Denominational, or free Christian schools in Manitoba

CPuwtt'B Intuerattg
IGtbrarg

KINGSTON, ONTARIO

DENOMINATIONAL

on

Free (Christian Schools

I3ST MANITOBA.

By His Grace Archbishop Tache.

.WINNIPEG:
' Standard " Book and Job Printing Entablisbment,

18 7 7.

F50 [?>

Denominational Schools

To the Editor of the Standard.

Sir, — While publishing your views on th^ ques-
tion'of Public Schools, you kindly expressed the
satisfaction you experienced on seeing that others
likewise giv* their opinion on the subject. This
persuades me that you will liberally grant space
in your columns, for a series of articles I intend to
publish.

I regret to have to say, in the first place, that
my convictions might be (da metrically opposed to
yours, nevertheless, I am convinced that, animated
with a liberal spirit, and friendly to loyal and frank
discussion, you ^ ill not be averse to fair play, and
that yon will afford your readers the opportunity
to find in your own paper the reasons others have
not to share the opinions you have therein expressed.
Articles ably written have treated the subject more
lengthily and more cleverly than I can venture to
do ; but as they may not have come to the notice of
your readers, the latter, so numerous in the Pro-
vince, and yourself, sir, will be generous enough to
receive, if not with pleasure, at least with courtesy,
the counterpart of your own assertions.

Before mentioning the sphere intended for my
observations, I beg leave to take a glance over our
actual law of education.

The first Parliament of Manitoba, during its

first session, passed an Act that was sanctioned

on the 3rd of May, 1871. An amendment of

detail received force of law on the 21st of Febru-

on

•

ary, 1872. The 8th March, 1873, sanction was
given to amendments so considerable, that the Act
enclosing them was sty ltd "The Amended School
Act." The second Parliament added to the great
amount of work accomplished during its first
session, "An Act further to amend the Act to es-
tablish a system of E lucation in this Province,"
and on the 14th May. 1875, the twenty nine clauses
of the said Act received, in the name of the Queen,
the sanction of the Lieutenant-Governor.

Moreover, on the 4th February, 1876, His Honor
sanctioned the forty -five sections of "An Act to
amend the School Acts of Manitoba, so as to meet
the special requirements of incorporated cities and
towns." All this legislation evidently proves that
the legislators of Manitoba have been earnestly
pre-occupied concerning the question of education,
to which they have devoted a large share of their
labors.

The above laws have been enacted, either with
the unanimity, or at least, with the majority of the
Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly.
They have all been sanctioned by the Lieutenant-
Governor, in the name of the Queen, none of them
have been disavowed by the more immediate repre-
sentative of the Sovereign.

Therefore the said laws are duly ami lawfully
the code that governs the Province of Manito1 a,
with regard to the education of its children, I he
actual laws of education admit and protect the
principle of denominational schools, and, in tact, as
well as in name, make them either Protestant or
* Catholic, entirely distinct and independent among
themselves and respectively submitted tmly to the
section of the Board of Education to which thei/ be-
long.

The Protestant section of the Board of Educa-
tion has under its control the management of the
Protestant schools. Tt lias the power to make, from
time to time, such regulations as may be deemed
fit for their general management and discipline ;
to arrange for the proper examination, graduating,
and licensing of its teachers, and for the withdrawal
of the license on sufficient cause ; to select all the
books, maps, and globes to be used in its schools ;

and to approve of plans and dimensions for the
erection of school houses under its control ; the
flame Protestant section of the Board, has the pow-
er to erect, divide, and subdivide Protestant school
districts where it thinks proper throughout the
Province ; all school taxes and assessments, paid by
Protestants' are exclusively J or the maintenance of
Protestant schools. The money voted by the Leg-
islative Assembly for educational purposes, is di
vided in proportion to the school population
of each section. Therefore, the Protestants
have the half, the two-thirds, the three-fourths of
the Government grant, if they have the half, the
tw« .-thirds, the three-fourths, &c, of the school
population. In a word the Protestant schools are
Entirely under the control and jurisdiction of Pro-
testants ; they receive all the money paid by Pro
testants for assessments, and they have their due
share of public funds.

The Catholics having nothing to do with the Pro-
testants schools have no action in them, and
consequently tliey can in noway impede their suc-
cess, welfare, and prosperity. The law, in granting
such independence to the Protestant schools, • and
in protecting them against the intrusion of Catho-
lics, even were the latter inore numerous, secures
similar independence to Catholic schools against
the interference ot Protestants, notwithstanding
the latter being the majority in the Province.
Such is the fundamental principle of the School Law
of Manitoba.

