, 1876-08-20
A SCH00LrL,ESSON.

about our public schools from the recent
tragedy in this city; but it is not tho one
which was sought to be taught by the Rev.
Mr. PARKHuRsr, in his sermon last Sunday.
Tho difficulty with that discourse was, that it
amplifed precisely where amplifcation was
unnecessary, and was lamentably brief where
a good body of evidence would have been
most appropriate. He was minute in his
description Of the particulars of the fatal
renconter, told all that was said and done by
everybody who was party to the affair. or
who walked past, or who had talked with
those who we're there. He also enlarged
upon the general character and past proceed
ings Of the Roman Catholic Church, and its
designs upon the United States. He had
discovered that the Romanists maintained
that they held the Apostolic Christianity,
and TINT they meant to bring over
the American people, if they could, to the
same view,-a fact about which it need only
be said, in passing, that this is their right
under the Federal Constitution, and that the
1lethodists, Baptists, Presbyteriens, and
Episcopalians are in the same happy and
determined state of mind, and are yearly
publishing statistics to show the degree Of
their progress. But where Afr. PAEKHUnsT
was unfortunately sparing Of words was in
adducing proof Of his main point, to-wit:
that the murder was inspired By the Romish
faith Of Mrs. SULLIVAN, who, with her hus-
band, resented an attack on her Us an attack
on the Church Of Rome. After carefully
scanning all that be said, we find several
repetitions Of 81 believe" and the state
ment that Mrs. SuLL1yAN from her youth
was trained thorough Romanist, and ''has
served Rome faithfully and well y; but we
fail to discover presentation of the least
proof of connection between her faith
and the murder committed by her hus-
band All that IS really advanced is,
that Mr. PAnKnUEsr has no doubt of the
fact; that he thinks it is simply the culmina~
ton Of the conspiracy to put the Bible out
of the public schools; and that " if you
doubt that Rome is the inspiration Of this
wicked deed. pray tell ME its cause" This
is lame enough, in SO serious matter, and
serves Only to show prejudice, and to stir bad
feeling.
But now let us come to the real lesson con-
cerning our public schools which this sad
crime suggests. Without impeaching any
ones religious faith. or attaching credit to
the Interpretation which a1r. PAEKuuRsr
gives to the murder, it is yet evident that the
management of the public schools furnished
the occasion for the outbreak. The character
md action Of the Board of Education were
under discussion when the private letter of
Mr.. HASroRD was unwisely read, in which
posed agency Of Mrs. SULLIVAN: in connec-
ton with IN alleged "Ring" in the Board,
which had operated, it was thoug ght, in the
interests Of the Roman Catholic Church, in
excluding the Bible from the public schools
of the city. The impeachment of Mrs. Sui
1.1vAs angered her husband, and the personal
collision and the shooting were the result.
Now. the references made before and since
the ARRAY to the Bible-in-school question
show that irritated feeling abides. and leads
to mutual recriminaton. And this will al
ways be the case until n settled policy shall
be adopted which shall forever rule ont of
rubAc-school management religious ques-
tions as extraneous topics. If one riding in
car unfortunately gets cinder in his eye.
he may as well understand that nothing will
bring relief but its complete removal He
may wait an hour or two, in hope that the
annoyance will cease. The annoyance will
simply increase to an Inflammation and a
pain. He may carefully bind his hand
kerchief about his eye to exclude the
!:cli:. but he will still be conscious of
the presence of tbs intruder, and one
cannot always GO with handkerchief
around his head- He may induce his CON-
parion to press apart the lids and inspect
the surtace Of the eye; ard the report may
be that nothing is there, except very nj
mute speck. which no healthy eye ought to
mind. and which is really needed stimulus
to tie watery sec-etions; but the report and
the theory will not cause the aching to cease.
Precisely one thing will eive permanent re-
liet,-renove the irritating object, which has
no proper place in the human eye, whatever
value it may possess elsewhere.
Religious questions are necessarily an it-i-