The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-03-05
! Tho School eaastiona.
LECTURE OF REV. +. 8. PRESTON.


in the United States, was attended by . |
large audience Of ladies and gentlemen.
The lecturer, Rev. Thomas 8. Preston, Of
New York city was introduced by DE-.
White, pastor of St. Matthew'S Church. A |
great number of Catholic clergymen were
present. The appearance and manner Of
the lecturer were pleasing in the extreme, |
Ihis el0cution being of that easy, modulated, !
musical information which is the perfection |
of art. The lecturer said the educational |
question was one of vital Importance to |
this country, as all conceded, but it was
also true that the Catholic view of educa-
ton was as important to Catholics as it
was different from the common view that
the Catholic view was that there was no
education worthy Of the name which was
not based upon religious training, and that
| one of the highest and greatest duties of
Catholic parents and Catholic clergy was
to provide that Catholic children should be
educated in Catholic dogma.
| This belief, on the part of Catholics,
| gives rise to a claim on their part with re-
| gard to the subject of education, which
| would not be questioned for moment In
this country were it not for the fact that
the people of this country who do question
| it have been trained from their infancy to
detest, hate, loathe and despise the Catho-
lie Church, and to entertain with delight
any movement which might initiate
against Catholic faith. 1t is to people SO
blinded by prejudice, with judgments SO
warped by early training, that we are COM
PEELED to reason with, and yet he thought
the claims of the Catholic Church on the
school question were so just that even such
I people could not long withhold them or II
| they were persistently and tyrannically
withheld, he feared it would causea con.
fict which might imperil the rights even Of
that majority which now refuses simple
Justice to the minority.
Protestants pretend they cannot under
stand why the schools which they think
good enough for their children should not
be held by Catholics to be good enough for
theirs. Those who talk thus do not go skin
deep into the question. The trouble is that
between Protestants and Catholics there is
a radical and irreconcilable difference of
opinion upon the kind of education, con-
sidered as education simply, that children
should have. The Protestant does not con-
slider any particular religious belief neces-
sary for the souls salvation, and therefore
any school which develops the intellectual
powers of the child is satisfactory to them
exactly in proportion as it successfully de-
velops those powers.
} Now with the Catholics all of this is diff
; ferent. He believes that certain things are
, indispensably necessary to the souls saliva
ton, and that these things are 80 numerous
and require such constant and careful In
culcation, that no school is or can be
, satisfactory to him except where the teach
: ings of these things do constantly go
= hand in hand with mere secular instruction.
Many Catholics might be ignorant of the
fact that this is a question which has
4 been carefully considered by the Church,
' and that the proposition 80 strongly urged
. by Professionals that schools organized and
t conducted like the public schools of this
= country were properly fitted for the educa-
= ton of Catholic youth, has been formally
t condemned by the Church as false and
y heretical. The reverend lecturer then read
} the decisions of the Pope on the subject OF
q rvh ro1iOinns edncafiOn is x
. cluded, condemning all as unfit for Catlo-
n lie children. The decision has also been
b promulgated by the Catholic Council at
= Baltimore and no Catholic can in conscience
now patronize the common school system
IS of the United States, as at present opera
g ting, because
l. First. AS now managed, the schools
y cannot be non sectarian, from the fact thai
70 it ia impossible to impart knowledge o.
" history, poetry, art, philosophy or science
without bias. The teacher must have
10 opinions, and cannot fail to tinge ms teacn
70 ings with them; and even the teaching o
!, silent Influence" is sufficient to impart
or uproot belief.
Second. The text books used in tn
of schools are radically Objectionable, on &C
,e count of the falsity of the statements il
to them with regard to Catholic religion ant
" Catholic history.
lie Third. The Bible question. Catholic
or cannot consent to have their children
ny taught from q version of the Bible they d
Of not believe to be o true version.
ID. Fourth. Even if all these objection
d, were removed, a great one would remain
ot Then the schools would not recognize at a
ng the existence of God OF of any morality
ri. and would lead children direct to infideiitJ
rse They say we can teach our children re
3D. ligion on Sundays. We reply that we ar
les not satisfied with such an arrangement
he because we know that it does not work sa
de- isfactorily. The Catholic priesthood hav
his a knowledge of the effect of contact I
me children in the public schools which is va
all and painful, and that, by this contac
children are led into vice to an extent
which people commonly have no idea. ~
,e- claim which Catholics make is nothing b.
shc what they are perfectly willing to grant
bis others. They do not ask to teach Protest
e en-. ant children, but simply to educate the
I'll. own in their own faith. Can anything
en- more fair, just, honest or right
vas He did not want to say anything again
are the common school system as system