The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-10-11
More Testimony for the Christian Brothers.

baltimore Mirror.1
Never before, we believe, was there a
more triumphant assertion of the value oil
the education given by the Christian Broth
ers made in any American Journal than
that which appeared in the Catholic Mirror
then we left long lists of similar glorious
results for them unnoted. We did not
enumerate their victories at other great
cities, at Lyons, at Marseilles, Toulon,
Hyeres and Lille, or at Bordeaux, where
their students obtained AZ prizes out of 40.
les nominations out of lS1, and out of IL
free places, the Brothers got ten. This is
extraordinary. And We need refer DO
further on this head, but 60 to another to
find how they Jared before another tribunal.
Now they train their boys in France for
the purpose of making them proficient for
the work of life, the labors OF their liveli-
hood, and, amongst the rest, they under
take to teach them in the studies of design,
SO necessary to industry. Here, again,
wonderful men that they are, the Brothers
preserve the same superiority.
A Commission of design was appointed
by the French Government in 1864, to en-
auire into the Exposition of the Fine
Arts as applied to Industry" and the Pre-.
sident of the Commission, NJ. Tresca, re-
ported as follows: "The jury is struck by
the success obtained in the teaching of de-
sign by the Brothers of the Christian Doc
trine at Paris and elsewhere. When we
remember that the Brothers instruct in
France SO great number of children and
that they make such efforts to appropriate
the best possible teaching to the necessities
of modern society, we do not hesitate to
say at the risk of wounding their modesty,
nor even at the risk of wounding certain
prejudices, that they have done this conn
try the greatest service by rendering to
the people the teaching of design"
The words of Nj. Tresca were followed
by results, for in three years after, the
Brothers obtained for themselves at the
General Exposition of 1867, the Gold Medal
ofthe Section of Design. They received,
medals, and seventeen certificates of hon
orable mention in reward for their teach
ing. In the report of the Commissioners of
the same Exposition, referring to a group
of st. Nicholas, M. Brougnisrt states !:
"The work of ST. Nicholas would have re
ceived a high recomPepse on the part OF the
Jury of the Tenth Section, if the Institute
of tie Christian Brothers which directs the
school of design where it was produced, had
not already received gold medal in re-
compense of all the different merits of it's
members who occupy themselves with
much zeal, such devotion, and so much
success in the instruction of the child, of
the youth and of the adult in such
number of 80 many diverse establish
ments." -
So much for themselves. Their students
obtained at the same time nine bronze
medals, ninety mentions of the first GLASS;
and one hundred and two of the second
class. In addition to all this they gained
the special testimony of the Ministers of
Public instruction to their value as teach
ers, and q medal of honor was specially
conferred on one of them, Brother Clements,
Director of the School of st. Bonosus of
Orleans. M. bureau, Project of the Loire,
in 1x;,, a. = 10
Clements, said in the meeting of the Ses- |
sion for the Distribution of Prizes
felicitate you in the name of the Govern |
ment which judges of q man before all |
things by his works, and in the name of
the people whom you serve and whom you |
love, in that which is most dear and most
tender to each of us, and in that which is
most delicate and pure, in our children
which are our treasure. Continue your task
in the severity of labor and in devotion to
all your great principles" This kind of
testimony has been offered on all sides to
since that Brother Justinian, Director of
the Communal Schools of the Christian
brothers, at Brest, was appointed officer of
public instruction by the Government, 10
the language of their order, a for the SER
vices which he has rendered to public in
struction." From a great authority, a
very great authority, we shall quote the
ast words of praise of their merit for the
present. M. Theirs, late President of the
French Republic, and previously over and
again the Prime Minister of France, under
Royalty, has been distinguished all his life
~ the strongest opposition to any form of
education except that given by the State.
ae objected during all his long political
life to permit the Church to educate the
children. He reasoned, as others reason,
hat the education given by those who I
Taught religion with worldly instruction
could not fit the scholars for the world. He {
added everything else to that, of course, t
now Christian education such as Chey give, Q
enslaved the mind and did not make it free {
OF prejudice and the thousand and one con- {
g tinations arising out of that doctrine. z
de was in France what is called UniUer- I
.lsaire. What did he say after the results 6
y the great Exposition at Paris, in the Sec
.lon of designf The great old statesman :
Y vas astonished. he was amazed with wonder