New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-20
THE UNITARIAN CONFERENCE.


GENERALLY FAyORABlE RlPORIS FROM THE
CuuRCHEs-TnE PARoCHlAL SCHOOLS QUESTION
CONSIDERED.
The second davis session of the New Ork
and Hudson River Unitarian Conference opened yester
d,v nj @ a. H. at the Second Unitarian Church in Brook
1yn The Rev II. W. Bellows, d. D., occupied the chhr
After the devotional exercises the Rev Mr. larrisoh Vi
Vineand n j., made address concerning the WORK Oh
the Church and the wisdom and providence OF God Dr.
Bellows spoke Of the 50h anniversary OF the Unitarian
Church. which is TO be celebrated next week IN boston
He said the Church had nothing to be discouraged about
II had numbered ranks the best men in the ranks OF
literature of politics. and of art The Church owed
great deal to who, although outside OF its PALE were
still filed with that largehearted, free, liberal rehgioh
which was the boast of Untaranism
reports OF the several churches were theh caeo
for The churches OF Newark Harlem, Ncwburgh, Mont
clair, N. j. the three churches of Brooklyn and the
Church Of All Souls NewYork. gave accounts OF their
work prospects Reports We're also presented from
the churches Of Yonkers Staten Island Albany and Troy
The reports generally favorable, bnt the church
in Newark has pastor and the third society OF Brook
Iyn had been seriously affected by financial embarrass
mcnts.
The principal feature OF the afternoon session an
extended address by the Rev. W. L. g. Mellen OF Albany
on 1.-THE Roman Catholic Church and the Public
Schools" At its conclusion there was discussion OF
the school question, which the Rev. Drs Farley and
Putnam Of Brooklyn, the Rev J. W Chadwick the Rev.
Thomas Mumford of Boston, and others participated
Following is an abstract OF the Rev. Mr.. Mullen's adj
dress
Two recent events have served to call attention TO the
position tendency and purpose 0f the Roman Cathonc
Church is the imposition of the berretta on the most
eminent preate of that Church in this country The
other event is the movement made in many places
against the public schools. In this freshest and most
artfnl endeavor overthrow cherished educational
system we can afford be neither Indifferent toer
ant We're these destroyed, whole republican system
would be speedily ruined Public schools did not orig
|
tom To the honor OF their st establishment here both
they have spread throughout our more than
imperial domain until every ., hamlet ,, has as
1870. 100000 pupils gathered under the OF
5000 teachers Not only is the common school dear
10 us, it Is also necessity becamse IN no other way can
educate the whole people This could not be done by
religious seets Many parents belong to no sect what
attendance. and compulsory education is 10 longer
be an inferior scholarship less hospabe temper,
ecclesiastical bigotry ana narrower type OF character
Destroy The former. and leave the latter to the
mercy OF every popular gust, If not to the Vaccinations
OF every ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS demagogue.
Every day, u thousand ways, are paying the pen
alties OF our national ignorance And If things
the supreme penalty. And no means of reaching and
educating the entire people has been be devised
nounccd hostility these, far as know except from
members of the Roman Catholic Church. That these
should oppose II might have been anticipated by those
familiar with the history OF that Church. When and
where was it eyer devoted TO popular education or even
since the first manifestation OF Catholic hostility pub
lie schools It's ostensible grounds have been entirely
stled. Originally II alleged that the public schools
were really Protestant and sectarian. Their teachers
mostly Protestant and the Protestant version OF
the Bible daily read in them. Textbooks were
saturated with Protestant virus and threw contempt
the Catholic Church TO send a child TO such school
to pose him to ruin There were grounds years
for these allegations The reading Of the Protestant
Bible andis Just ground of complaint Catholics had
right complain where textbooks distorted the truth
But the charge of secariansn has been abandoned
the charge utter godessncss. school
ligOls because neither theology nor technical religion
taught there. IL may be made but n will he the
spirit which controls and animates it, and by
studies which pursued in it, IL may also be made
sweey and profoundly religious, while neither religion
nor the name OF God are mentioned
The truth IL. this proposition OF the Catholic authori-
ties their parOchia schools under the vision
OF the civil power demonstrates one of two thngsthe
sheer hypocrisy OF the position that the public schools
rs now conducted goddess and dcmOraizng. the
conviction that the Catholics are really cOncedng
nothing but securing all they have ever asked for in
regard 10 the matter.