The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-24
THE SOUL AND THE INTELLECT.
An Eloquent Appeal b. Learned Catho-
lie Priest Of Central New YORK.

An Eloquent Appeal b. . Learned Cstho-
Ito Priest Of Central New York.
To THE EDITOR or The SrN-Sir: In the
crisis of 1905 you welcomed and commended
a communication from me. In the less acute
and more slowly impending educational
crisis ! ask the same welcome and approval
for another communication. l wish TO pre-
sent the issue exclusively on the side OF pa
triotism, for. humanity speaking. It Is upon
patriotism we must rely. Although Roman
Catholics outuumber all other religionists
of the State put together. Roman Catholics
and all other religiopi lists do not reach 81 per
cent. of the States population.
In the Kansas excitement Lincoln said: III
we could first know where we are and whittier
we are tending We could better judge what
to do and how to do IT," "A house divided
against itself cannot stand" This republic
is again becoming a house divided against
itself. Labor and capital are forming hostile
camps. not along Mason and Dixons line. but
in all the cities Of the land. Both the labor
unions and the stock waterers disregard
ethics. Why? Ethics has not been taught
In our schools. 1t 10 losing it, hold upon our
lives. President Roosevelt discusses it as
none of his predecessors did. I think he il to
be commended for doing so. believe that its
discussion and vindication are necessary for
our national life. This Is where We are.
Whittier are we tending? TO agnosticism.
says the United States census.
We are evidently at the parting OF the ways.
The danger toward which We are journeying is
independent Of the judgment Of any ecclesias-
teal body. II II involves US In . cataclysm
1t will do so against the wishes and despite the
efforts 81 the Catholic Church. II We do not
discern the danger IL 10 not for the lack OF
Warning. Let me quote from non Catholic
writer's Of worldwide reputation. John Rus
kin was probably tho most famous Protestant
writer Of the world in the last quarter Of tho
nineteenth century. He had probably done
moro for education than any other man in
rhetoric as he did his purse. for It's advance
ment. Here is what he says:
I know Of nothing that has been taught the youth
Of our time. except that their fathers apes and
their mothers wrinkles: that the world began in
accident and will end In darkness: that honor Is
folly. ambition q virtue. charity . vice. poverty
crime. and rascalty the means Of all wealth and
the sum Of all wisdom.
Herbert Spencer, who values education only
for the present life. says
1t seems however, that this unlimited faith in
teaching u not TO be changed by facts Though In
presence Of multtudinous schools. high and low.
W0 nAVo tn0 TOWOleS anu aOOukdnb INC bAV6go
disurbers OF meetings the adulterators Of food the
givers Of brides and receivers OF corrupt commits
sions. the fraudulent solicitors. the bubble COM
panies yet the current belief continues unweak-
ened. and recently In America an outcry respect
ing the yearly increase Of crime was Joined with an
avowed determination not TO draw any inference
adverse to their educational system.
Intellectual culture ntenshes the emotional
life. Were the higher emotions stronger than tho
he n OF ha
two balanced II would not be . disadvantage: but
unquestionably in average human beings the lower
emotions are more powerful than the higher. Hence
education increases the relative prcdominAnoc Of
the lower. and the restraints which the higher i'm
pose are more apt to be broken through.
Nothing practically illustrates this argu-
ment of Spencer's moro thoroughly than tho
prevalence Of divorce. Again. he says that
mischief results when intellectual zation
goes in advance Of morallxation." and this
conclusion he sustains in many ways Of argyll
ment and fact. We need not 60 into them. A
single illustration will show our danger A
cashiers intellect shows him how he can
cheat the bank and escape detection His
will must decide whether he shall cheat tho
bank and become rich. or abstain from cheat
ing 1t and remain poor. We educate tho
intellect which offers the choice. We do not
educate the will which makes the choice.
1t Ia rs II we constituted our courts 40 that tho
lawyer making the plea would be learned
and the Judge deciding tho plea would be
ignorant, How shall We educate the willr
BY showing It its proper object. good. as We
educate the intellect by showing 1t it's proper
object, knowledge From the aged agnostic
and from the ardent Protestant comes the
statement that conscience is to be educated
if education is to be bene6cent.
II suicide and divorce are hurtful to the
State, what is there In the States system OF
education to discourage them? In Christian
schools children nre taught that the threads
OF all human destiny are held by the hands that
were pierced upon the Cross: that the world
was made by Him who shared our sorrows
and bore our inflrmities: that II we suffer
with him we shall be glorihed with Him. Here
is tho sanction that produces sturdy citizens.
Where Is now the manhood Of IonRfellow'
on; ie., not IN world like this.
Know how sublime thing It's
To suffer And be strong.
Spencer's argument that overeducation
creates discomfort IA chiefly for those who do
not believe In future life. knowledge
of the procession Of the equinoxes will not
hurt lsboror II 1t Is associated IN his mind
with tho hope Of Immortality and resigna-
tion to his lot II will hurt him il 1t ls asso-
esTs BOYS Wht saas N s1pan
Spencer regrets that after two thousand
years oi Christian teaching war and revenge
should still be public policies. ct liz ask our
selves. what diderenttates Europe aud Amer
lea from Asia and North AfyloA except the in
anence OF chTist,aa edacatisn % hundred
were the nurseries Of civil2a.iH,
Less than ATTY years ago oil education
whether Protestant or (athol!c. was dom
mated by religion, Catholics still suggest
that religious practices should be suited to tho
II by the suggestion they have lessened moral
sanctions In the public schools, they have
more than balanced this by building and
maintaining hundreds Of schools in the State
where morality 10 taught on the sure basis OF
Christian revelation To those who judge
bubble. by apparent material success. nothing
will recommend change but such develop
ments a. discredited the South Sea Company
To those who invoke upon our school system
the considerate Judgment OF men and the
gracious favor of God return TO first princi-
n.p. ,
trsted by the Regents Of the State University
They allowed a small sum for each child pass
ing their examinations. They did not think
1t necessary 10 inquire whether the child was
Protestant Catholic, Jew or agnostic The
benevolent work Of the Regents was stopped
by an addition tS the coT9ss'itutio11 II can b
to the Constitution. After the words "ex-
aminatio and inspection" add the words
and their results. and the State will be again
in the path Of safety. This does not In volve an
abdication by the State OF it's claims or pre-
negatives. It does not involve the hand
would not discriminate in favor Of gnosticism
and arainst the sanctions Of morality En-