New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-08
ANER1cAyIsM OF SECULAR SCHOOLS.
PRIEST DEFENDS RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
oN PATRIOTIC GROUNDS.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Reading your article on STAT" Alu lot 'e0
tartan schools IN your issue 81 sunday last WIS
sirpriscd to find this rather singular Se"'e"'''
50 long as Il confines Itself 70 lis "orh a. "
chris,ion denomination Americans have nothing
I'm, good will for the Roman 'hthoic '"u'V"'
WI, ,r. ,hes. Americans? You seem to imply that
tho some fen millions OF citizens protesting the
Roman Catholic religion are not Americans y" n''
would Won think ~ parallel sentence "Ne
this: 80 long 1t confines iseii 10 It's '",
studies Yale stuuen,s have nothing DIT Roou
y,ul for the senior class; Had you sa"'
,,a-ic,ns who are not Catholics have nothing bu'
1 ,.u for the other Americans who are you
u,uld | suggest have been better undersVoou'
and avoided saying what conveys an i"p''u '''''
II any body Of citizens deserve pe''r' '''', "
49,, c,tholics the. honorable name OF American
boldly say that the past has not SHOWN H. A"'
I m, nul,. sure IN" future never Will
~, s,v again: Americans love their pubic
hl svs,ern because II is wholly divorced
fr,n any sectarian teachings. OBJECT NV
ton millions Of Americans VINO are '"'"o'''' ~
40 good Americans as the stars anu '''p'N "o''
o,er do not love the public schooi system 'or
ans. euch reason and have shown that they 90
rn, lave Il bv double taxing themselves To a'o'"
.,,u,, ,ber children to such schools, ana tha'
,hev may educate them in II system when H. II
vou nlease sectarian. And am equally SURE ""'
an, fully prepared to prove. that tle many "o''
uiions Of Protcsianis do not love the puphV 7''oo'
"'',o,,, for that reason either. The only Amer
ic,ns who love. the system on that account arr tie
x,,liodi,ns whose motto Is: seek ilrst the KING
-, ~, ,his ,,,rll and It's secular advantages when
We know: for II there be- kingdom oil ''ou' OF any
,,,lue I'm its pretended righteousness, We KNOW not
Thair love for our Nulliidian system Oh schooiN
c,r IA. we'll understood. As American CITIZENS 'h'y
have a perfect right TO love what se'mS soDu
enouob I'm their eyes. But 1t can hardly be Said
mat tho common Government has a Just right 10
,,puose their low standard Of education upon oh.r
American citizens, Protestant CLth1Ilc anu ,i
and cnmual them adopt II. ana through thhLtioh
force ali American education into the Nui'ihd'ai
S', ,rd pnw tell you truth II Is our intense
Amrrlcanism well as our intense catnoaci n
which urges ms to max the n'roc S.r' uceooIs
and To make them at once ana cheeriu4iy, 10y
w. dawn. We love our religion and we loy" our
counfrv We have studied this question OF euu-
tin in ts relation to the highest interests OF
hoth and when We study grave questions IKE
this W.. study them exhaustivey. 40 as to come 10
viciion on this question Is that children educated
according to catholic civil ana religious prlcipies
principles Of education as citizens OF ,h'
We owe allegiance 10, and principles OF rinca'lon
as citizens OF our divine Republic me Cnl,ennMi MI
turn out the best, the trleSt ana stanchi' frmer
leans and Christians that can be produced Know
ing ; the ex truth Of hm ai ss he did
| Further on you say again: Americans OBJECT 10
TEACHINGS In schools Dscase rnfy In n
What is here again INFANT by Americans? Not Catno-
| lies of
"nemoment .ippose that any Episcopalian. Presby-
| ment suppose that any Epscopaian, Presbyc
| trrian Methodist. Baptist. or indeed, any one OF
| The REORGANIZATION me-sects would not Loudly
| protest against the assertion that the teaching
~ any of the peculiar sectaran doctrines they hol
| or religious devotions they practise Is in conflict
with tha shirt OF American institutions? Coulu you
| ret one OF them allow that any school they
might choose set up In which their own pecuiiar
scctaran doctrines were fully taught would DE-.
| therefore In the least un-Amercan? or cours.
| not And we are not going TO allow II for our
| selves either stand tamely by and let sucl
| a false assertion pass uncontradicted Can you
| find ono Protestant worthy OF the name, VINO VIII
| allow that "A school without any religion wnatso'
eyer las our pubc schools are) IT, therefore, better
| for educating loyal Americans than one when mas
| some religion in II? The Evangelical Alliance, as
spokesman for them strongly expressed me so fro,
estar Judgment this question. when. In 1855 Una
| body tried force through Congress an amenu,
| rnent 10 the National Constitution which would
obllge all the States to have the principles OF tne
christian religion" taught in all the public scnoois
| ~ the country. ] hear the echo or that uisap,
| pointed Protestant effort to unite Church ana
| State vet sounding amid the present alti-Cathonc
| hua and CIV falsely accusing us OF plotting for
the same. For those Of your readers WAC. sn"Ss