Year: 1875

BISHOP GIBBONS, OF RICHMOND, ON THE


PRESIDENTS MEsSAGR


RICHMOND, Dec 10, 1875.


The Right Rev. James Gibbons Bishop OF the Catholic
diocese OF Richmond and Vicar Apostolic of North
Carolina, was called upon by the HBRALD correspond
ent this evening" to obtain his views In regard TO the
OF President Grant IN his last Message
concerning the school question and the taxation of
Church property Tho distinguished prelae was found
at the bishoprc, and he received the HERALD CORE
spondcnt with the utmost courtesy While he had
decided objection to the publication Of his views he
nevertheless was free to give them and stated he did
not wish to obtrude his opinions on the public


CoRRssPosDESr-what is your opinion Of the recon.
mendation in regard TO schoolsf


The BrsHor-The constitutional amendment regard
ing the school question, recommended by President
Grant IL carried out, would reduce American Re-
public TO the condition of things existing IN pagan
Rome In the old Roman Empire the individual was
absorbed by the State, which was political Jugger-
naut crushing under its wheels all personal liberty.
In those days tho citizen bad individuality, but
counted only as part and parcel OF shat vast and
complicated machinery called the State. The most
crushing Of all despotisnss that OF centralized gov
ernmenL 1t Is the idol before which the citizen
must offer in sacrifice his personal liberty as
we'll as his parental rights over his children,
for tho government, in assuming the education
OF the child usurps the place OF the father and robs
him Of his most sacred pryilegethat OF directing the
of mis- offspring And what becomes oil lib
erty when II is lost the Individual and In the family
IL ia TO that personal freedom (which always involves
personal responsibility and personal energy that
are chiefly indebted q nation The general govern
ment has no moro right dictate TO the father when
and where and how he must educate his children than
IL has to prescribe his food the shape OF his clothes
Those who advocate this system Of Capitalization
are slavishly initiating the most absolute sys
tens of government in Continental Europe. Be
sides If popular education Is wrested from
the family and tho State, and placed in the hands OF
the federal government OF whatever political party II
viii give the administration an overwhelming patron
age which would destroy all balance OF power and re-
dice mnoritie6 TO mere cipher Nor do see how
paganism and religion both be simultaneously ex-
cluded from the schools the President proposes for
n an education excludes all religion 1t Is necessarily
paqan there being no medium between the two terms
CoRREsPoNpEET-I would like to know what you
think OF the recommendation to tax Church property
The BrsHoP-To tax Church property and charitable
institutions is putting premium on inhdelity and
ayarlce and makes religion and philanthropy odious
by imposng O penalty those who MAINTAIN Chris
tianty and support charitable houses The inevitable
result Of such taxation would be TO cripple the
churches tho burden Of the State by making
the almoner OF those poor who now main aimed
by private beneyolence. AS an example, the Catholic
| Church educates in Richmond alone 1,0oC
children and feeds and clothes eighty-six orphans
and aged people The education and support OF these
would cost tho city annually at least $3S 600 and tht
| amount expended by the other denominations FOL
works OF charity would doubt swell these figures
/ an enormous extent - 80. =,
In conclusion the Bishop expressed his belief tina
the American people would be found advocating
/ or even indorslng such novel legislation