Defective as this law may be in other respects,
it is, nevertheless, true to say that the principle on
which it is based is commended by a host of dis-
tinguished statesmen and publicists, together with
other eminent men of all countries, ranks and de-
nominations. The same priuciple has made the
prosperity of certain nations, while placing them
foremost in civilization ; and without seeking il-
lustration abroad, every one knows that the two
most important Provinces of the Canadian Confe-
deration have separate schools, and are satisfied
with the system ; while, respecting the rights of
all, this system opens a wide field to noble and ge-

nerous emulation, which, as a general rule, secures
more ample and better results.

On the other hand, we see the same principle
opposed by men who think they h;ive a right to
lead public opinion. But; Allow me to say that
mere opposition to a system of education does nob
prove that the same is contrary "to the more eu-
liglfteJied spirit of the present aire." Ir, is mrely a
mist ike to think that " the triumph of the princi-
p'e of justice" consists in replacing the system
adopted here by the very improperly termed " Un-
sectarian public school system*"

I have no knowledge of Catholics having any
desire to biing a radical charge in our school laws.
I am not even aware whether the Protestant po-
pulation, left to itself, and not agitated by extreme
wen, momd by sectarian views, or political ambi-
tion, would ever think of bringing about the pro-
posed charge, or of forcing it upon their fellow
citizens. On the event, of the Protestant popula-
tion not being satisfied with the actual conditio i
of things, I will take the liberty to respectfully
make the following suggestions :

Allow the Catholics to enjoy the liberty
you would ceitaiuly claim, were yon in their place;
do not meddle with their schools, otherwise nor more
than you would wish them to do, were they the
majority in the Province. Jf your own

school regulations do not meet your approbation,
you can easily bring a remedy without agitating
our Province, and injuring the ju^t susceptibilities,
and the concientious convictions of others. You
are. masters of your own position, make your own
schools what you wish them to be, but leave to
Catholic Schools the character held dear by their
supporters.

I have already fully stated", and every one knows,
that the Protestants have the control of their schools
by the actual law ; they teach only what they like,
they can leave off, in their teaching, all that dis-
pleases them; they can, if they choose, exclude ail re-
ligious teach inLr; that concerns themselves, the law
secures them that right ; and I do not think the
Catholics will ever object to it. On the other hand,
I see neither liberality nor justice, on the part of the

3 7

majority, to endeavor to control the Catholic
Schools, or to destroy their autonomy, in order to
govern tlieni. — Instead of. setting forth an -irritat-
ing, useless, and dangerous question, that Iras... al-
ready occasioned such deplorable results, even with-
in out" young Confederation, why do hot the
friends and advocates of this pretended reform,
turn their zeal towards what is naturally, and by
the lew, under their authority ?. It' the proposed
change he the result of divergence of opinion among
the different Protestant s <ts, and if the latter agree
to it, let the Piotestant section of the Board of Ed-
ucation accomplish the change in the schools under
its control and they will then have nnsectarian
schools for their children. — If it he the wish of
Protestants, let the Board exclude from their schools
everything Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist
&c. and. if they choose, all that is Christian ; let
them make the experiment in their midst, and in
what concerns them'. When a generation will have
reaped the fruits thereof, and proved by ex|*rience
the efficiency of the system to secure the moral and
intellectual improvement of its partisans, then,
indeed, you will have no trouble in obtaining, the
co-operation of the Catholics, who, naturally, will
be only to happy to secure, for themselves, the bene-
fits enjoyed by others. Then, but not till t/t&n, peo-
ple will see the realization of the hope, expressed by
the Free Press in its issue of the 25th. August lasr.

'• We have little. doubt that the

prelates of that Chinch (Catholic) will see the wis-
dom and justice of c implying with public opinion
in a reform that will conduce to the general well
being of the people." In my opinion, the prelates
of the Catholic Church have the well being of the
people sufficiently at heart to willingly and prompt-
ly adopt any system of education that experience
would prove them to be the most advantageous.

So far the thing is merely being ventilated in
our young Province, and unfortunately the result
of the trial elsewhere is far, \eiy far ironi being
Satisfactory, so without any uneasiness as to what
the prelates of the Catholic Chinch will say hereaf-
ter, I take the libert* , and I do so without hesito-
tion, to affirm that the system termed '• unsect-

8

rian public schools " meets with no sympathy on my
part, and, in order not to appear unreasonable, allow
me to say what I think of the system, in a legal, re-
ligious, and social point of view.

