The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-30
faE MORNING STAR AND CATHOLIC MESSENGER NOVEMBER 80

ing Ihey are your countrymen, and as
Patfiotlc a. yourselves. On many o
oatsie- Held have they mingled their blood
WIZ your own. They are more than your
country men. They are your brothers aud
OF the same Father with yourselves. You
complain Of their religion. But your in
justice to them is an argument against your
own religion. Absurd and even farcical
however is it for the Protestant to complain
OF the Cathofic's religion, OF the Catholic
TO complain of the Professionals. They
are substantially the same religion. The
great doctrine in each is supreme love to
God and love to our neighbor equal to
That we bear to ourselves. Which party
overloads this decisive doctrine with the
most OF the grossest superstitions is a COM
paratively unimportant question.
Another indication of the approaching
downfall of the State school is it's propos-
ing compromises. Any institution may be
regarded as near it's end when, to proloDg
| its life, it falls to compromising. One Of
these proposed compromises is to forego
prayer in the school, Another is to forbid
all religious teaching in it, and especially
!9stify the ostracising of Shakespeare and
Milton from the school. Still less can any
thing justify the ostraciaing of the Bible
from it. For admitting all that is said of
the errors in the Bible, no other book
equals it in specimens of the truest elo-
4oonSO nAu Eli tHo WlSuO" duU OF ltB
precepts.= Moreover, since it is from the
sublime and sweet inspirations of this
book far moro than from any other source
| that we derive our ruling conceptions of
| the Deity, it follows that to insult the
Bible is little less than to insult God. The
the Bible in the schools is producing will
never cease until either the government
or the Bible is driven from the school.
God grant that the government be the van
quished party!
This allowed intrusion of government
into the school opens the way for still
holder usurpation. The proposition for
compulsory education meets with growing
favor; and the more strangely so because
the example of Prussia is cited in its be-
half However we'll such compulsion may
harmonize with a despotic government, it
suit the genius of people who are owned
by their raler but it is entirely unsuited
to people, each one of whom owns both
himself and his children. We dishonor our
selves and our form of government when
we look to Prussian policy for the mould
ing of our children. Fatally Injurious to a.
character wonld be such moulding. Our
laws and traditions encourage our children
to freedom of thought and freedom of
speech but narrow is the range to which
she limits hers. It is her boast that she
provides for the education Of all her chill
dren but she also provides that they
shall use this education, both politically
and religiously, only within such limits az
her government shall prescribe. Our
theory is that the people shall enjoy abso-
lutte freedom in politics and religion. The
Prnssian government on the other hand
not only lnterdicts unwelcome political
utterances, butt also audaciously interferes
with religion. The highest aim in re-
public is the largest freedom Of the people:
and nothing, however plausible the pleas
for it, which antagonizes such freedom, is
to be encouraged or even tolerated.
The claim that the common school,
especially in cities, gives a higher educa-
ton than If it had not the aid of govern
ment, would, were it ever 80 we'll founded,
such aid. AS q general thing, while the
wealthy prize such an education, the labor
ing classes either do not covet it, or do not
feel able to enjoy it. Hard, therefore, is it
for these classes to be taxed to give this
higher education to the wealthy.
Let us then leave the school, as we leave
the church, in the hands of the people.
Government can no more help the cause of
education than it can the cause of religion.
1t is no more its work to bring all the
scholars of the locality into the same
school than 1t is to bring all the religionists
not undervalue the Importance of uui-
formity in the early education Of the chill
dren Of our country and the consequent
Importance of bringing all races, CLASSES,
conditions and faith, into the same school
room.
But this desirable end ia to be reached
not through coercion but voluntarily; not
by the power of government but BY the
power of love. Into a work 30 purely |
moral, government cannot intrude itself |
without producing disturbance and es- |
But love prevents and quiets |
disturbance and assimilates those who feel |
its influence. The disunion of the people !
IN respect to the common school has not
been overcome by government and should
not be iii could be. No benefit resulting
from such an abuse and perversion of the
powers OF government could eq1al the cost.
In tine, however great aud however la
mentable may be the disagreements of the
people in respect to education or religion,
government has nothing to do with them
are responsible for them.
Because government had large aud
responsible part in up6oldinp
slavery, aud degrading and imbrutinR our
colored race, it did right to follow mn the