OCR Text |
Show THE CATHOLICS ON EDUCATION. The Freeman's Journal (an ultramontane ultra-montane Catholic organ,) denounces the attempt on the part of some of the Catholics of IsTew York to take advantage of the public school system by a sort of compromise, which shall place the Catholic children within the jurisdiction and rules of the board of education. Vicai General Quinn has been prominent in this movement, move-ment, and the school authorities are supposed to be favorable to any plan by which a large number of Catholic children can avail themselves of the public educational facilities. The Freeman's Journal, however, insists that Catholics cannot affiliate with infidels. Bays this fire-eating editor: The devil is a great fool, or he never would have damnd himself as he has done, but ho U not such a sleepy fool as to let Catholics outwit his servants, by, getting any advantage outoflbo public school;. Catholics, on their part, are taught by the apostle "not to boar the yoke within-fidels; within-fidels; for .what fellowship has justice with iniquity, or what company for light with darkness, or what bargain (con-ventio) (con-ventio) can Christ ruako with Beaal, or what part has the faithful wiih the infidel in-fidel ? The proposition to do up religion bo fore nine o'clock in the morning, and after three o'clock in the afternoon and to banish it during tho six school hours, will never bo accepted by the anti -Catholic public unless they becomo shrewd enough to set that this promise, if honoa:-ly honoa:-ly kept, is a denial of the Catholic faith. The fact is, and reasonablo Catholics Catho-lics see it, their children must be educated at least up to the average of the community. The church cannot can-not supply them with schools equal to those of the public establishments; and the state is prohibited from sup- j porting sectional schools. They must either allow their children to grow up without education, thus placing them 1 at a disadvantage in life, or send them j to the public schools, but ultramon-; tanism says no ! Godly ignorance is ' preferable to a fair education with its 1 Protestant or irreligious tendencies. ' The priests generally sustain this view; but notwithstanding thousands of good Catholics send their children to the public schools, as their only salvation sal-vation from utter illiteracy. We believe be-lieve the church overestimates the danger to its youth from th 3 system Of public schools which prevails in this country. It matters little where a child ia educated, so long as he is free to think for himself in a free community. If a religious sect or society can educate our children cheaper and better than the state can do it, the business will naturally fall into its hands, but popular education has become the fashion, aijd no church can withstand its progress without injury to itself. ! |