Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-04-20
DEFEND THE SCHOOLS.


system They have revealed their plans
with holdness and efftontery which proves /
that they have confidence in their ability to |
carry them out, at least, so far as the pres
ent Legislature is concerned, with entire |
success. Senators and Assemhlymen urge !
the passage of acts which will turn over all !
our public asylums and schools to Jesuit |
CONTROL and Roman Catholic journals de
mand, as undoubted rights. privileges which
have been granted under a mistaken view
Of tolerance. The public is not yet fully a
reused, but it will not be the fault of Dr.
Rufus w. Clark, Mr. Hepwosth, aud other
thoughtful and far seeing Protestant clergy
men, if the people lose their boasted com
mon school system and come under the de-
grading system Of Jesuit instruction, which
has enteebled ard disgraccd every country
where it has existed We have for years
pointed out where this Roman Catholic ag-
glession upon the rights Of American citi
Zens tended, and have spoken to deaf ear:
and dul! minds. We are glad to see that
some of the secular papers are sounding an
alarm which is uttered none too soon. The
n T. Times of Monday week contained an
article from which we make the following
extracts, as an indication of the tone Of pub
lie sentiment upon the question, Shall we
surrender cur common schools p After
stating thst influential men have argued in
favor Of concessions to the Roman Catholics
upon the ground of tolerance it says:
They have never asked what is due TO
Protestant parents and children, nor have
they considered the fact that the cry for the
suppression OF the Bible aud the dispersion
OF the school funds does not proceed from
the bulk of the Catholic laity, who are glad
to send their children to our schools, but
from the priests, who see that their power
declines under the influence Of souod and
liberal education.
The foreign born Catholics who come to
this country send their children TO our com
mon schools without fear and hesitation.
The priests have, Indeed, strven TO fill their
minds with prejudices on the subject, and
have even warned them OF the danger they
run in exposing their chillrcn to contact
with 'heritics But what poor hard work
ing Catholic is there who is not thankfui for
the instruction our schools have afforded to
his or her children? How many men are
there among Us who owe all their success IN
life to these adgnva5le institutions, open a
they are 10 people of all creehs and nations
We have provided places Of instruction for
all comcrs, asking no questions about reil
y,iun or race, and making no distinction o!
persons. Sonie of those vino coule imInedi
aIe!y assert the right 10 reverse every tea
ture of this policy, and 20 impose their Own
theories upon US. They say, in the first
Ill 81 Rt
BILE. In the next. we will break up these
schools Of yours, and set up others where we
can narrow the basis OF education, and insist
on conformity With the doctrines OF I par
ticuiar creed.
That this ls not exaggeT.ttO;I the Ian
guage of Roman Catholic journals shows:
The T,biet, paper of authority among
Cath o.ic>, ss,il only last SlJu:jty, IN refer
cGce to 4 proposed cuinWuInlse, No, gen
,iegien. that wIli HOT do, aud there Is no help
but in dividing ttie public schools altoget h
er.' The C,titoiic ieia3rHph, ot Cincinna
ii, has declared, It Viii be glorious day
Tor Catholics in this c0untry waen, under
the blows OF justice and morality. cur school
system w.ll ur shr'vered TO pieces Until
thea modern iGganIsm will triumph. The
Freeman s .joHraGi, Dec | says = Let the
public school system 20 10 where II came
! frmn-th devil. We ak, says BIsRop
! Lvnch, OF New Orleans, that the publ
! schools be cleanSed from this peace destroy
/ ing monstroaity-Bib.e reading. We can
! not use the common schools, says Rev.
/ Thomas Preston, 'becluse they answer not
/ our end, nor satisfy our consciences.
/ There never was contest so wantonly pro-
voked by the Roman Church as thl, one.
/ u trusts tor success TO the habit which most
1 = I. !,
/ .ake of avoiding disputes and quarrels.
| The Catholics, such persons say, only
want to do what they like with their Own
children The truth is they want to &c
/ more than this They want to break MP the
! educational system which has cost 50 much
labor and thought TO construct, and whIc!
! has already been productive OF such benefit;
to the whoi,. country. We ought never Il
assent to this course ut the instigation OF any
sect whatever The system has worked well
it has satisfied the great mass OF parents
and TO no class has it done greater servic'
than to the Roman Catholics themselves
The Children OF the naturaliZed Cathohc
have received an education free from al
bigotcd ideas or supCrstltlous precPptS. Ihl
= the one cause OF their Subsequent success
in life. . The Methodist Convention
which met last month at Syracuse, passed
resolution declaring that there Is no legitl
mate power in any man, or continuation 6
men, to deny the use Of the Bible for an
length of time to any human being. Ii
our national book, and we will firmly an
unitecily resist all attempts to remove 1t froi
our common schools The same determi
, nation will animate the vast majority OF tn
; nati6n when the significance of the plot no
forming comes to be properly appreciated
This is one of tho &c c)nteSts which we won
fain have avoided, but being only forced II
to it, we must pay no heed to tinIid or tim
serving counSes. but show our antagonist
that we are thoroughly in earnest, ami thi
we are resolved, whatever may be threate
ed or done, TO preserve our common schoo
intact, and the Bible with them. Oar on
! motto must be, No surrender.
Te heartily applaud these utterances of
secular journal, and call upon all Protestan
, TO prepare for the contest, to sustain al
: perpetuate our common schoo! system, o.
rights. as citizens and Christians, against Il
9 worst system of despotism which ever e
slaved any portion of the human race
i Y. Presbyterian Observer.