The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-10-10
The Bulletins Schools.

| we nave alIeduy nOtlCeO very aoIe
argume nt written by ga. NJ" which appear
ed in the Bulletin Of the ooh ult, in opposi
ton to the present system of public schools
In the same number of the Bulletin appear
ed an editorial reply to that argument,
which proves one thing most clearly-that
the writer was profoundly loyal to the
grand school folly of the day, simply be-
cause it is the fashion and Without having
even really considered the merits of the
| question.
The article gives two propositions as the
basis of the whole cumbersome fabric of
State schools, viz: 1st. popular education
is necessity to the State; Pad, it is a right
of the youthful citizens. 1t says:
Let it be distinctly remembered that educa-
tion, limited to rudiments as We have said
above, is no luxury, but public necessity to
the State and positive right to the youths of
the State, means of self.preservation to the
State and a means of self-support to the youths
No one will question the proposition that
somewhat of education is necessary to the
there must be people to make State, and
it is equally clear that those people must
have some intelligence or they would be
mere brutes endowed with souls, and there
fore not really people at all. But all prac-
tical intelligence ia the fruit of education
others ; therefore, something of education is
! necessary to the complete man and, by
conse queuce, to the existence Of any society
! or State.
But does it follow that the State must
see that its citizens have that education Z
Who made the State where did they who
first composed it get their in telligence ? 1t
is God who provides for the intelligence of
his creatures to an extent sufficient to form
society. He impaired to Adam and Eve the
perfect knowledge of all kinds of science
without the aid of any government, and has
kept knowledge alive ever since to greater
or less degree without the necessity of any
such aid.
ga public necessity to the State 2" Is
it necessary that every citizen shall read
and write There is great deal of mis-
conception on this subject. In the middle
ages some of the most powerful monarchs
and ab!est statesmen could scarcely sign
their names, and knighthood considered
skill in letters as something effeminate, un
worthy the manhood of a warrior. In our
own country see the multitude of men,
especially of several generations back, who
attained to great intelligence, even in
read. In our own city to-day witness the
numbers of shrewd, sensible, intelligent
and wealthy men who cannot sign their
names. AS John j. Crittenden used to say
of himself. he had acquired his educa
ton by absorption, without the use of
books, and certainly the ablest and
most valuable men are those who rely
most on their own thoughts and observa-
ton and least on books. Sure it is, as it
ever has been, that there will always be
men enough who can read and write to,
carry on the business Of the State. The de-!
mand will always bring a supply.
At any rate, it is not the business of the
State to provide for Intelligence among it's
citizens as q public necessity" any more
than to provide for their health, strength,
comfort and morality. If government haze
proprietary interest in its members, az is
claimed in some monarchies and denied in
republics, it is as much interested in provid-
ing for heir physical and moral, as for their
mental development. 1t may regulate the
mothers' diet to prevent collie in the baby
and furnish old age with shoes that it's wis
dom shall not be prematurely hurried off by
colds. The absurdity of this pretext is
too obvious to be long kept from the pop
ular comprehension.
AS to the right of children to education,
our neighbOr says:
1t is some ones bounden duty to educate
every child to some extent, the least of which
is to enable that child when he becomes adult
to read the Bible and the creed s and prayers of
his religion, to read the Constitution and laws
of his country, to read the classics of his mother
tongue or whatever else he may fnd usefnl
therein.