FIRST — THE ESTABLISHMENT OF " NON-SECTARIAN
SCHOOLS" IN MANITOBA, WOULD BE ILLEGAL.

The first question that presents itself to the mind
in the actual controversy is this : has the L< gisla-
bure of M mitob i power to repeal the present educa-
tional laws an I to replace them by asysteua repugnant
td the minority of this Pwincd? f do not hesi-
tate in saying that our legislature has no such pow-
er. The minority of the Province having rights or
privileges acquired an I acknowledge I, such rights
or privileges are under the safe-guard of a superior
authority; and. consequently, the power of the legis-
lative Assembly ot M mitoba, does not extend so
fir as to violate such rights or privi.eges. Any
law enacted in the above sense, would be ultra vires
null, and certainly disallowed at Ottawa.

I understand the magnitude and delicicy of
the task imposed upon a tribunal called upon
to decide on the Validity of a legislative Act.
I understand the importance and lucidity of
the proofs that such a tribunal would require, to
become convinced that the highest legal authority
in the Province had failed and gone beyond the
limits assigned to its legislative power.

I know all this, but 1 am equally aware that in
the case of usuipttiou of power, the superior au-
thority has the /bligatioil to discountenance such
proceedings, and to grant to those who are unjust-
ly dealt with, the protection to which they me en-
titled by the laws that govern them. Legislative
independence, warranted to the different Provinces
of the Canadian confederation, is justly precious to
every Canadian, and no one should act in a
way to diminish such an important prerogative.
On the other hand, it is the duty of the Provincial
Legislature not to attempt anything beyond the
restrictions expressed in the Imperial Acts that
constitute the same legislature. It is y cause of

10

legitimate pride for the inhabitants of a Province
to know and feel that they are tree ; »>ut it is
equally necessary to their happiness to know and
to feel that they are protected. Protection is as
necessarv as freedom, of which it is the comple-
ment". Without the protection for some the free-
dom of others may easily degenei ate into license.
Citizens would lose the respect and reliance on
the noble institutions that govern the country,
should the protection to which they have a right
be, in their estimation, inferioi to the freedom they
enjoy.

The theory of absolute power vested in the Pro-
vincial Legis'ature in all cases, is entiiely inadmis-
Bfthfcj, as the Imperial Acts that establish such
legislature, have limited their action in a char and
precise manner. It is obvious that the question of
education is among those on which it is not lawful
to enact without certain )estrictions.

Before proceeding any luither on the matter, I
wish to review the objection that has been impro-
perly raised, as based on the sub section I of section
92 of ''The British North America Act, 1807."
To invoke the said sub-clause hs a pi oof that each
province has an entire, absolute and uni estrained
power lelative to education, denotes a very supeifi-
cial study of the Act itself. " The British North
America Act" classifies the matters of which it
treats under XI titles, within XI principal divi-
sions, some of which are subdivided. 'I he follow-
ing synoptic table of matters contained in the said
Act will show, at first sight, the futility of the ob-
jection I combat :

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT, 1867.

Remarks.
I. Preliminary.
IT. Union.

III. Executive Power.

IV. Legislative Power. — The Senate ; The House

of Commons. 1. Ontario.
2. Quebec 3. Nova Sco-
tia. 4. New Brunswick.
Money Votes. Royal As-
sent.

11

V. Provincial Consti- Executive Power. Le-

tu Lions. — gislative Power. 1. Onta-

rio. 2. Quebec. 3. On-
tario and Quebec. 4. No-
va Scotia and New llrniis-
wick. 5. Ontario, Quebec
and Nova Scotia. 6. The
four Provinces.

VI. Distribution of Powers of Parliament.

Legislative Exclusive Powers of Pio-

Powers. — vincial Legislature. Educa-

tion. Uniformity ot Laws
in Ontario, Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick. Agri
culture and Immigration.

VII. Judicature.

VIII. Revenues, Debts, Assets, Taxation.

IX. Miscellaneous Pro visions — General, Ontario

and Quebec.

X. Intercolonial Railway.

XI. Admission of other Colouies.
Schedules.

Such are the divisions and subdivisions of the
'• British North America Act." It is certainly an
elementary rule of interpretation to Say that, when
an Act has divisions under certain titles, the. very
woids used as titles of the divisions, when employed
in any section of the said Act, mean the masters
contained in the division to which such words are,
prefixed as title. Theiefore, the words " Constitu-
tion of the Province" us^d in the clause 92, must
necessarily refer to what, and to nothing but to
what is contained within the division V under the
title Provincial Constitutions.

