shall Our School System be Surren
t--r defeG,

The great remediable danger Of this
country is ignorance. 1t is that which
gives demagogue his power. 1t is
that which we must route, or which will
route us. And this we can do only by
universal system of common schools.
Their establishment and multiplication
Is paramount duty Of the nation, and
one that it shosld not hesitate to dis
charge. Against the rational wall in
this matter, the fixed resolution that
every body shall be educated no plea
OF State power, no ecclesiastical or sec
tallan sophlstry,& no mistaken religious
zeal, should be suffered to stand for a
moment If Presbyterians, or Baptists,
| or Unitarians. or Meeliodists, or Roman
Catholics, or Jews, or whatever religion
body, wish to instruct children in thei r
peculiar teBets, nobody bars the way :;
let them do as they choose. But as a
State, as political community, we have
nothing to do with religious tenets what
ever and as State we mean to educate
every body, not in religion, but in practi-
cal knowledge. "-Harper's Weekly.
1t Is evident that a serious conflict is
impending between the Church of
Rome and the free institutions Of this
country: The preliminary skirmishing
is already active enough to show that
the people are not slumbering over the
grave issue about to be forced upon
them. - ci t.a-i .s4ss Oh Is
In this controversy we have but one
thing to fear-one only ground Of doubt
as to the final result. That doubt arises
from the possibility that the people,
under the pressure Of, laudaoie enthusi-
assn for the Bible, and glowing with com
mendable zeal for their cherished insti-
tntions, may not sufficiently restrain
their ardor to examine with careful de-
liberation the whole ground before them
to have the issue clearly defined, and to
determine thoughtfully what the pivotal
question really is, and around what cen
ire the final battle is to be fought.
1t is now theological question we
have to deal with nor In any sence
a question of creeds, It is not whether
the Bible is a good book, and whether
the people have right to read and
cherish it but whether we have
a right to force it into the presence and
hearing Of those who do not regard it in
the same light as we do and whether,
IN pursuing this course we are net seri-
ously damaging our own position in re-
gard to the other-the graver question
that les behind this, viz Whether we
shall surrender at the bidding of the Ro-
man Hierarchy the priciple Of public ed
ucation on which is suspended the safety
of our pnlitical system. This, whether
we choose to see it or not, will be the
ultimate question in which all others
will terminate On this issue, the Pro-
testant sects. if they act wisely, can carry
with them the entire people outside the
Roman Church. Not only men of all
UNCONVENTIONAL creeds, but those of no
creed at all-the Indifferent and the I'M
believing, as well as the zealots of pecul-
lar doctrines viii rally promptly TO the
defence of the school system when it is
presented in its true relation to civil
liberty, and will defend it bravely and
surely against the arrogant claims of
Romanism.
But if the public schools are still to be
made the channels of theological opin
ions, for thisis presistently held by some,
to be the effect of reading the Bible IN
them, will not the enevitable result be
to ALLEVIATE large class of our fellow
citizens who acknowledge allegiance to
no peculiar creed. and to drive MANY of
the friends of public education to sun
port the absurd pretensions of despotic
ecclesiastical system. American
Go1o7.e,,yn