The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-15
The Bible and Prayer in the Public
Schools.

The Bible and Prayer in the Public
Schools.
Editor Of The Globe: In the GLOBE
Tor May s, appears communication
from North Clarendon, on this subjeo
of such an extraordinary character as to
demand some reply. Accepting the facts
as stated in that document it appears that
the school district in that village had by
the enormous number of three votes at
tempted to prohibit both prayer and the
reading of the scriptures in its school.
Our object is to review some Of the state
ments which are there made.
In the first place when a man undertakes
to quote any document or author, and e,-
pecially to cite them as authority for any
views which he is defending, ke should do
it fairly, SO as to give the precise sentiment
of the witness he calls to testify. Has your
correspondent done this in the article now
under review We think any candid and
well informed man must answer this in
4unl III tHC uSShtfos lIO pAOlCbsco "
give us the Sd article of the bill of rights,
but he omits both its beginning and its end
ing, and these directly reverse the concu-
sien he would deduce. Here is the whole
article, with the portions which he has
omitted included in brackets.
That all men have a natural aud ina
lienable right to worship Almighty God,
according TO the dictates of their own con-
sciences and understanding, as in their
opinion shall be regulated by the word of
God and that no man ought to, or of right
can be compelled TO attend any religious
worship, ST hsSt Of as!Ppor. Any place Of
to the dictates of his own conscience, nor
can any man be justly deprived or abridged
of any civil right ss citizen on account Of
his religious sentiments sr peculiar mode
Of religious worship, and that no authority
can or ought to be vested in, OF assumed
by any power whatever that shall in any
way interfere with, or in any manner con-
troll the rights of conscience in the full ex-
ercise of religious worship; nevertheless
every sect or denomination of christians
ought to observe the Sabbath or Lords
day, and keep up some sort OF religious
worship, which to them shall seem most
agreeable TO the revealed will of God
Here it is clear that those parts Of the ar
ticle which this writer omits completely, de-
stroy the conclusions which he attempts to
draw. 1t is expressly asserted that the
right to worship, is to be regulated by the
word of God The Lords day." and chris
tianity are distinctly recognized, and the
observance of that day as the Sabbath is
declared to be obligatory, and all this is to
be done agreeable to the revealed will Of
God" We all know what the expressions
"the word of God" and "the revealed will
of God imported at the time the bill Of
Rights was framed. They we're in continual
use, and had been in continual use for Gen.
turieS, to designate the holy scriptures, or
that book which we call the Bible, and the
words, thus incorporated into the bill of
rights, expressly recognize christianity as
the true religion, declare obligatory the OBJ
servance of its day of rest, and accept its
Holy Book as the only standard and mea-
sure of all religious worship and duty.
So much for one specimen of fairness
and honesty in quoting authority on the
part of this correspondent, now let US look
at another example. He cites the Hon. J
S. Adams as endorsing his position because
he decided that there was no legal author.
ity for compelling the pupils of any schoo
to read the Bible as a school exercise. 81
much 10 true, but why as before does be
suppress part Of the truth7 Why does he
not tell US that on the very points which
his resolution raises, the reading of thu
scriptures, and prayer in the school by ths
teacher, the opinion of Mr.. Adams, an(
of the then existing board of education
was directly opposed to his position. The
board of education in the annual report Of
1859, say, ''moral culture, resting upor
Bible truth its only safe basis, is q matter
of the highest moment in our schools, ant
therefore a scripture lesson read by the
teacher, is in the highest degree desirable
as an opening or closing exercise in th'
school," Mr.. Adams says of this declsr
alton of the Board, "There can be littl,
doubt of its correctness" Report, for 1861
page o. The same report assure
US that In the institute for tina
year, held in Rutland, an address
was delivered, at the request o
Mr.. Adams, "urgng the desirsbleness o
opening all our schools with a voluntary
exercise IN reading of scripture, prayer an'
singing" Again, on page 80 of his report
for the same year, he says, "The schoo
systems of New England have concurred il
declaring that the Bible as the only basis O
moral culture should be used in the schools.
Thus much for the position of Mr.. Adams
and the board of education, which Is ses
to be squsrely opposed to that containe
In the Clarendon resolution. We have nc
the means at hand Of examining the report
OF Messrs. Dix, Spencer aud Randall, I
which the communication we are consider
ing also refers. If they are no more fairl
stated than arc the sentiments Of Mr.. Ad
| .u,s and tha daclsratiana of tho hill r