Year: 1861

FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. Is, 1861.


That Petition.


We briefly alluded in our last to peti
tion in circulation for signatures designed
to procure division of the school fund
that the Catholics may establish separate
schools of their own. The document we
have not seen, but are informed it would
puzzle Philadelphia lawyer to discover its
object at the first reading, and we are very
much mistaken if it did not confound the
perception of some lawyers in this city not
from Philadelphia. The document is rep
resented as most adroitly worded. A Jesu-
itical keennes is discovered in the entire
language. The real object is cunningly
left to be suspected. Why the Catholics do
not come boldly out and ask for their quota
of the school fund in so many words, is a
mystery. There are no racks, wheels or
thumbscrews for them here that they should
beat the devil round the bush rather than
speak out like men. Boldness and frank
ness command respect, where the opposite
qualities do not.


Perhaps had they been more plain and
explicit in their requests their object might
have commended itself more strongly to
those who did not sign the petition because
of its blindness. We are not sure if the
Catholics had not couched their petition in
such suspicious language as if they were
ashamed to let its object be known, that its
purpose might have struck the minds of all
classes of Christians as highly commenda-
BILE. 1t might have been the major premise
of great many good arguments which
ought not to be spoiled on account of the
want of q little plain Saxon We rather
like the idea of dividing up the school fund
1t furnishes good subject for discussion.
We 60 in for allowing the Catholics their
share, the Presbyterians theirs. the Baptists
theirs, the Methodists theirs also; and then
the Spiritualsts want theirs of course and
are entitled to it. Then there is q large
class who are persuaded that IGNORANCE
is bliss" and would like their share in cash.
We are in favor of accommodating every
class to their liking. Let every religious
denomination have its own school and con-
scientious atheists have theirs too. 1t will
add to the material progress of knowledge.
We shall have a school house every few
rods or none at all. School masters will be
thick as blackberries in hy-time. Carpen-
ters and ndlumbermen will get more business );
potatoes and garden truck will sell at bet
ter prices, for nearly every other family
will contain another consumer-the school
master. The human mind requires novelty.
Why not introduce the novelty of schools
gotten up on the homeopathic system The
old fogy notion that it is better to send a
child two miles to a good school than two
rods to a poor one, it is true, prevails to
some extent yet, but the plan of teacher
to each scholar, or every boy his own
schoolmaster, has not been tried since the
dark ages. We have no objection to trying
it again provided the wishes of each parent
of a child are equally respected. We want
the plan carried out faithfully. Let the
Catholics have their pro rata, each denom-
ination of Christians theirs, and if father
who deems it I" folly to be wise" wants his
share in shillings, let him have his rights
too. Treat all alike and let the rising ger
Grafton grow up under the ostering care of
the government, without prejudices one
against the other, on account of different
religious and moral views So shall fra
ternal feelings and good neighborhood be
cultivated and a multitude yet unborn rise
up and bless the McFinnigins, McDoodles,
McNoodles, and O'Goudies, who signed a
certain petition in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.