Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-02-15
the SCHOOL QUESTION.

worked out for myself in this discussion.
/ must leave out much which presses
forward 10 be said, aud state ne briefly az
possible the leading thoughts.
In my last paper IRON the mass Of lesti-
mony which hangs around our early lis
tory asp people, aud subsequent action
In reference 20 this question up until
within the last few decades, presented 3
few testimonials oil the almost universal
trend OF thought which prevailed ut aud
while it clearly fsvors the general principle,
OF christianity as forming the ground worl,
OF inblrirlion IN our common schools, 1t II
equal decisive in its leslimonys agains, u |
Sectaturianism, aud this Is more reniarkabl,
ns colonial history was marked with mucl
bigottr. Sharp controversy, tightly
drawn Scctarian lines, but the era Of the
revolution brough, together these widely
discovered religious factions and united
them in one common cause against n com
mon enemy -nssociated together in the
counsel chamber, on tie march, IN the
serge and the bivouac, pariakers oil the
same fears, animated by the same hopes
until this friction of brotherhood wore on
the sharp angles of ecclesiastical differ
cnces, ssand as the fog of sectarian conlro-
veisy lifted they saw beautifully stretched
ont before them vast common ground of
christian principles and faith upon which
all might stand, claiming common priv
ilescs aud common brotherhood. Since
that period the area has been broadening
and convictions deepening until only few
abnormal conditions fail to see realm OF
virtue and truth as broad as hum nifty IT.
self. Yet we hear the claim advanced
that secular education is the only one
upon which christian America Is capable
OF uniting. Had this claim been adj
vanced in the presence of John Adams,
Hamilton, Henry Clay, Daniel Websler.
or even George Washington, they would
have withered it with the breath Of scorn
'Better TO bear the ills we have
Than fly to Others that we know not Of"
am much inclined TO believe, that
there ia great deal OF "old time total dep
ravity"in the apprehension that onr liber;ies
will he endangered if We "teach this
otherwise heather anglo Saxon child OF
the Ten Commandments, or the Sermon on
the Mount" 1t is a question whether the
State is not in greater danger IRON the
lack Of instruction on this line than from
any other cause. The facts are all before
us that this government is not the prodnct
OF atheisiicil lines oil thought. 1t never
could have been. 1t is undeniably the
product OF pure theism "a God aud God
revealed revelation TO man. As secular
ism is but the synonym Of atheism, no
God, no religion you force into unnatur
al relationship such opposite extrem' as is
to be found in the embrace Of vice whic!i
is the decay Of virtue. Yun undertake To
preserve by pure secular practice what
purely secular thoughts could never have
given. The public school srstem was
planted TO meet the necessities of civil
freedom and social purity. 1t ia secular.
ism or theism that is to give the best con-
uitioHsE Soh tne COWInOH bCnOOi teiCn
comman christianity? Judge Reiman
answers this query: at would indeed be
scandal to our religion il there were no
common ground upon which its nominal
Sdherents could stand together. Can it
be that our schools must he left pagan
becHuse.we aTe sectarinn? Such con-
clu'ion is rCpusive to the common senie
Of the community"
The fact is, no one in his senses asks
FOR sectarian instruction. 1t was not call
ed for at period when sectnrian lines
were much more closely drawn than they
are now, and 10 one will object TO the
common principles of christianity being
taught but lie who hath said in his heart
there is no God. Sill another fesl,r, Of
Our common school system winch is es-
senti,l TO Our Americanism and cannot be
30 well subserved by any otlrT system
Of introduction. i alluded to The ASSN
lating power which 1t wields among the
ways OF widely discovered raiionalilies
which crowds our shores. Could the child
! OF the immigrant and the child OF the ma
i've born American sit to-
geiher in The same school, be taught from
the same books and in the same language
and in the same social capacity, with the
principles Of the CHRISTIAN religion, teach
ing that of one blood hath God made all
nations for 10 dwell upon the aee of the
earth, and that he is no respecter Of per-
sons, but the same Lord over all, with the
precepis OF the new commandment thrown
in, Love thy neishbor as thyself," how
long would il be ere we become a thor
oughly homogeneous people, moved by the
same impnlsea, animated hy the zane
noble patriotism and claiming ihe same
grand social destiny? Here is II result
not chimerlcal, Int to lie realized up
these conditions and these only.
The proposed prohibition of seriar,sn
instruction in public schools docs not meet
the demands oi Americans with amy great
er foice ihHn does thai Of non partition o
public funds for the snppor, OF denomi
national schools, or Catholic parochla
schools. Between Catholic and proteslan
denominations there has heen for many
years IN everlnsling blckernG with crimi-
nation and recriminalions. Charges o
fIand and corruption has been irecl,
banded ahont on both sides mud what.
ever Of truth is 10 he attached TO the.,
charges they have undoubtedly beol
much exaggerated. Yet 1t cannot b,
denied that much evaporation has bcel
Iet in the recent Rcis OF the Catholics
both inlhe cities Of Boston, PiilRburg AM
some other places, and the indignation o
the protestant population has found ex,
preston In indignation meetings, resolu
tIonS, committees OF inquiry, &c. Withou
expressing any opinion in relation to III
right or the wrong Of either party, fur