The clause 92 belongs to division VI, and its
fist sub-section reads as follows : 1. '• Tue Amend-
ment from time to time notwithstanding anything
in this Act of the Constitution of the Province, ex-
cept as regards *he office of Lieutenant-Governor."

One must close his eyes to the evidence and to
the clearest and most natural sense of the words, not
to read in the above mentioned sub-section, the verv
title of the division V, 4- Provincial Constitutions."
And the division V being the only part of the Act
that fixes the Provincial Constitutions, is the only

12

part of the said Act referred to, by the Said sub-
section of the clause 92. On the contrary, " Educa-
tion" being neither Constitution of the Promxoe, nor
even mentioned in the division V, cannot be aimed
at by the subsection which now occupies me, and
which treats only of amendments of the Constitutions
of the Iruv'mce.

The division VI of our " British North America
Act" show* the distribution of legislative powers,
and determines the limits of the Federal as well as
of the Provincial Legislatures, indicating to the one
as well ;is to the Others, what, is and what is not
subject to their jurisdiction. The clause 93, which
forms by its*? if the subdi virion entitled '• Education,"
is the only one that indicates the cxt< lit, as well as
the limits, of the powers of the Provincial Legisla-
ture, relative to this important subject.

Instead of leferring exclusively to the makers
contained in the division V, under the title " Pro-
vincial Constil utions," if anything in the clause 92
could affect the dispositions of the clause 93, it. would
with equal reason affect the clause 91, and, with the
same Stroke, annul all the restrictions that the Im-
perial Act intended to put, and did put, to the
powers o£. Provincial Legislative. Such cannot be
tlie case. "The British North America Act" has
divided and classified the matti-is of. which it treats
in a manner too evident and too lucid to have room
for such confusion of ideas.

It is therefore evident that the section 93, while
stating that " in and for each Province the Legisla-
ture may exclusively make laws in relation to edu-
cation," affirms at the same time, that such laws
shall be "subject ami according to the provisions"
set forth in its subsections ; provided always, that"
the inhabitants of each Province, be in such le^ftl
conditions, as would secuie to them the benefit, or,
if you like the word better, the i est rain t indicated
by the said sub-sections.

Enough for the objection.

What now remains for me to examine, are the
limits that the Imperial Act set to the powers of
the Executive and Legislative authorities of the
Province of Manitoba, in relation to '.he educational
laws "affecting any rights or privileges of the Pro-

13

testant or Roman Catholic minority of the Quern's
fcubjects in this Province.

Nobody, I am |ure, will doubt of the nullity of
a Provincial Act that would be in direct opposition
to one or several Imperial Acts ; especially, wh«°n
those Imperial Acts are the same that have consti-
tuted the Provincial Legislature, stating what it
should do, or 1-ave undone.

In relation to Education, '"the Protestant or
Roman Catholic minority of the Queen's subjects"
in the Province of Manitoba, are uuder the protec-
tion of two different Acts; the one beiiiij properly
ftn Imperial Act, and the other, ah hough a Federal
Act, having received, from an Imperial Act, the
Confirmation which guards it, not only against the
Provincial Legislature, but even deprives the Fede-
ral Parliament, that has enacted it, of the light to
repeal or amend it. Yes, the Imperial Act 34 and
35 Victoria Chapter XXVItl cited as the British
North America Act 1{S71" was passed to validate
the Manitoba Act an I protect the lights conferred
theieby.

Follow certain clauses of the Imperial Act last
mentioned :

(3.) "The Pai liament of Canada may from 'time
"to time with the consent of the Legislature of any
■"Province of the said Dominion increase, diminish or
"otherwise alter the limits of such Province upon
" such terms and conditions, as may be agreed to by
"said Legislature and may W,ith the like consent, make
''proVi.sioi.ia respecting the effect and operation of any
"such increase or diminution, or alteration oflVrri-
*' torv in relation to any Piovince affected there-
"by."

(•").) "The following Acts passed by the said Par-
" liament of Canada, and entitled respectively, ' An
" Act for the Temporary Government of Rupert's
" Land and the North-west Territory, when united
" with Canada,' and ' an Act to amend and continue
"the Act 32 and 33 Victoria, Chap. 3, and to es-
" tablish and provide for the Government of the
" Province of Manitoba,' shall be deemed to have
"been valid and effectual for, all purposes whatsoever,
41 from the date at which they respectively received

74

"the assent, in tl)e Queen's name, of the Governor-
" General of the said Dominion of Canada."

