New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-25
cation might be strengthened throughout the

cation might be strengthened throughout the
country.
We should regard the passage Of the resolu-
tons introduced by the Rev. G. s. Noble OF
New-Jersey on Saturday, at Cleveland, as In
the highest degree injurious to the cause they
are intended to favor. There is only one
ground upon which we can consistently oppose
the demands of tho Catholic Church upon the
school fund, and that is that education IS and
should be strictly secular, and that religion
should not in any point be dependent upon or
subject to the interference OF tho state 10
make that fight as PrOtestants or as sec'arians
IA weak and illogical. To attack the Catholic
Church, as Mr.. Mobiles resolutions 90, by
savage charges and derOgatory eplthets,
would be ludicrOus if it were not
80 miscellaneous. Not content with
protest against ecclesiastical encroachments
upon the free school system, these resolutions
denounce tire Roman Catholic methods of in
struction as substituting dogmas and tradi-
Z" tions for the commandments OF Cod" If
this discussion were domestic one, among
brethren of one profession, it would not come
within our province to crltlclse H. But II
is spread all over the country by the AsS0-
ciated Press, and if adopted will be taken
more or less as an expression of the advo-
Gates of secular education. We think the
ground taken is absolutely untenable. The
law has no right to inquire how Catholic or
Protestant instructors manage their own pri-
vate or UNCONVENTIONAL schools. 1t Is poisoning
the discussion useessly to inquire which creed
is right and which wrong. General Assemblies
of PrOtestants ought to consider that the
advocates of secular education are not lighting
their battle. Catholics ought to be catholic
enough to admit that we are not opposing or
even questioning their faith when we protest
against the interference of any church with
the public schools, or the interference of any
legislation with the subject of religion or re-
ligiOus instruction
The public schools should not be the arena
of any theological discussions whatever. They
should not be nurseries of Professionalism any
more than of Catholicism. 1t is true that the
only aggression thus far dreaded is from the
direction of the Catholic Church. There is
only ono way of meeting it successfully-by
so strong and unanimous protest on the part
of the great majority that politicians will not
dare to curry favor by proposing or sustaining
the movement against the public schools No
Protestant sect is strong enough to accomplish
this-nO combination of them can effect it, if
it is made to appear movement merely
against Catholicism. OF all the American
ideas whose career of o hundred years we are
beginning to celebrate, the most clearly sue
cessful and triumphant is that of the complete
secularzatiOn of government and emancipation
of religion. 1t has proved wise and benefcent
in relation to civil administration, and it
has proved equally wise and bcncficent in
relation to religion. There is not cabinet IN
Europe but envies our Government in Its
freedom from ecclesiastical embarrassments.
There is not an established church in the
world but envics the independence its breth-
rem enjoy in America. OF all churches, the
Catholic owes most to this freedom from legis-
lative entanglements, which has given it
tranquility here, when everywhere else it is in
conflict and turmoil. A firm and unscctarian
opposition to any ecclesiastical raid upon the
school fund would doubtless be eiiectual to
warn the sagacOus leaders Of that Church to
desist from plan which might lead to great
disasters. But nothing will be gained by as
sailing their creed or their worship with Bit
terness and intolerance. All Protestant bodies
should remember that the question is not be-
tween Catholics and PrOtestants, but between
the advocates of secular and ecclesiastical
education