The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-04
MsTuFng Star and Catholic Messenger.
SEW oRLKANs. SUNDAY. AUGUST 4 1878.
SAVED!
EME tEISH LANGUAGE TO BE TAUGHT IN THE
NATIONAL SCHOOLS.
Dublin Nation, July 6.

NATIONAL SCHOOLS.
Dublin Nation. July 8.
To-day we congratulate the countr!
upon O victory which places the Irish ma
kaeual language beyond the reach OF OK
tinction. The, grand old tongue, ove
whose decay poets and patriotic SO offer
'uRoarned, 10 rescued from the dangers thai
snauaeed it. The Language in which the
>GasrHing, the piety, and the imagination OF
50 perish. 1t is to live in vigor and
beauty. Taught in thousands of our elemen-
8aey echools, studied as daily Lesson by
sfgndreds of thousands of Irish pupils, and
illustrated, as we may fairly expect, by
Zrish scholars of eminence and zeal In the
Eails Of Intern ediate education. 1t is to
dc rescued from the shades of oblivion ,
given q new and endless lease of power
ana utility. Like leaves upon the blast, !"
Gfse accents Of ancient Ireland were only
Lately described rs failing by poet who
soved them well. To-day they pass from
sasss and promise of life restored. The
language of the Gael is saved.
TO the Society for the Preservation of
sie Irish Language is due in the fret in
stance the credit of this great and crafty
fog change. The npdagging energy and
I1d0stry With which that society parsaed
its patriotic labors cannot have escaped
the observation of our readers. In the
face of many discouragements, and with
wholly inadequate resources it succeeded
In giving an impetus to the study of Irish
productive of the most strikipgly instruc-
Give results The classes formed under its
influences were soon filled with eager
pupils it's text books were circulated In
-eens of thousands and new course of
~aStivjty and usefulness was opened up be-
fore the lovers of the Irish tongue. But
sile great work of the society was the mem
dSrisl which they laid before the Irish Ed.
Zcation commissioners last Tuesday. A
document of greater weight or importance
ssaAs seldom been published in Ireland, and
to the energy of the society in procuring
foc tt the enormous array of representative
signatures attached we may attribute in no
eBu4ah degree the gratifying result it has
met with. The object of the memorial
'zzas to induce the Commissioners of Edu-
cation to place the teaching of the Irish
language on the results programme of the
slatiopal Schools. 1t was the grand turn
4ag point of the society's labors. 1t was
the point upon which all was steked. The
Werk of educating the youth of Ireland in
- knowledge of their native tongue was
6olnd too weighty for voluntary effort.
State assistance was absolutely essential
To its success, and through the results pro-
lgEaznme of the National Education Board
ezle society saw it's way to obtaining that
did in the most beneficial form. Under
~148O -SoUiLo bybtcW GuO AEl5u NALlO0Ai
A00chers are paid in excess of salary Q
ssertain sum per head for every pupil pass
4ag an examination In q number of speci-
led subjects, amongst them being the
French, Greek, and Latin languages. The
3CheEne does not appear TO have reached
very high stage of development, the total
'Humber of pupils who passed in the last
lyosr for which returns are available-1s76
being, in French, 5s7 in Latin, 26I
@0A IN Greek, lis. The addition
nf the Irish language to the list of
rsdbjecte would, however, be certain to
produce very different consequences.
There are, 1t is calculated, over 200, 900
z.lAAisdreH- attending the National seAeels
SVaAO are actually speaking Irish, while as
s1any as two thousand of their teachers
f14ve declared themselves qualified to teach
Ssae language properly, ana expressed their
willingness to do 80, provided the subject
rzzoplaced on the resnlt programme of the
Board. Even in the absence of the stimu-
5zs of result fees Irish classes were estab
ESshed in many instances during the past
7sSRO years by the Irish National teachers
Nnder these circumstances it is manifest
that to place the teaching of Irish on the
ReeGlts Programme is simply to insure it's
observation. In thousands of National
Schools classea will now be formed, and
Gka aodreds of thousands of Irieh children
svAl receive q course of instruction in their
native tongue As regular part of their
education To the teachers the concession
0giu bring, we hope, substantial addition
60 their meagre salaries in the shape of
Co0ult fees; while to the youth of the
SoQntry the opportunities so long claimed
SOr them in vain will be fally afforded.
The case of the advocates of this great
Ss9Ou was never put more clearly OF more
&occibly than in the memorial which the
Education Commissioners had before their
,asOasideration laet Tuesday. The testimo-
my of the resident Commissioner, Mr.. Kee-
GEa0, was fret cited to show that "the
aArewdest people in the world are those
GRlaO are biliDgual," while the most stupid
eEaildren he had ever met were those who
~<UeTe learning English while trying to
SsCget Irish" The large number of Irish
speaking persons still in the country aud
S6e remarkable progress of the movement
aco then adTerted to, fgures and facts
being quoted in support of every PROPOSE
Skon advanced by the memorialists. The
zesolutions of the National teachers asking
shat the Irish language should be- placed on
GAe results programme, and passed unAni