The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-09-15
|rnlng Star and Catholic Messenger.
= ORLEANS, SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER IS. 1879.
ITEMS OF THOUGHT.
BY PARABOLA.

her I.celre-Public Education and Liberty. :,
y the Laws of this State on Public Educa- q
there is ~ Superintendent, elected by n
ajority of the People, and q Board of Edu- q
lon, for the whole State, appointed by the t
vernor; (2) the State is divided into six t
b for School purposes, and each division Is e
Ter the direction of one of the Board; (S) !
Iach parish there is Board of School u I
tors appointed by the State Board (4) the
plest powers are granted, first, supremacy
the State Board and then subsidiarily to {
4 Division Superintendent and Parochiai
sectors (5) in their relative order they
pmmend, adopt and prescribe UNIFORM
les of Isrt Books, which are to be used in
Schools for teaching Geography, History,
Natural Sciences, Ethics, Politics, Econo-
y, Philosophy and Literature, the last OF
Fach involves, besides treatises on Rhetoric
= Logic, q choice of books made up OF Sc
led speeches, poems, essays, narratives,
Rogues, descriptions, letters, anecdotes, ETC.;
4 the Superintendents examine and give
tifcates of competency and eligibility to
Edidates for Teacherships, and may reroke
4 certificate of any teacher; (7) the Munich
q what schools shall be established they
e or build schoolhouses and appoint the
chers, but they can only contract with
Fitted teachers; (s) ample provision is made,
means of q State tax of two mills on the
Sllar, and parish OF city tax also OF two
ills, to pay the expenses of this system
aaries, stationary, printing, building, meet
"a of teachers, cost of travelling, etc.; (9) the
nd is distributed under general regulations
4 the State Superintendent and Board; and
b. the whole is clinched by section ex-
5zessly declaring that there shall be no
I&blic free schools within the State not under
~ control of the Board of School Directors
rein provided for )" and prohibiting mu-
Sscipal councils and police juries from estao-
Thing any Others.
In former number denounced this system
"a giving the amplest scope and means to ths
$&rsnny of majorities, and proposed to sho"
'&ew it invaded the rights and duties assigned
"a parents by the instincts of the natural man
la divine legislation how it was the yer!
3kverse of free educat ton and how it subvert
III Civil Liberty.
First as to Civil Liberty. All! but what
Evil Liberty The confusion and contradi'
ION among those who have attempted to a.
He it is astonishing. Read the dull pages
Montesquieu, Lieber, Stuart-Mln ana the
nke and you will find only vagueness an
, ssnbipuity, but it will not be difficult to pc
naiye that the obscurity and self-contradictie
I'd their definitions are the offspring OF a esi
&S fit them to plans of government, mo
n 81 less repressive of the very liberty they see
va advocate. They would, in the name of Ii
i 4rty. favor the domination of King and Ar
tocracy, the omnipotence of Parliament OF
sxrranny of q capricious and ever-huctuati
popular majority. How to give great Pc"
Il one or the other of these in the name
Peace, Order, Commonweal, Progress, Justi
Equality, Fraternity and Liberty IS the
noluble problem they posit. How suoJe
IA all the people collectively, and OF each II
& ssarticularly, to the discretionary legisiat
Ard executive authority of one or a few,
IS given the name of Liberty is what they
ssmpt to chow. They use the name as a
mise for it's contrary: viz, some form OF CONF
Ion or repression-somec coercion tenolng 10
znalization of their own ideals-some orga
system which they are persuaded every
4yould like and should be made to conform
Is tven if they detest it. Manifeetly, this Is
liberty. Liberty is well defined by Cicer
y the power of living as thou widest"
Is the exact opposite of restraint and
zion. Manifestly, also, there never can be
inch absolute personal liberty as this dehn'
aenotes but it is the honest and true ae
hon. Every limit or restriction upon wh
man might do, whether imposed by the
aents of the material world, divine reveia
49, - social requirements, is diminntlo
liberty. Even the equal right of my neig
30 liberty is, in fact, q Limitation OF my lid
and so is mine of his; both of US, thereby
that much, do not enjoy liberty, but are o
contrary, put under restraint. This ressr
however, resulting as it does from the NJ
of things, the gregariousness of man. an
forth, is, therefore, a necessity. So far
cessity, (rcsulting from natural condlio
divine command) exists, we must submit
enioy less liberty than our respective sc
ness would aspire to. Thus two terms pr
themselves to be conciliated: Liberty
Necessity. One proposes the trec;d0'"g OF
we will that we shall be a law unto ours
and have no law but the pursuit OF hapP