(<).) " Except, as provided by the third section of
lrthis Act, ir. shall not be competent for the Parlia-
" nient of Canada to alter the provisions of the
"last-mentioned Act of the said Parliament in so
u fir as it relates to the Province of Manitoba, or
"of any other Act hereafter establishing new Pro-
" vinces in the said Dominion, subject always to
" the right of the Legislature of the Province of
" Manitoba, to alter from time to time the provi-
" sions of any law respecting the qualification of
" electors and members of the Legislative Assembly,
" and to make laws respecting elections in the sard
"Province."

I have made this lengthy quotation, in order to
prove that the so-called Act of Manitoba is on the
same footing with the " Act of British North Ame-
rica, 1867," consequently, the Federal Parliament
can alter nothing relative to education, either in
the one or the other of these Acts ; and the Legis-
lature of Manitoba cannot over-ride ihe limits as-
signed to it by the same laws. Let us see at present
whan guarantee the same Acts give to the Catholic
minority of \ he Provinc • of Manitoba, against the
endeavors to deprive it of its separate schools, by
substituting, for the actual laws, a system of' educa-
tion styled : " Non sectarian Public Schools."

We lead as follows in the " British North Amer-
ica Act, 1867":

93. " In and for each Province the Legislatue
"may exclusively make laws in relation to educa-
" tion, subject and according to the following pro-
" visions :

(1.) "Nothing in any such law shall piejudicially
" affect any right or privilege with respect to deno-
"minatiaal schools, which any class of persons have
"by law in the Province at the Union.

(2.) " All the Powers Privileges and Duties at
" the Union, by law conferred and imposed in
" Upper Canada on the Separate Schools and Sehool
" Trustees of the Queen's Roman Catholie subjects,
"shall be and the same are hereby extended to the
" Dissentient Schools of the Queen's Protestant and
" Roman Catholic subjects in Quebec.

1")

(3.) " Where in any Province a system of sep-
" parate or dissentient schools exist by law at til*-
" union, or is thereafter established by the Legis-
" lature of the Province, an .appeal shall lie to the
"Governor-General in Council, from any Act or J)e-
" cision of any Provincial authority affecting any
" right or privilege of the Protestant or Roman Ca-
" tholic Minority of the Queen's subjects in i elation
" to Education."

(4.) "In case any such Provincial law as from
" time to time seem to the Governor-General in
" Council, requisite for the due execution of the
tl provisions of this section is not made, or in any
" case any decision of the Governor- Gem ral in Coun-
"cil, or any appeal under this section is not duly
" executed by the propi r Provincial authority in
"that behalf, then and in every such case, and as far
"only as the circumstances of each case require, the
"Parliament of Canada may make remedial laws for
" the provisions of this section, and of an\ decision
"of the Governor-General in Council under this
" section "

The ordinary power conferred upon the Provin-
cial Legislature by this section (J3, may be lessened
by its four sub-sections, or by some of them, as the
Case may he.

The first sub-section being liable to different in-
terpretations, I agree to take no advantage of it;
and to leave to opponents all they can claim. I will
r.ote\e. mention tlis protection that Catholics c^h
claim under such proviso.

The second sub s> -ction being exclusively for the
Provinces of Ontario and Quebec is, in no way, ap-
plicable to Manitoba, exc pt, perhaps, to aid in con-
vincing the enetni-s of our system of education,
that the House ot Commons in England, the Lords
Sjiiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom,
and our Most Gracious Sovereign Herself are of
opinion that the Provinces of the Canadian confed-
eration, may have separate or dissentient schools,
without impeding the "triumph of the principle of
i ust ice," and without moving too far, " from the
more enlightened spirit of the age," otherwise they
would not have enacted such legislation.

The third sub section suffices, by itself, to baffle

any attempt contrary to the fundamental principles
of the School Law of Manitoba. People may say
what they like, for or against tfte system, but no-
body can deny its existence.

Yes, every one knuv s that a •' system of separate
or dissentient schools exists by law in the Province
of Manitoba, and that all our schools are either
Protestant or Catholic, and such system has been
'■ established by the Legislature of the Province."
This is a right or privilege acquired by the Catholics
and " appeal shall lie tip the Governor-General in
Council trom any Act or decision of any Provii cial
authority affecting any lights or privileges" thus
Conferred by law.

