The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-08-13
THE ENEMIES OPRRREscHOOLs

squarely at the facts in the case and give
heed in time to the warnings that they
give.
So far as the priesthood of the Cath
ole Church is concerned, the general
movement may be understood by read
ing the recent DEGREES of the Pope of
Rome, ''the Vicar of Christ, " the ''infal-
lible head" of the Roman Catholic
Church. In his famous sneyclical letter
of December 6, 1864, he inserts long
list Of doctrines and opinions, each and
all of which he commands ali members
of the Catholic communion to treat
(oeluturepTO6atcS proscTfptas atqlIe dam
ndtas) as reprobated, prescribed and
condemned. In the long list of Opin-
ions thus prescribed and condemned
are: The liberty of the press; the liber-
ty Of speech; the liberty of conscience
and Worship the separation Of the
Church from the State, and the secular
education of youth.
These are cited, and they form but a
small part Of the list, to show how ex-
tensive and aggressive the movement is.
During the ten years which have
elapsed since this general order was is
sued from the Papal headquarters, the
subordinate leaders have not been inact-
i've in obeying its mandates. Let US
reconnoitre the positions now occupied
by that portion of the Papal force to
which has been assigned the special duty
Of destroying the common schools Of the
United States. The latest and fullest
report of operations will be found in a
volume published In Boston, in 1872.
entitled "Public School Education, by
Michael Muller, G. s. s. R., Priest of
the Congregation of "Tbe Most Holy
RedeeIner."
After two Introductory chapters on
the alleged depravity of the American
people, its literature and its press, the
author devotes a chapter to proving that
the public school system of the United
States originated in a purpose to expel
religion from the nation. Near the close
OF the third chapter he says:
1--WE may then confidently assert that
the defenders and upholders of public
schools, GOitliOut religion, seek in Ameri-
ca, as well as in Europe to turn the peo-
pie into refined Pagans. The
object then of these goddess, irreligious
public schools, is TO spread among the
people, the worst of religions, the no re-
ttgt0n, the religion which pleases most
hardened audulterers and criminals; the
religion OF irrational animals How far
this diabolical scheme has succeeded is
well known; for there are at present
from twenty to twenty-five millions of
people in the United States who profess
no distinct religious belief '-pp. 734 4.
There is much more of the same sort,
but the above will suffice as specimen
of the whole. We cannot refrain, how
ever, from producing one more extract:
''The voice of common sense. the
voice OF sad experience, the voice of
Cathollc bishops, and especially the
voice of the Holy Father, is raised
against and condemns the public school
system as huge huInbug, fnjuringand
not promoting personal virtue and good
citizenship, and as being most perni-
cious to the Catholic faith and life, and
all good morals A pastor cannot,
therefore, maintain the contrary opin-
ion without incurring great guilt before
God and the Church. He cannot allow
parents to send their children to such
schools of infidelity and immortality. He
cannot give them absolution and say
InnOcenS Sam. PIP. 369-70.
The scope of the discussion, may be
seen from the following titles-Chap.
IV'"Expose of the Public School Sys-
tenn" Chapters V. vi, VII and VIII
are devoted to the discussion of the
EVIL Consequences of the Public School
System" Chap. X ''The State, its
Usurpation of Individual Rights, its In
competency to Educate" Chap. X.
''The State a Robber- Violation of our
Constitution and Common Law"
If it be claimed that the priesthood
have no power to.,earry out their designs
upon the Common School System we
reply by pointing to the passage of the
Geghan bill by the last Legislature, at
the behest of this same power, and to
the very general antipathy that exists
among the Southern Democracy to any
system of free schools, ON account of the
means of obtaining knowledge thus af-
forded to the freedmen and their chill
.dren. In a recent speech, Mr.. Reagan,a a
Democratic leader of Texas, said:
"The Free School System is not only
burdensome to sparse populations, but
inefficient, and intolerable. There are
over four hundred thousand children in
the State within the scholastic age, cost
ing the State annually for education
over three millions of dollars. This
would not be borne even by old and
wealthy States. l never could see the
right that had to make another man
pay for the education of my children.
cannot see the justice of it, and do not,
therefore, approve taxation for this pur-
pose.
Is it not time that the friends of free
schools should become alarmed when we
find them attacked by leading politicians
in the South because of the advantages
they offer to solored children, and the
Democratic party of the Northern States
yielding to the demands of the Catholic
hierarchy, which openly avows its war
fare upon the Public Schools?