The true northerner., 1875-08-27

| AL tn0se cardinal etcneuts VI irec
government date back to the good old
Catholic times, in the Middle Ages,
some three hundred years before the
dawn of the Reformation. 246.
Our readers will do well to read
from the pages of Hsllam the history Of
those " good old Catholic times." The
author, doubtless has his eye on those
good old times when he says:
The non.C Catholic has no conception
of the treasure the Union possesses in
these thirteen million of Catholics '
They arc the salt of the American com.
munity, and the really conservative ele-
ment in the American population. In
a few years they will be the Americans
of the Americans; and on them will rest
the performance of the glorious work of
sustaining American civilization, and
realizing the hopes of the founders of
our great and growing republic. PIP.
1923.
We may we'll believe, that when all
this comes to pass, we shall have brought
over to America the good old Catholic
times of the Middle Ages"
Thus far the author has spoken only
as a citizen of the republic In Chap
ters XIII, XIV, aod XIV, he speaks
with the awful authority of the church.
Here we see the weapons of the priest
flashing in the fight against our school
system. 1t is curious to notice that he
draws upon the Bible for only one text,
and that he appears to have used rather
as a compliment to the sacred book than
as s.daDgerous to our schools. His weap-
ons were forged and tempered in the
arsenal of the Vatican. On the Vati-
can Hill he has planted his batteries,
with which to demolish the American
school house.
In opening Chapter XIII, the author
says :
$50 far I have spoken as an Ameri.
can citizen. I have shown to all my
fellow citizens the tree with its fruits
the public school system in broad day.
light. All who call themselves Chris
tians or consider themselves men of
common sense and warm promoters of
the happiness of their citizens,
will agree with me in saying, that the
public school system is tree, of which,
we may say what God said to Adam of
the tree standing in the middle of Para
disc: Of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil thou shalt not eat for
in what day soever thou shalt eat of it,
thou shalt die the death. It. is now
time for me to speak as priest of the
Roman Catholic Church. 1t is the du-
ty of the Catholic priest to teach the
children of the Catholic Church the
language of their spiritual mother-the
Church This language is no other than
that of the Supreme Head of the Church
the Pope. Now the language of the
Vicar of Christ in regard to goddess ed
ucation is very plain and unmistakable.
Is i * Our Holy Father, Pope Plus IX,,
has declared that Catholics cannot ap-
prove of system of educating youth
unconnected with the Catholic faith and
the power of the Church, and which re-
CARDS the knowledge of merely natural
things, and only, or at least primarily,
the ends of earthly social life.' PIP.
297.S.
In foot note, referring to the above
passage, the author quotes the Latin
original of the Syllabus, Prop. XLVIII.,
in which the Pope, by his Apostolic au.
thority, commands all Catholics every
where to hold the advocacy of such
schools as doctrine reprobatam pro-
'criptam atqae dannatanl."
After quoting from several other or
iers and rescripts of the Pope, and from
resolutions and addresses Of leading
bishops of different countries, the author
says
"The bishops of the universal world,
united to the Vicar of Christ, speaks
with authority their judgement cannot
De gain said. Peter has spoken through
Plus the question is settled; would
hat the error, two, were at an end n'-
,. 313.
Finally, near the close of the volume,
he author sums up the strength of his
position thus:
The voice of common sense, the
voice of sad experience, the voice of
Catholic bishops, and especially the
,oice of the Holy Father, is raised
against and condemns the public school
ystem as a huge humbug, 'injuring and
lot promoting personal virtue and good
,itizenship, and as being most PERM.
'ious to the Catholic faith and life, and
III good morals A pastor cannot,
therefore,, maintain the contrary opinion
Without incurring great guilt before
3od, and the Church. He cannot al
ow parents to send their children to
uch schools of infdelity and immorali.
y. He cannot give them absolution
md say Anocens Su1s."--pp. 369.7O.
The author of this volume has done
he country this service at least he has
cry clearly and boldly stated the ques-
ion he has shown us his commission
nd the muster.roll of his forces he
las shown us where the batteries are