Should an a tempt be made, in violation of this
Imperial Act, no doubt, the Catholics of Manitoba,
members or not, of the Legislative Assembly, and,
helped by the Catholics of the Federal Parliament
and of the Dominion shall lie their appeal, and that
appeal being a right, the Governor General in Coun-
cil, cannot overlook it. It is impossible to elude
this sub-section and, S;ive the case of deplorable and
dangerous blindness, every one should understand
that it is an insuperable barrier, erected by the .Im-
perial Parliament, to stay all efforns, tending to de-
prive the Roman Catholic minority of Hei Majes-
ty's subjects in Manitoba, of the rights or privileges
they enjoy, in relation to education.

The fourth sub-section gives power to the Feder-
al P:fliam« nr, to enact remedial laws, should the
Provincial Legislature neglect to comply with the
decisions of the Governor General, relative to the
appeal above mentioned.

'1 hat shows that the appeal is not an < mpty word,
and that the law shall protect those to whom it
grants a right, and make good the maxim ubi jus ibi
remedium.

'Therefore the British North America. Act," in-
stead of giving to the Provincial Legislutre an un-
limited power in relation to education, confines it
to certain dispositions, and any action contrary to
law, and intended for a Statute would be ultra vires
and consequently null.

\n order to complete conviction on the subject, I
will enquire of the opponents of Cr.tbolic Schools

17

of Manitoba what they would think, what advice
they would give and what action thev would take,
supposing the Catholic majority of Quebec deprive
the Protectant minority ot th«' same Province, of
their Educational Rights or .Privileges.

What noise would result not only in Quebec hut
throughout ihc Dominion and perhaps more in
Manitoba than anywhere rise !

What an amount of reproach and result would
l»e lavished on the Car holies of Quebec! From
every quarter an energetic appeal would go t > the
Governor in Council. Undoubtedly His Excellency
would feel, and WO'.dd in le'ality be bound ro recall
to the Legislature of Quebec, the Dispositions of
Section 93, to prescribe the remedy to such an abuse
of power, and if, after that, the Legislature df Que-
bec did not hasten the enadfiijg of the remedial law,
the Parliament of Canada would not be slow in so
doing, and such would tic its duty.

The Catholic majority of Quebec will never com-
mit such a fault, nor dteani of such an injustice to
the Pro' estant minority, whv then shcmld the Pro-
tectant majority of Manitoba be suspected of hav-
ing such a disposition towards the Catholic minori-
ty in its mfolsti In a eountrv like ours when all ciri-
zens enjoy equal rights, there cannot be two weights
and two measui es.

What the Protestant minority in Quebec is en-
titled to, the Catholic minority of Maniioba is equal-
ly entitled to. W h-'«t would be unjust, sectarian,
illegal and unconstitutional on the pact of the Cath-
olic majority «>f Quebec, is equally unjust, sectari-
an, illegal and Unconstitutional on the part of the
Pi-wtcstant major tv of Manitoba, or lather on the.
part <>f tit »se who wish to />r- pare and excite the ma-
j..ri'y to depart from the path of justice and honor.

Should an\ one be inclined t" think that the
" British North America A<t 1867" applies merely
to the four Provinces origifnaliv united by the said
Act and not at all to the Province of Manitoba,
that wa> es ablished and admitted into the Confed-
eration four • years lat«*r; 1 would invite him to.
peruse th-- second section of the " Manitoba Act"
tliat reads as fbUoWS :

(2.) "On, from and after the said day on which

IS

" the order of the Queen in Council shall take effect
" as aforesaid the provisions of the 'British North
"America Act 18b7'' shall, except these, pai ts there
" of wbvh'h are in terms made, or by reasonable
"intendment may be specially applicable to,
l-or only to affect one or more, the Dornin-
11 ion, and except so tar as the same mav but
"not the whole of i he Province now composing
"be varid by this Act. be applicable to the Province
" of Manitoba, in the same way, and to the like ex-
" tent as they apply to the several Provinces of
" Canada, and as if the Province of Manitoba, had
" been one of the Provinces originally united by
" the said Act.

