Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-05-16
HOW SHALL WE EDUCATE.
OUR CITY SCHOOLS.

y
shows more conclusively that the purpose
of this movement. of the Roman Catholic
Priest and his sympathizeFs, is te, obtain q
part OF the money raised by the civil au-
thorlty, to carry on q Roman Catholic
school, Not only So. The article confirms
me in the opinion that the movement pro-
ceeds upon the assumption that the civil
authority has nosrightto give even an ele-
mentary English education to the children
of the city and the State,unless it will also
provide for thefr sfeeeiving positive re
ligious sectarian instruction; and that if
such instruction cannot be made to go
salong with the importation of secular
learning, the, common schools should be
abandoned, 4These Romish gentlemen
cannot throw off their leading idea Of a
union i in some form or other, between
Church and State, and of making the State
serve the Church THAT is, sooner or later,
the Roman Catholic,} ia education, public
charities, &c. Now, in the United States,
the civil government does not. know AMI
religioRs de'io0aiaatio1s, disti3actinety. tyBut
the Roman Catholic Church cannot bear
to be ignored in that way by the State, and
to be silently, but respectfully, classed
along with the Baptists, Methodists, Pres
byterians, Episcopalians, and other there
tics.n ,It steps forward by its authorities
and boldly confronts the civil authority
with it's demands It says in so many
words, "You (the State) must recognize me,
whatever you do toward other Churches.
Do you see! Here I stand. Give me a
part of the money in your treasury, with
which / may run my schools, and build
and maintain my asylums and hospitals.
Will you do it or not9 Take heed! I
have votes at my command, and / can
turn them likela trained band, and as
will, to the support Of my political friends.
What care for your statesmen or parties
What care who are your rulers and legis-
promote my ends?" At first, and in such
places as Knoxville, it will probably ask
only for ats portion of the public money!
for particular object, and suggest and en-
courage other religious denominations to
do the, Same. Listen, to- Father ,Finne-
gan:
1--WE are not pleading for privileges or ex-
emption, but for the common freedom of ALL
We willingly accord the same rights to every
other class of citizens. We, claim it for every
sect and division of Presbyteriars.a We claim
it for Baptists- We Claim it for. Episcopalians
We claim it for Jews ''''' 20 ''''
Listen to him of tThe Other Siden:
''The Rornanists q /. a r. demand that their
share of the taxes raised for common school pur-
poses shall be placed in their hands, subject to
appropriation for the purpose OF education, to
be used as they see proper. They do not ask
more than pro rata of taxes, nor do they ex-
pect or desire that the Protestants shall exclude
religious, instruction according, to their own
creed, from those schools supported by Protes-
Mol ei0f course he; does not expect or
desire, at least for the present that the
Professionals shall not have their part of the
public money to conduct schools, in which
Shall be given positive religious instruc-
ton" after their. own Ccreed''I BY no
means. He calculates upon their dividing
out the fund among themselves, just as
Father Finnegan suggests, part to the
&c, for ''The Others ide'i affirms it as his
opinion that the Professionals are mot able,
to agree upon a common basis of freligiOas)
instruction among themselves and, there
fore, "his expectation and desire that they
shall not exclude religious instruction after
their own creedn from the schools, which
he wants them to run with the common
school money, are an expectation and desire
that they shall conduct denominational
schools. Suppose the demand of Father
Finnegan and his associates in this matter
be granted, and Protestants and others ac-
cept their suggestions and follow their ex-,
ample. 2, Then the Roman Catholic Church
here has obtained its coveted recognition.
by the civil authority. : It has made a
hole in the body polite and wedged itself
in, and there it will make tia pointnot only
to stay, but to continually enlarge its lOdg-
ing place. What if the various Protest
ant denominations have also obtained
their several recognitions from the State
and places in the body polite ? The "Ro-(
mish Church, well knows itself to be am
expert in making the secular power its
servant. The genius of Professionalism in
this country units it for engaging in such
q rivalry. 1t is opposed to anything like
a State religion, and although Protestant.
Christians who are really united upon the
essential doctrines of religion might be
rallied, as one man TO resist unlawful en-
croachments upon religious liberty, their
very love for such liberty, and their sense
of propriety, will prevent them from work.
ing to obtain each one for itself domi-
nant control over the State. and to turn
the streams of money from the State or City
Treasury int0its own Golfers. And what in
the mean time viii become of the common
school system 1t will be gone! No room
will be left for harmony in feeling and &C
ton among citizens, without distinction of
political party or religious creed, in the
work of popular education. The civil au--
therity, SO far as that work lis concerned,
will have been made defunet. But have
too much confidence in the good sense, the,
patriotism and mutual Gberalty of the peO-
pie, andof Protestant Christians, to believe
that they will accept the suggestion of
Father Finnegan, and by dividing out the
common scheol qheney among different
religious determinations, break up the
common school system. As Americans
they will demand that the children of the
city shall be soeducated by the civil author
ity as to prepare them to become moral,
intelligent and orderly citizens, but not
therefore by any means, irreligious citi-'
zens. sf' % s7tF r. Fa" = sa'fH
SCHOOLMASTERS IN IRELAND.
1.-THE Other Sidep iavers that under a
law of Parliament Roman Catholic could
not at one time fwhen precisely he does
not say teach school in Ireland except at
the penalty of Punishment or death. Now,
this much is true, that formerly according
to a. law of the British Parliament AFRO
manist was allowed to- teach school if he.
would take. an oath which was partly as
fS,lIoxxyc 800