The true northerner., 1875-08-27
The Papai .fssauH on the Common
schools Of the Lnifsd Sfates.
From the Republic.

In all public controversies it is i'm
portant to ascertain who the parties are
and to know precisely the positions
taken by the contestants. And it il
Just and fair to let an antagonist state
his own case in his own way
The friends of our American system
of common schools have recently beer
startled by the discovery that large
and respectable portion of their fellow
citizens have reached the conclusion,
that these schools, As now organized
ought to be abolished that the State,
as a political organization, does not
possess the constitutional right, and If
it did, is not a fit institution to provide
for and direct the education of its youth
This opposition to our school system
is all the more formidable, from the fact
that it is a necessary part of great and
aggressive movement, recently inaugura
ted, and now being vigorously carried
on by the most powerful ecclesiastical
organization on the globe.
That general movement may be un'
derstood by reading the recent DEGREES
of the Popo of Rome, the Vicar of
Christ" the infallible head" " of the
Roman Catholic Church. In his ia.
nous encyclical letter of December s,
1864, he inserts long list of doctrines
and opinions, each and all of which he
commands all members Of the Catholic
communion to treat (oelutireprobdtas
proscriptas atque damnatas as repro
bated, prescribed and condemned. In
the long list of opinions thus prescribed
and condemned are: The liberty of
the press the liberty of speech the
liberty of conscience and worship the
separation of the Church from the State,
and the secular education of youth.
There are cited, and they form but
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 mac
tive 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 volume published in Boston, in
1872, entitled Public School Educa.
tion," by Michael Miller c. S. S. r.,
Priest of the Congregation of " The
Most Holy Redeemer."
After two Introductory chapters on
the alleged depravity of the Americ lean
people, its literature and its press, the
author devotes a chapter to proving that
the public school system of the United
States originated in purpose to expel
religion from the nation. Near the
close Of the third chapter he says :
We may then confidently assert that
the defenders and upholders of public
schools, ,oittom religion, seek in Amer
lea, as well as in Europe to turn the
people into refined Pagans i *
The object then of these goddess ire
ligious public schools, is to spread
among the people, the worst of religions,
the no religion, the religion which
pleases most hardened adulterers and
criminals the religion of irrational an.
imals. 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. 73-4.
The scope of the discussion, may be
seen from the following titles-Chap.
" 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. TX The State,
Its Usurpation of Individual Rights, its
Incompetency to Educate" Chap X,
'' The State Robber Violation of our
Constitution and Common law"
To those who have so long and so
earnestly labored to establish and main
tain our noble system of public schools
which are open and free to all-the
paragraphs will sound strange
ly.
Truly this goddess system of educa-
ton, if carried out to its logical conse-
1uences, will disrupt society, destroy
the right of the christian society entire.
Iy, bring back on the world the barbar-
ism, tyranny and brutality of Pagan
and make slaves and victims
Of its children and their posterity for
ever
Who does not feel most indignant at
the State for having introduced such a
yodless system of education? And for
the support of this system of education
Of this prolific mother Of children O anti
are enormously tithed and
taxed. Horrible l-p. 164.
Again Says the author: If
the State taxes us as a religious and |
Christian people, for the education of
our children, it must give us Chris
tian education. If it cannot, or will not
do that, it must cease to tax us, and
leave the education of our children to