Ellsworth American., 1875-12-02
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 2; 1875.
Non-Sectarian Schools.

The following letter was written by Hon.
James G. Blaine, to a prominent gentle
man in Ohio, soon after the election in that
State.
The views therein expressed. will com
mend themselves to all who have the cause
OF Education and good government at
heart -
AUGUSTA, Ne, Oct. 90, 1873.
No Dear Sir: The public school citation
in your late campaign is liable to break out
elsewhere. and occurring first in one State and
then in another may keep the whole country
in ferment for years 10 come. This ineyita-
bly, arouses sectarian feeling and leads 10 that
bitterest and most deplorSble Of all strifes-the
strife between religious denominations. 1t
seems TO me that this question ought TO be set
tied in some definite and comprehensive way
and the only settlement that can be final il the
complete victory for non .sectarian schools.
am sure this will be demanded by the Ameri-
can people at all hazsrds and al any cost.
The dread of sectarian legislation in thi,
country has been felt many times in the past.
II began very early. The first amendment OF
the Constitution. the joint product Of jefferson
and Madison. proposed in 1888, declared that
..Cougress shall make no lar respecting an
establishment II rcligi0R. ar pT0hitifiHg the
free erercise thereof7 At that time, when
the powers of the Federal Government were
untried and undeveloped, the fear was thai
Congress might be the source Of danger to per.
feet religious liberty, and hence all power was
taken from il. AT the same time the State,
were len free TO DO as they pleased in regard
10 an establishment Of igion, for the tenth
amendment, proposed by that eminent juri>t,
Theophius Parsons, and adopted cotcmpora
peously with the first declared that all ',potr
crs MT delegated 10 The CHted States By n,
Constellation nor prohibited Iy AZ to III,
States, are reSerced IL the States respectively
0rtJ The pe0pte."
y majority Of the people in any State in this
Union can, therefore. # they desire 1t, have al
established church-under which the minority
may BE- taxed for the erection Of churchc cdl'
ices which they never enter aud for the sup
Tort of creed- which they DO not believe
Ihi, power was ac:uslly exercised in some OF
the State, long Aiter the adoption Of The FEEDER
s. Constitution, aud although there may be no
l7fA'' Va a. 4ff4f n ~ l4lt
Possibility Of it should not he permitted The
auspicious time TO guard against an eyi. Is
when all will unite in preventing it.
And in curing this constitutional defect al.
possibility OF huriiul agitation on the schoo.
question should be ended also. Just let the
old Madison anne ndme nj be applied 10
the States by adding the following 10 The in
hibltory clauses in section 20. article /, Of The
Federal Constitution. VIZ:
No state shah make any law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohIhiiin. the
Tree eNr rcise thereof; and no money raised by
taxation IN any State for the support u pubic
schools, or derive from any public iuud there
OF. shall ever by Under the control OF ans re-
iig ou- sect, nor shall any money 30 raised ever
he divided between religious sccis OF denomiu-
a.Ious.'
This, you Will observe, does not interfere
with any State having ju.; such a school sys-
TEN - IL citizens may prefcr-subjeci 10 the
single aud simple restriction that the schools
shall not be made the arena for sectar an CON
troNcrsy or Theological disputa;ion. This ad
lustment, il seems 10 me, would be comprehcn-
siye and conclusiYe-aud would be fair alike 10
Protestant and Catholic, to Jew and q Geuilc-
leaving the religious faith and the conscience
Of every man free and unmoies;eI.