The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-01-03

The Picayune's Mencan Correspondent.

Editor Morning Star:
The Picdyune, of December 18th, coutains q
| correspondence from Mexico, signed &c. A.
Lever" which, after enumerating and praisipg
| the public Improvements of almost every kind
| tnat have been, according to his report, inau.
gurated in that Republic under the liberal re
form administrations of Jnarez and Lerdo
seys: Free schools have been established in
most of the cities, towns and villages The
arithmetic, grammar and spelling book have
replaced the superstitious teachings of priest
craft. The scholars, perhaps. are not so we'll
versed in the dogmas of religion and saintology.
but are certainly filter prepared to take their
places in society than their fathers, who learn
ed what the party then in power chose to l.t
the young study"
We suppose that this whole paragraph was
constructed for the purpose of introducing the
malignant sectarian and infdel fling at the
Catholic religion and her devoted clergy
"Snperstitous teachings of priestcraft" is a
slang phrase used by nearly every ignorant
biSot that visits n Catholic country. But we
must confess we did not expect TO see it dished
up at secondhand in the columns of the
Picayune with which to regale it's Catholic
readers about this Christmas time. This tale
about the Liberals establishing " free +" Hchools
in Mexico, reminds us of the stories told on the
same subject by the correspondents of our
sectarian papers about the establish ment of
"free" schools in Rome by the liberal robbers
of Italy.
1t is we'll known by all those who have
looked into the matter of free school statistics
that Rome, under the Pope, with her 1e0 900
Inhabitants, had over 400 primary free schools,
with about $4,000 pupils; whilst Berlin, with
double the population, had only about 275
schools, and Edinburgh not quite SO many.
But as soon as the liberal reformers and robbers
took possession of Rome, they suppressed the
free" schools and stole the revenues by which
they were supported, and have since establish
ed some twenty five thirty schools in their
place. from which "the sup.rstitious teachings
of priestcraft" are 10 doubt excluded, and it
was Immediately proclaimed by letter and
telegraph that the robbers were establishing
'free" schools for tie first time in Rome.
"Free" quarters for themselves, it ought to
have been stated.
If E. A. Lever wanted rs to know the truth
about what had been done for public education
in Mexico, and was ignorant on the subject
himself, he could have found information suf-
hOlShb LII any OI bu0 extensive ana mag0luCe0G
public libraries with which that city abounds
above any other city in America. If he had
done this, and wanted to give US anything like
an accurate statement, he could have told us
that "free" schools, on the Lacasterian System,
were long ago established all over Mexico, in
which spelling, reading, writing, grammar,
and We will add-and We suppose
that this is what has stung the liberal Z. A. L.
Christian doctrines were taught.
In the first authority we looked into-Ap- |
pleton's American Cyclopedia-we found that
in 1856, as far could be ascertained from
imperfect data, there were in the city of Mexico
alone, 1913 primary public "free" schools, with |
IL .549 pupils, besides private schools and those
If all other grades. TIE city of Mexico has
about 2oO, 900 Inhabitants, and New Orleans is |,
Iaid to have about 100000, with fifty-fve or
Iixty public schools, called "free," although
'very dollars worth of property in the State is
,axed for their support, and about the same
lumber of pnpils attending all grades of her
chools as were attending the primary schools
n the city of Mexico. Besides, from imper-
ect returns, there is reported in Vera Cruz 170
primary schools, with s249 pupils; oaxaca 726
chools aud $4,000 pupils /; but we will not oc-
upy your space by going through the fifteen
T sixteen States, all having public free schools
many years ago, although E. A. L. would wish
o make the readers of the PicdyuRe believe
hat the liberal reformerB of the present day
ad just begun to open free schools for the first
ime in Mexico. We will only add, that be- Z
ides public free schools and private schools of
IL grades, there were in Mexico, long before !
he time of either Juarez Lerdo, thirty 70 ,
orty colleges, ten seminares, a school of medi-
inc, college of mines, academy of fine arts, a
Military college, besides schools of agriculture
nd commerce, and two universities.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,