Do- bthss the above Section is too clear and ex-
plicit to need comment. It of course prevents the
application to Manitoba, of the second sub-clause of
clause 93 of the " British America Act" that refers
exclu-i\ely to Ontario and Quebec; but. on the
other hand, it applies to Manitoba, the other dis-
positions of the *• British North America Act" in
relation to education, and consequently lessens the
power of the L-gislatcre of Manitoba, gives right
of appeal to the minority, binds the Governor Gene-
ral to remedy the evil, and in case of necessity au-
thorizes the Canadian Pariiment to enforce by re-
medial laws the decision of the Governor-General
upon such appeal.

It cannot be objected that the Province of Mani-
toba is not entitled to the dispositions of the " Brit-
ish Nordi America Act," relative to education, be-
cause the Act ol Manitoba enacted subsequently, on
the same subject. Such pretension is quite inad-
missible, it would be equally t» ue to say that the
6th clause of the " Manitoba Act" relative to the
Leutenant-Governor, being identically the same as
the 58th seci ion of the ''British North America
Act," all the dispositions of the latter relative to the
Lieutenant Governors of the different Provin. es, do
not apply to the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitona.

Tl e dispositions of one law cannot annul the dispo-
tions of the other except when contradictory; bntsnch
can not occur when both Acts say the same thing,
or when the one amplifies on the contents of the
other.

19

The relation between the two Acts in question is
as follows : The 93id section of the " British
Nostb America Act" recognizes the j'tower of the
Provincial Legislatures to pass laws relative to edu-
cation, hut subject to the dispositions mentioned
in its mi b sections, and that, I repeat, is the law in
Manitoba as well ;»s in other Provinces, while the
22nd section of the Manitoba Act recognizes to the
Legislature of this Province, the power to pass law
relative to education, but subject to the dispositions
mentioned in its own sub-sections ; and please ob-
j>erve that rhese last dispositions, far from being in
opposition to those of the " British North America
Act," are merely an extension and development of
the same, consequently both Acts concur in grant-
ing protection to the Catholic minority of Manitoba,
and justify the assertion that the minority of the
Prairie Province is better safeguarded than that of
the old Provinces.

The fact is obvious to any one that takes the
trouble to read the 22nd clause of the Manitoba
Act, whil" bearing in mind that the said Act has
all the force of an Imperial Act.

22. " In and for the Province, the said Legisla-
"ture may exclusively make laws in relation to ed-
" ucatioii, subject and according to the following
" provisions :

(1.) " Nothing i;i any such law shall prejudicial-'
" Iv affect any right or privilege with respect to de-
" lioininatioiud schools which any class of persona
"have by law or practice in the Province at the
" Union.

• (2.) " An appeal shall lie to the*Governor-Gen-
" eral in Council from any Act or decision of the
<l Legislature of the Province, or of any provincial
" authority, affecting any flight or Privilege of the
"Prot.stant or Roman Catholic minority of the
" Queen's subjects in relation to Education.

(3) " In case any such Provincial Law as from
" time to time seems to the Governor-General in
*' Council requisite for the due execution of the
" provisions of this section, is not made, or in case
" anv decision of the Governor-General in Council
"on any appeal under this section is not duly ex-
pedited by the pioper Provincial authority in that

20

i execution of the provisions of this section,
any decision* of the Governor-General, in

" behalf, then, and in every such case, and as far

"only as the circumstances of each case require, the

" Parliament of Canada may make remedial laws for

"the 'due

"a ml 'of

" Council under this section. '

In perusing the above section it is easy to ob-
serve its resemblance with the 93rd section of 6he
" British North America Act," What now re-
mains to discern is the different wordings of the
two laws, and then decide if the diff'e eitct tends to
diminish or toamplify, on theguaranteeof protection
given to the minority of Manitoba. The difference
is as follow s :

Act of 187a.

Act of ISGZ.

93. In and for each Pro-
vince the Legislature . . . .

(I ) Nothing in any such
Law shall prejudicially af-
fect, any Bight or Privilege
with respect to henomina-
tional Schools, which any
class of per- on s have by
Law.

(2.) (Only for Ontario and
QueU-c )

(3 ) Where in any Pro-
vince a system of S,' pa rate
or 1 'issentient School ex-
ists iy Law at the Union, or
is thereafter established b>
the Legislature of the Pro-

22. In and for the Pro-
vince the smd Legis ature .

(1.) Nothing in any such
Law shall prejudicially af-
fect any Pight or Privilege
with r.-spect to I) nomi na-
tional Schu »Js. which any
cla-s of persons have bV Law

OR PRACTICE . . .

