The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-04


you may, it is now forced upon US in q
manner in which the friends Of popular
education are bound to meet it.
We would call the attention of you'll
readers to report OF an address made
by Bishop Whelan, at Mt. De Cbsntal
and contained in the REGISTER Of the
30th of June, ult. 1t reads as follows
HE called attention to the lesser
number attending the last, than Prev,
GUS years. He knew, he said, that
there were excellent institutions OF
learning all over the land, but ne enter
ed his most solemn protest against any
education that was devoid OF religious
training as leading to communism
as lately seen in France, an education
of the mind without an education Of the
soul, and productive OF crimes that
should make humanity blush. He also
inveighed against the practice of col
lecting school taxes from those who
would not send their children to the
public schools, and then refusing to ap
propriate to the schools to which the
tax payers alluded to could send their
children. fair proportion OF the moneys
raised by such taxes, because to do so
was said to be encouraging 'Sectarian
schools"
As a friend of popular education,( and
as no one else seems inclined to do SOL
| must as an humble citizen here be
allowed to center my solemn protest
against the views presented in the above
extract. AS l have been led to regard
Bishop Whelan as a gentleman, and
one who is governed by conscientious
motives, | shall endeavor in this COM
munication to treat him with that re-
spect which is dne to these considera-
tons. 1t will be my aim, therefore, to
avoid all personalities, and to discuss
the subject fairly upon its merits. Nor
will | write under nom de plume, but
over my own proper signature, and take
the consequences, be they what they
may.
First-It is intimated in the Bishops
address that no religious instruction
whatever, is given in our public schools,
whereas, the ground principles OF Natu,
raj and Revealed Religion, and the
Cardinal Duties Of Christianity are dis
tinctly taught in most schools Of this
class throughout the country. 1t is
true that the peculiar vie'cs OF the Bish,
ops Church, or OF any other Church, are
not taught, but if the Bishop assumes
that because this is not done, Christian
ity, in its essential features is not taught,
he assumes more than everybody is vii.
ling to admit Ours is Christian land,
and our institutions are based upon
Christian principles, and in every rela-
ton Of society our people are constantly
coming in contact with those reveal,
ed princil les, and cannot avoid it if
thev would. So with our schools.
Here the Episcopalian, the Presbyte-
rian, the Baptist, the Methodist, the
Romanist, the Jew, the Mohammedau,
the Mormon, are put upon common
ground. The law knows no difference
between them, ought to know none, and
will know none, and every true Repub-
lican must admit that this is right.
Shall any of these parties say, there
fore, cannot send my children to such
schools, and will not pay the tax unless
my child receives a dividend from the
school fund? Such a proposition, it
seems to me, must appear to any one at
all acquainted with the theory Of our
Government as simply preposterous.
Any one can see at glance that such
n course would soon put amend to any
system Of popular education supported
by public tax; or, what is more like
", throw it into the hands Of some DOM
mating hierarchy, so little mindful of
its Masters business as to attempt to
build itself up by counting the strongest
political influences of the day rather
than by the simple preaching OF the
Gospel Of Christ. Witness the existing
condition OF things in the State Of New
York. The Bishops Church has there
gained an ascendancy even over the
State Legislature, and has succeeded in
securing the passage OF general law,
under the operation OF which hundreds
Of thousands of dollars are annually
distributed among the institutions of the
Roman Church, while a few thou
sand only fall to the share Of the other
sects, and this only when any one Of
those sects chances TO be cracen enough
to receive it.
And, moreover, whenever this divis-
ion OF funds has been attempted, it has
soon demonstrated its own folly, by
leading to outrageous fraud and inter
minable strife; and the only way to
prevent it is, to put b4 and bride on Il at
once. And, if might be allowed to ad-
wise the citizens of Wheeling, and West
Virginia, 1 would say to them in all
earnestness: Whenever such demand
as that contained in the Mt. de Chantal
speech comes before You, it should he
resisted promptly, and at once. 10
checkmate such a policy at the outset,
they will see the Importance Of orignat-
ing speedily, measures for the purpose
of having the following feature ingraft-
ed upon our State Constitution, viz
That The Legislature shall hare no po,oer
to pass any lap, general or special pro
riding for appropriations to religious bodies
for any purpose whatsoever, or for diris-
ion of the school funds among the various
r,L1;o,,s ssrts II this object can he se-
cured, IL ,ciN Kill the anaconda in the
esg, and save our State from a world oil
fraud, and much internal strife.
Will the Bishop undertake to say
that the state of things in New York lie
all right merely because his Church,
in this instance happens to have gained
an ascendancy2 And yet this is pre-
cisely what his demand would result in,
;f allowed in West VIRGINIA. Does he