Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-09-06
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AMI
PUBLIC SCHOOL s YSIEM.

has boon citIicr knowingly or ignol
antly misrcpresentcd. BY the pres
and in tho forum, in the halls Of lcgif
lation, and in the pulpits oil Protestan,
ism, the Catholic Church has bee
falsely and ioully accused Of design
ing tho destruction of the Commol
School system. with the faint hop
OF making our voice heard above tn
loud din Of SANDER which meets us OF
every side, when the school question
is discussed, we beg leave to state cate
gorically tho position OF the Catholi
Church in relation to the Common
Schools;
DEcLARATIoS TO THE PEOPLE OF TIL
UNITED STATES
Enemies of the Catholic Church as
scrt that the Bishops and Clergy o
the Catholic Church are hostile 10 tn
Public Schools OF the country, and ar
loagued together to DESTROY them. :
Americans read our Declaration an,
learn our true sentiments:
/. The Catholic Bishops and Clerg,
have no intention, whatever, TO inter
fere with your PnbIic School system
Build as many schools as Won wish
we will never saw a word against il
and we will leave to yourselves th,
care of your own children.
2. You wish your schools TO be fre,
from all religious influences in otbe
words, you wish them not to be sec
tional or scctarian in any case. Til,
Episcopate OF the Catholic Church sayi
in this regard: Dowith your children
as you please. TrATE p
8. We Catholics, on the other hand
are under the conviction. that children
are sent to school not only to be formed
into citizens, but also and especially
TO be educated into good men and good
Christians, and our Church believes, IN
all earnest with Guizot, the celebrated
Protestant statesman of France. that
education can byn means be separated
from religious influences. Therefore
whilst leaving your schools and Their
management peacefully in your own
hands, wo claim the RIGHT OF having
schools of ourown, from which religion
shall not be excluded, but be allowed
to exercise its salutary influence on
our youth.
4. We claim tho right ON the ploa
that we are religious body in this
free country, whose Constitution most
solemnly guarantees the free exercise
of religious belief 10 all its citizens and
the fullest nersonol freodom in ,eoord
to the dictates of conscience Now
there is not A more essential or n more
preoious liberty tban that of ,oron,s
TO educate their obildren in tbo man
ner which tbov ,hirk win moko ,hor,
pyfortime ard for otornitv Tboro
fore, the Catholic neoplc. with logical
sequence. claim the nroteetion of tbe
Government so os NOT IN be molos,ed
in thcir schools.
5. We saw protection. No doubt.
Justice and eaualitv wonld entitlc tbe
Catholic people of This oopntrv 10 OK.
cmption from taxation for the support
of other schools or to the share of the
public school fund in proportion 10 tbe
number of pupils in their schools
But even this claim we are disposed
to waive IN your favor.
6. You can have no reason to fear
the effect of our system ON the Com.
monwealth, because experience has
proved that the students of our col
leges, academies and schools are as
good and as useful citizens as those
who come out of your institutions
And # in every other branch Of human
action you admit tho principle of com
petition and believe in its beneficial in
fuence, why should You exclude it
from education, and deprive yourselves
of the benefit which emulation would
produce2
z. We fear that Notwithstanding this
sincere, precise and solemn declaration,
there yet will be found fanatical men
and political speakers who win en-.
deavor to excite their hearers bv as.
serting the imaginary opposition Of the
Catholic Clergy to the Public Schools
of the country. II is ono of the mis-.
fortunes of this world that il cannot
get rid of men, who. like Don Ouixote.
are perpetually fighting against wind.
mills,under the plea ofimminent danger
to their icllowmen. Such men do not
wish to know the truth, and though
we repeat il thousand times that we
do not oppose their schools. anv more
than we adore images or trust more
in the Blessed Virgin than in the
merits of Christ, they will a thousand
times renew the charge and swear that
we do, We do not expect to silence
such men; but we appeal to all fair.
citizens MOTTO be led astray by
the bigoted or ignorant ranting of men
who would hind ,bcm for tbo;r ovn