The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-16

before them, he thought he should hardly Z
have bean present, for he did not profess co I
be politician but these were questions
which concerned the franchise, aud their
political rights, which were not only poiit-
ical, but which we're also religious: aud [
these political religious rights we're rights
which they must make use of, aud which
they were bound, he considered, by their
their power. The great question before the
country at the present moment no doubt
was 81
THE QUESTION OF EDUCATION.
The whole contest at the next election
would probably turn upon this question
aud it was q religious question, because
they held that religion could not be sepa-
rated from education. The higher aud
middle classes of the country held most
dearly to the union Of religious and secular
instruction for their sons and daughters.
They did not see public schools established
up and down the country in which religion |
was divorced from instruction; they did
| not fiud the masses of the higher classes |
looking out for schools to which they
might eend their sons and daughters where
no religion should be taught them. They
| were not Satisfied to think that religion
could be taught to their children merely at
home, or in the church on Sunday; 90 the
contrary, the great majority of the educa-
tional institutions for the upper classes in
this country gave q religious as we'll as a
secular education. Why, therefore, should
they begin with the poor, who were de
fenceless, and say that they should have
instruction without religion This he did
, not consider to be fair dealing as between
class and class. If the higher classes in
} sisted upon having religion mingled With
. their daily instruction, certainly the chill
dren of the poor had an equal right to the
a same blessing. The question which was
i before the country, and which would be
a more distinctly before it before tue next
4 elections were over, was this "Shatt Carist
y as a spirit aud as doctrine preside in the
!, schools, or shall Christ be told that He has
a | NO place in the achoOls that he may infuse
4 His spirit aud teach HE doctrine in the
church, but that He shall not teach it 10
4 the school ~ This would be the question
- which would come before the English peo
ia pie to decide at the next elections; ane
,. upon that question, az it seemed to him
a people were arranged in three categories
"a First, there we're those who denied thu
"a doctrine of the incarnation and all tina
Vi flowed from it, and who did not believe il
"a were perfectly consistent and perfect
ir logical in saying that supernatural religlo
AT should have no part in the daily lnstruc
I'll ton of the people. The second class con
h. sisted Of those who, whilst they held tn
a doctrine of the incarnation, and believe
h. firmly in revealed truth, yet held that
o. need not DO taught in school hours. The
IA held that it would be sufficient If the CHI
at dren were instructed in religion once
ne week in church and by their parent
r- In this category came q large num- e
of of non-conforsnists who belonged to tt
ALI Birmingham League. Whilst he gave thes
,at gentlemen credit for being sincerely re.
"a gious according to their convictions, az
ne holding frm and fact TO- those Pretesta
on doctrines which they had accepted al
cir gion, or that they wished to banish reiigl'
he altogether, he must cay that they did
vas wlsh it to be tau. hit day by day to the poe
nd and that they wished to confne 1t to e
of church aud to the Sunday. This bot
cd formed the second of the contending pa
Of ties, and that it was very considerat
,ir- and large party he could not deny:
ota great number of the persons holding tue
rly opinions belonged to what was called {
we Liberal party. Perhaps not the whole
nav this second class held the opinions ne
one stated, but a considerable portion did
ava The third of the contending parties ne
not like the Catholics, that Christ should
nv present in the schools; that the spirit
and Christ must rule all their actions; that
iect must form the atmosphere In when IN
'eo- children should be brought up, a
eve which they might imbibe and Il
az the doctrines of Christ and His maxi
oh. must be inculcated day by day
;ho to the minds and hearts of the CT
fol- dren as they grew up. He was nap
and to say that he believed the or
Inos longed to this party, and were with
, Or Catholics in this respect. 1t was a delus
tant to say that because the " three Rs CO
raw. be taught, as we'll as the Apostles Gre
,ery that therefore the Apostles Creed sho
ling not be taught during the same hours to ..
ing' same class of children IS learnt the tn
or4. RS" The great schoolmaster of this co
!, by try, Arnold, of Rugby, used to say" G
the me lesson in geography, and will m
nd a it religious;" in other words, that
itish whatever was taught by schoolmas
one whether it were geography OF even ar
re- metic, there might be in his conduct, in
hich behavior, and in the principles of c
re. duct which he put before his boys,
ntle- Christian spirit, or there might be au
anne christian spirit. 1t was further urged
a he many of those who belonged to the sec
der of the contending parties that the child
It he could be taught religion perfectly vel
be home by their parents in the evening !.
Law many of these parents knew very Ii
, far about religion. They had very little t
saw. to think about religion, and had perh
end not been brought up in religious practl
r. - bod iyed a really religious {