The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-11
Catholic Edueation-Mr. samuel
Laughlin's Lnte Letter from Eu-
rope.

Iln SPEAKS OIL anu you may tueteIoIe
think it Of sufficient interest to repro
duce It in your columns.
SUBSCRIBER.
The article enclosed to Us is rs follows :
From the London Saturday Review.
The Two Irish questions which have
lately been discussed in the House Of
Commons are very closely connected.
Secondary education and the higher edu.
cation, intermediate schools and un:yer-
sities, are adjacent parts Of the same
whole. intermediate schools train boys
for the universities; universities continue
and complete the process which has be-
gun in the intermediate schools. The
connection, however, is more intimate in
appearance than in fact; and, when Mr..
Lowe urged the Irish members 70 give up
making impracticable motions about .
Catholic University, on the ground that,
II they would but take care OF intetmedi:
ate education, university education would
take care Of itself, he forgot, that, no Sey.
er true this may be when there is uni.
versity to whichintermediate schools can
send their scholars, il lie not much TO the
purpose when there Is no suchuniversity.
Mr.. loves theory is that the advance.
ment Of the higher education in 1relsnd
will be best promoted by the foundation
OF prizes and endowments At secondary
schools; by liberal supply Of funds and
rewards, which will enable students 10
20 to whatever university their parents
may select for them; and by the estAb.
lishment Of exhibitions which may enable
young men who have taken agood degree
10 make start in life. Would it not be
better, be asked triumphAutly, for Irish
members 10 grasp what Is within their
reach than TO 90 on demanding for ever
what they cannot get?
THIsPRErrY CASTLE IN THE AIR
rests entirely on the assumption that the
selection Of university BY the parents
is 4 real selection. But the great major-
ity OF Irish Roman Catholic parents have
not even Hobson's choice open TO them.
There IL no university to which they can
conscientiousIy send their sons. They
object to Trinity College because, Whit
ever it may be in name, it il still in sub.
stance Protestant institution. They oh.
iect 70 the Queens Colleges because, what
ever they may be in name, they are in
substance secular Institutions. 1tmAy be
q proof OF backward, and even reactionary
tendencies 10 wish their sons to be taught
the religion to which they belong u 3
part Of their university course; but il is
no, 20 very long, long ago that a similar
desire wa entertained BY many English
parents, Spd the success Of Keble College
goes TO show that even now this old'tash.
Toned notion il not extinct among them.
Il may be very absurd and wrong otlrish
parents to be as particular in this re-
spect a. an English parent would be, but
the fact remains that they are 30.
PERHAPs II MINERS OF THE cHuRcH OF
ENGLAND
had TO choose between sending their sons
10 Mgr. Capels College At Kensington,
and University. College at Cover street,
they would think themselves hardly
dealt with. Yet that would be no more
than 4 parallel TO the state Of things
which now exists in Ireland. There are
three ways in which the Irish demand
for university extension might conceiys.
bly be met Oue il the way which has
repeatedly been proposed BY various
Isish members. Another Is the way in
which the late government proposed 70
deal with the question. A third is the
way which recommended itselt 10 Irish
Roman Catholics some fifteen years
back. As regards the fret; Mr.. Lowe Il
certainly justified in advising Irishmen
TO put Il out Of their heads as soon "a
possible. The demand for q state endov-
mept OF Roman Catholic University,
or Of q Roman Catholic college in = mixed
university, may be perfectly just but 1t
Il at the came time perfectly impraetica-
bic. For this purpose the surplus reye-
pues OF the Irish disestablisbed
Church will undoubtedly be treated a
money belonging to the nation, and IN
less . radical and almost miraculous
change should come over the whole mind
and temper Of the English people, not 3
shilling OF il will be devoted 70 denomi.
national object. This determination on
their part may be quite illogical. but 1t Is
very firmly rooted. The endowment Of =
Catholic University or Catholic COL
Iege may continue 10 furnish The texttor
an annual motion and for any number Of
annual speeches, but II will do nothing
more. The late Government attempted
10 meet the difficulty by establishing 3
university in which the subjects upon
which Romanish and non.Romanists
most differ should be temporarily ex-
eluded from the university course. De.
nomiuational colleges might be in
corporated into this university and leach
what they liked, but the teaching Of the
university was 10 leave burning ques.
lions on one aide until the university
should have become strong enough TO run
alone, and TO decide for itself in what
subjects /. should give instruction 10 it,
students. The scheme fell through.
A UNIVERSITY WHICH Is sILESoED,
even Professionally, on the moot impor.
tant subjects Of human thought labors
under great initial disadvantage. Per-
haps II the Irish Roman Catholics had
been sirons advocates Of Mr.. Gladstoues
measure, Il might have gained the neces-
sary momentum; but without that, II
had no chance Of passing. There re.
mGinS The plan-vhieh At one time was
much 10 favor Of IrelADd-of obtaining 4
chatter Tor = university Of their own
which should enable Il to give degrees In
The several faculties. Il does not run
directly sgainst the English di.like % the
idea Of endoWing Roman Catholic In
stitution, while At the same time Il oders
Catholic university 70 aelass which de.
Uires one on no harder conditions than
that they should show themselves ready
10 pay for Il. The ordinary OBJ
lection 10 multiplying universities
would not apply here. The Irish
Catholics would have enough to DO
70 keep one university going, 90 that
Ia 4 4 :. = skaTs IA