Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-05-03
Father FImegan Again.

MESS RS. IEDIToRs = / very cheerfully ac-
cept your invitation to discuss the school
question In the columns of your journal,
and wishzto do so in all candor and good
humOr. AFAb-lfet = asA
You must not imagine that Catholics
esk their felIow,citizens to give upetheir
schools, They make no such impertineft
demands. They merely request that you.
will suffer them to enjoy their own where
their faith shall. not be tampered with nor
their feelings wounded nor their church
maligned.
Herein Knoxville We have O large and
foolish iiis school supported by the con-
gregation, many of whom are not in very
Opulent circumstances, Is it fair, is it just,
to compel us also to pay our share towards
the support of other schools ?
1t viii not do to meet the difficulty by
the mere assertion of the controlling
tants are the more numerous; we
have the power, and we insist on
having the common school system to suit
ourselves-you Catholics can take or leave
it, but you must pay for it.. Nor will it do
to say, our system is good, perfect, unobjec-
tionable if you do not avail yourselves
pfsit, theloss is yours. No, it win not be
met in this way, except by certain parties.
The common sense and spirit of fair play
w Hull tAlcVo III ObCi DCOplC VI AhOANlllc
will approach this serious question in a
more impartial spirit, and will admit that
Mhdssappropriated out Of the public taxes
to support an institution of public utility,
ought to be sozallocated that all those who
bear their share of the burdens, shall also
reap their share of the benefits.
Youwould not wish to make 1discrimi
nations or distinctions. You fuse the ris-
ing generations with generous sympathy
Il
YOU tlIiHlSs schools ought not to be made
obnoxious by intoxicating religious doc
trines, farther than is necessary to impress
upon the young those leading doctrines of
Christianity which are impliedly every
where recognized in America.p What
religious doctrines would make the school
obnoxius !? Answer that! Do you not
kibw that there is form of Christianity
which must be taught in its entirety tor
Of principles, but the assertion of truth.
You would give the Catholic child an OPP
portunity of reading the ''pure unadultera-
ted Word of God, u but he could not raise
I'D his innocent hands to- Mary. whom he
loves so much. You might hand him q
history wherein he reads of the glories of
thesReformation,. but hes should hear moth
ing abodt the conquests and triumphs of
the Catholic Church.
and hold her up as the great first model of
common education. And yet, strange to
say, we act thereby contrary to the course
she pursues in this most essential matter.
In. Frafice where Catholics are in the ma
jority, provisions is made by law for the
support of schools according to the tenets
of the MINORITY Can we not, in this free
republic have laws regulating education,
at least, as equitable as those of countries,
we are sometimes pleased to call despo-
You have said that I demand more than
the proportion of the taxes which the Cath
olics of Knoxville actually pay, when l
merely asserted that parent-meaning
one who pays taXes-is entitled to his pro
rata if he wished to educate his child at
home. demand nothing but justice and
fair play. This demand for generations
yet unborn. have no ambition whatev-
emo desire to appear thus publicly be
fore the good citizens of Knoxville, and L
would regretovery much if the aetion;take1
by me in this matter should appear like
forcing my own peculiar views on a gen
erous and liberal people. have not sought
this discussion / was content to leave the
schools in the hands of the City Govern
ment, and know that the members of the
Council would endeavor to act well and
wisely. / could not avoid replying to
the communication of-"One of Very
Many especially when illusions by ne
means gratifying were made to myself
Let the question be discussed in all its
bearings,yandI fear not for the result; but
"let justice besdene, although the heavens
fall" nj. j. FINNEGAN.