The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-07-29
ORLEANS SUNDAY MORNING. 29, 1877.

In 1S41 school attendance was made obliga.
tory on children under twelve years of age,
and as long after that age as it took dull or
sickly pupii to acquire what was considered a
| common school education.
In the promul CATION of the laws ests sblishing g
the present system, NJ. Guizot, the ablest Pro-
| testant of modern times, who was then Prime
Minister, declared that "the popular schools of
| q nation ought to be imbued with the religious
spirit of o nation. Now 10 Christianity, or is
| it not, the religion OF the people Of France 7
It osnuot be denied that 1t 10. ask, then, is
it our object to respect the religion Of the peo-
pie or destroy iti If we mean to set about de-
| stroying it, then allow we ought by no means
to have it taught in the peoples schools. Bat
If the object We propose to ourselves lie totally
different. we must teach our children that rsli-
gion which civilized our fathers; that rsli gion
whose liberal spirit prepared and can alone
sustain all the great institutions of modern
times"
In his address to the teachers Of France on
the same occasion, he remarks. "Y You must be
aware that in confiding child to your care,
| every family expects that you will send him
back an honest man the country that he will
be made q good citizen. You know that virtue
does not always follow in the train of knowl.
edge; and that the lessons received by chill
dren might become dangerous to them were
they addressed exclusively to the understand
ing. Let the teacher therefore bestow his frst
care on the moral qualities of his pupils"
These are the leading outlines of the educs-
tional system of France, as enacted in 1882 and
promulgated in 1888:
Tr tha Of al ;0bk of
to train aud educate q Guild in his own reli-
gion, and secures the Protestant minority of
900 600 in all the rights aud privileges of the
% 100000 majority, no more, no less.
2. 1t preecribes that the public schools Of
the nation shall not destroy the religion of the
people, by refusing to have the education of
it's children imbosd with the spirit Of the reli-
Sion of their fathers, and that to exclude rel- |
gious teaching is calculated to destroy their |
religions belief
1t also procls aims that viItge does not |
always follow knowledge, aud that secular
without religious training, is dan
gerous to children.
1t secures-coupels a common school edu-
cation on all the children of France.
Is there anything in the breez-s from the
Gulf of Mexico, the soil of Louisiana or the
being equally enlightened, just aud tolerant
Ia il Lot time for every one to mind his own
business, and to have the Presbyterian, Iu ufdeb
etc., take care of the education of
heir own children, and let the Catholic take
,are of his own in like mannerf Savannah
las set a noble example, and has Pough.
Eeepsie," n. Y, and why shall not New Orleans
'ollow their example, and grant Catholics and
Jsws the right to educate their children as
heir consciences require, without oppressing
,r Furnishing them for doiug what God requires
1f them. COLUMBUS.
7
The public schools here consist Of Ave Protestant
md tive Catholic EcnCos At the public examination
Ast month the number Of applicants from the Ave
primary schools for promotion IOZ
N " foTty-hve passed. From Lhe Catholic ackoo0
IS applications fog PROBATION, and
paBSed. The examining committeo-ProIestants-
ay Ia their report that they eeSiI oto cali special
OF JhcSe ansWored every question correctly,
Of cIRAB Of s2 snsHerod moro than nineEY per
Of he questions in each branch while
Of passed. In the other Catholic Schoo,
applied, OF whom 2G answered 30 FER and the
JmSlniDR answered over 60 per cent. The candl. !
Sq0irsd TO ansWer thirty Of fly quss
Ons. The Catholic schools taught by SistSEs Of
the superiority Of schools sufficient open
he of those who boast superiority Of pGb
C over Catholic scboolsi q.