The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-01-18
RELIGION AND SCIENCE.

Z Editors OF the Register.
Two local articles written by me ano
| published in your valuable newspaper
| lately on the abolition Of religious e1er.
cises in the public schools and In the
( meetings Of the teachers association Of
! this CITY, which articles were based upon
abstract principles, were attacked IN yes.
teidsy's RxsIsTER, By correspondent OIL
YOURS, in . personal way. therefore,
beg leave to appeal to your fairness and
! TO request you 20 allow me to give
throuh the columns of your valuable
newspaper. the following explanation TO
your correspondent. :,
This gentleman signs himself AN old
in habitant of this free country" With
regard to this signature l beg to
81 .te. that 1 have lived IN this free
country ever since the spribg q
1855. with the exception Of six months
spen, in Germany. l came from Water
lsnd where l received collegiate anc
university education. During our Amer
,csn civil war l wss soldier IN the
ranks OF the Union army. belonging 10
one of the German volunteer regl-
ments from Cincinnati, o, which took
part In the warfare chiefly in the State
of West Virginia
In one OF my articles opposed by your
correspondent said: Without man
kind there would De neither science nor
religion. which both are equally benenc-
isl 10 man. that L. to say religion no more
than science, and science no more than
religion. Esteeming science highly, what
nv article itsef proves, and placing
religion fully st par with science,
81 is shown above, think, that no
candid man can justly make the
charge agains: me. that hate religion.
But your correspondent does that in his
headlines. Far from hating religion,
claim 20 be ~ lesst s. pious IS Pope Plus
TX IL Rome, Henry Ward Beecher in
Brooklyn and Brigham Young in Salt
Lske City. three prominent members OF
the clergy in the old and new world.
Bu. one thing l hate from the bottom
OF nv heart, and that thing Is the AFRO
gsnce of those American clergymen, wis
wan, 70 have their fingers in every pie.
In one OF my published articles said:
In my humble opinion ali religious H.
st-uc,ions aud exercises ought 10 take
place exclusively either IN the churches
or il the families This Is my
full conviction, all contrary American
usage: no,withstsnding. Our so-cslled
American school question Is 10 reality
only sgi,ated by our American clergy.
Without 8 clergy IN the United States
we should surely have no schoo! question.
| wonder .ha; the American clergy does
not present petitions 70 Congress, and
10 The several State Legislatures, asking
tha: laws be passed, by which al balls,
concerts snd ihes:rical performances 10
be given II this free country must, be-
side: u sermon IN the middle, D. opened
and closed with prayer.
Your CORES pendent calls me Ger
msn Rstionalist.' This word rational.
Isl, is derived from the Latin word
ratio" what means in English reason"
an glad Of being possessed OF ''reasoo,'
of which | always shall snd intend 70
make the fullest and most extensive use
in this free country. 10 the end OF my
DAYS
As to my persona! habits, l beg to
sts:e 70 your correspondent tina! have
never ioined 9 church in this tree coun
try. There are So many churches OF dii-
i-rent denominations IL the United
Safes tina, d. 10! know which Is the
ri.ht ore; but l Go net want 10 JOIN the
wig one. l feel fully competent 10
t.hc care 0! my own salvation myself,
without the aid o: n clergyman, snd the
co. s.Itutiou vi the United States, which
I. \: 81 American citizen, have sworn TO
support, give: me tul! rIgh! 10 do so.
Your correspondent Is not friendly 10
the Ge-msn language. Whether be VI
ders.srts German or not, do not know.
Oae thing Is true, the German language
is no: the legs! language OF this
country. But the German language is
as scientific a. the English Another
thing is also sIre and certain, the cIvill-
zs:iCn comprised Id the German Ian
guage is not BASED upon blgotry, upon
which the American clergy wants -
build I'd the American civilization.
As to our American pubic religion and
science always ought 10 Pc strictly sepa-
rated aud kept a,uade.. Sad schools
ought 70 be exclusively devoted 10
science. that is TO secular education.
THIS Il my belief.
Very respectfully yours,
\ GERMAN AMERICAN.
u'g,,'iry. JIuua-u ! =, 1877,