The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-09-08
rTIles on rH0ugHT.
gY' PARABoLA..

Number Eleuem-Pxbso Edyoatio. and Majerities.
Mention of Mahomet suggests the Common
School System of Louisiana. /
As Mahomet overran the civilized world
with his sword in one hand and his Koran In
the other, SO the Superintendent OF Public
Education invades the State with an enormous
Extipguisher in ono hand and his Text Book
in the other.
The alternative offered is this: take this
Text Book as the standard of Wisdom ana
Truth, the exponent of the veritable elements
of Science-take the teachers / select, the
politics and religion they inculcate by my or
ders-be educated as will-become such men
as think best-or be buried under the cxtin- /
guisher Of compulsory ignoranes-I cast you |
out into utter darkness. |
But after all, the Superintendent is no more |
to blame than any other member of the anti
republican and despotic party he belongs to.
He 10 only the willing representative and
agent of Policy dictated by tyrannical ma
jority; and this majority calls itself +" the
'' When somebody was trying to persuade
Louis the Fourteenth of France to adopt
policy displeasing to himself, and it was
urged that he must sacrifice his personal feel
ings to the welfare of tho State, he exclaimed,
"rEast! o'ess ~sos !nJ CHE 'ststes am the
state). So docs the majority, in the Republic,
confound itself with the State, as ono. 1t does
not see that itsprejudices, pleasures, interests,
ambition, ETC., arc one thing, ana tne
State, its prosperity and the happiness OF the
whole people, another thing. If the distinc-
ton il suggested to any one Of the majority,
he will at once reply but we desire and pro-
pose the public good, our policy is conceived
| and all our measures executed to promote pro-
| gress, peace and every other national blessing
that can be imagined. If you hint, that this
benevolent policy deprives the minority of ut
least one blessing that of the pursuit OF hap
piness," through the realization Of their own
ideals of justice and order-he will reply tna'
the minority is mistaken, is ignorant; while
the majority is diligently engaged in enlisn'-
ening the world and correcting error. f-you
object that he is liable to err, and that after
all the minority may be right and their pur'
pose and plan may be the best for the country
he will of course treat the idea as preposter'
ous-not abatipg an iota of his assumption OF
absolute infallibilty. In his Judgment, what
he likes for himself 10 good for you and the
country. So long as his party haa tho advan
tage of this majority, he transforms the mon
: archical phrase, "the king can, do no wrong ;
, | TO say 'Lue mdJOIAey Soa W. w "A~A6
8 retically he will admit that the minority ane
b its individuals lover whom for the time being
:. he triumphs) have rights; but practically h
= prevents the enjoyment Of eny liberty beyond
!. or otherwise than the majority capriciously
arbitrarily or for it's own advantage and pleas
ure is willing to permit. Thus what may b
done by OF to any ono of the minority reall.
10 depends, not upon any fundamental principl
Il, of democratic and republican governments, bu
er merely on tho decision of the majority
le Hence the minority are, in fact, subjects o
l. slaves, not citizens having intrinsic and ina
IL lienable rights. There are some Bills o
a Rufrts End Consultations thAtesntain abstrac
r. definitions of these intrinsic and inalienabl
:, rights and liberties but rarely does tho ms
iority respect them. She other repeats an
=. amends them to suit herself; or through he
10 legislatures, administrators and judges simpl
tram pie them under foot. The lust ofdomin
on and spoliaticn overru1cs all consideration
of Justice and virtue. The majority being n
: teognized as sovereign, though her sOvereignt
% is limited, sometimes expressly and alwaJ
40 Fundamentally, by the great principles {
10 human freedom and public justice, she 10 o
I'd ways using it despotically and abusively.
to Every one is 80 familiar with the excesse
ty expressions, extortiens, folles and delusior
SO of this oapricious queen of republics, 18th
I'd majority" that it is useless to mention il
- stances. The history of them would fill
library. She is continaally destroying th
idols she has been worshiping, and setting u
',o the idols she had previously thrown dows
IL She is eve changing her ministers and favo
Nv ites- as we'll as hex own designs and laws, t
IT. gardless of any consideration but her oH
ar cratic will and incontinent pleasure:
I'd The majority is indeed q curious creatur
res She may be described as q hydra proteus, q
le- ways losing old heads, putting forth new one
Nv aud changing her form and conduct. II
process of these transformations ID subject
a sort of law. A time there is when her hea
~ are very numerous. These are the mon wi
'c- have become her favorites, and whom, in h
affection, she allows to attach themselves
. her body like parasites. These cling to her
~ that they become as it were part of her ve
=. organism. They derive their very substan
-. from her. They think for her and speak