Savannah morning news., 1885-12-24
CREEDS IN THE SCHOOLS.
ALIVELY ISSUE IN THE ARGEN-
TINE REPUBLIC.

Church and State Locked in a Struggle
for rSupremRcy-MAny American Ladies
Interested in the OutcOme-Ths PeO-
pie of the Country Split on the Ques-
tion.
WASHINGTON, Dec. pa series of
dispatches received by the Secretary of
State from Minister Thomas 0. Osborn, at
buenos Ayres, the last Of which is dated
Oct. l6, 1885, describes an interesting cpl
sode in the nature of a struggle between
the Church and State in the Argentine Re-
public, for control of the Normal schools.
The struggle soon became the dominant
issre IN national politics, and observed
much OF the attention of the government
and people in the normal schools OF that
republic, established and supported by
the national government, many Protest
ant teachers, mostly ladies from the
United States are employed. On April
70, 1888, DR.. Clara, a Catholic ecclesiastIc
and acting bishop at Cardova issued a
pastoral letter prohibiting, amonR other
things, the sending of Catholic children
to schools whore protestant teachers were
employed. The national government con-
slderlng 1t an act Of disTespect and insu.
bordination took the matter up, and after
the exchange of several notes between
the Minister of Education, the Governor
of the province of Cardova and Dr.. Clara,
referred it to the Attorney General for his
opinion.
THE OPINION.
The Attorney General, in long report
giving full review of the relations OF
state and church, gives the opinion that
the government which confirmed church
| nominations could discipline and dismiss.
President Roca accepted this opinion as
sound doctrine, and issued a decree dis
missing DR.. Clara. This was followed by
a sharp discussion in the press and also
in Congress, where a resolution was in
troduced calling for all the corr espond-
ence, and protests by the authorities of
the church charging priestly subversion
on one side and encroachment and perse-
cution by the civil authorities on the
other.
CLARA REFUSES TO vACATE.
Notwithstanding the decree DIR. Clara
refused to accept his dismissal, and con-
tinued to exercise the functions of his
priestly office. He even issued a second
pastoral in which he asserted it was the
duty of the people to obey instruc-
tiOns from Rome rather than the
laws of the national government.
The people are now divided into
two parties, clerical and anti-clerical.
Congress has passed bill which had been
introduced at previous session prOvid-
| ing that in the schools of the national cap
ital there should be no sectarian test or
/ teacher.
ALIvELY DEBATE.
! In the discussion of the budget of the
Minister of Education and Worship hot
debate took place on the section relating
to the suppression of seminaries for the
education of priests and ministers. De
Wild, who took part in the discussion,
made it known that the President, by
Withholding supplies, was determined to
press the question to the point of the sep
aratiOn Of church and State. DR.. NAL
terra, apostolic delegate, mathematical
the normal school at Cardova, of which
Miss Clara Armstrong. an American lady
and Protestant, was directress; and haV-
ing been requested by Miss Armstrong to
remove the anathema, consented on con-
ditiOn that she secure certain pledges
from the Minister of Worship.
HER EFFORT FAILS.
This she attempted to do, but was
sharply reprimanded by the Minister, who
told her that the government employed
her to teach sciences, and that DR.. NAL
terra had no authority TO interfere. The
Minister called ON DIR. Maltera for an ex-
PLANTATION Of his Interference with the
laws and authorities of the country. and
as explanations were not made the Minis
ter sent the apostolic delegate his pass
ports and required him TO leave the cOun-
try within p hours.
The requirement was complied with
MALTERA THE INsTIGAToR.
The secular press charged DIR. Maltera
with having been the irstigator OF all the
trouble. "lt is quite probable" writes
Mr.. Osborne in his last dispatch, "that
the President sent in a message asking
Congress to approve the call for a conyeu-
tiOn to amend the constitution in order TO
relieve the State from the church"
One of the early incidents of the
struggle was procession of more than
900 ladies OF the first families of BuenOs
Ayres, which marched to the Senate and
presented a petition, signed exclusively
by women, praying rejection of the pend
ing bill already passed by the lower house,
which prohibited the teaching Of religious
dOgmas in the common schools. A vote
was Immediately taken by "smart judg-
ment' and the bill was rejected by one
vote.