(2) An aj)peal shall lie to

vince. an appeal shall lie to't»>e Governor General in
the Governor- General m Council f>-r any Act or I)e:
Council from any^Act or De- Icision of the LEGISLATURE
cision of any PROVINCIAL OF. TH" PR»VlNCEOR <) ANY
Authority affecting an# Provi cial Authority af-
Right or Privijege of tiie|f. cting aM\ Ri«;ht ><r Privi-
Protestant or kom.ui • 'atho-jlegi of the Protestant or iio-
In- niiii"rit\ of tin- Queen's man Cat b olio minority of the
subjects in relation to Edu- yuet-n\s subjects in relation
cation. to Education.

(4.) v - . . ! (3.) . . .

Tin-re is not the slightest doiiht that what precede*
proves that the Manitoba Act. amplifies on the pro-
tection granted to tin* imiwrih s bv the Imperial
Act of 1867, instead of diminishing it. By the
law of 18G7 the Le^isla u.e of each Province is
obliged t> safeguard any Right or Privilege with
respect to Denominational Schools which any class

©f, persons liave by law. while, by the Act of 187$
the Legislature of the Province of Manitoba has the
same obligation concerning the rights and privileges
held by law or practice,

. By the Act of 1867 an appeal shall lie bo the
Governor -(ieneral in Council, but solely when a sys*
{em, of separate sch' els eri.st by Imc ; while the
Manitoba Act authorize* the same appeal in any
cane affect'tnti any ritjlit or privilege '-re, i without
a, systew of education previously established by
laic.

Tin- Manitoba Act extending and amplifying 'he
protection, lessens, in the same nioportion, the
power of the Provincial Legislature on the subject.

I am iki; the only one that, views the matter in this
light, but among other testimony in corroboration,
1 could subpitt the appreciation of three important
newspapers of the Province of Ontario, t he k' 'Toronto
J)aily (Ho «•■"'' the ■•(>//,, icn Free Press" ami the
"Hamilton Evening Times"

1. The / oronto Daily Globe. This paper had at
first countenai ced the movement hostile to Denom-
inational Schools of Manitoba., Mature considera-
tion «>f the subject, and sense of justice subsequent-
ly prevailed as it appears in the issue ol 27th
November. 1876., of which I give the following ex-
tract- :

PUBLIC EDUCATION IN MANITOBA.

''We noticed recent lr the movement in Manito-
" ba having for its obiect the reform, or improve-
\* ment of the Public School law of that Province,
''and leteried to the. efforts made in other parts of
'•the Dominion to effect such arrangements as,
" while securing the practicable system of educa-
" tion, are designed to protect the rights and con-
u suit the conscientious scruples of minorities. But
" it. must not be understood from this that in Man-
" itoba, any more than elsewhere, the rights of nii-
" norities can be overridden or ignored.

'•The Local Legislature in ay, of con » se, effect any
" changes in the administration of the school laws
" and not violate existing rights and privileges, but

can do no more than this. The Manitoba Act,
" which is the constitutional charter of the Pro-
fi vince of Manitoba, contains the same provisions.

22

" that are to be found in the British North Ameri-
" ca At-t in regard to the ri^li t s of minoi ities in the
11 other Provinces in this respect.

'• Tlie 22nd section itsely, as well as the sub-sec-'
" tions, adopt literally the text of the British North
"America Act. It may be supposed, however,
" that the Manitoba Act having emanated from Do-'
" minion Parliament and not b< ing, as.was the Brit-
" ish North America Act, a product of the Imperi-
"al Legislation, might be altered or amended by'
" t lie same authority that Originally eVi acted it. But
" this has been provided against by an Imperial!
" Act, 31 and 35 Victoria, Chap. XXVIII, passed
"for the express purpose, a lining other object*', of
'■ giving the Manitoba Act Validity and protecting
"the rights thereby conferred fiom the danger above
" suggested.

"The Parliament of Canada has no power to
"make the smallest change in the terms guaranteed
" by the Manitoba Act ; and that the Local Legis-
" lature can only do so in respect of such matters
"as Mre specially CO h tided to its jurisdiction, of
"which as the quotation we have given fiom the
" 22nd section shows, the right of minorities as ex-
" istent at the tune Of the union is not one.''

2. " The Ottawa Free, J'ress." Tin* journal of
the Capital before perusing the above article of the
Globe and under the unfavorable impression caused
by another issue of tin- same organ, wrote as follows
on the 1st o December, 1876 :

SEPARATE SCHOOLS IN MANITOBA.

"A discussion is going on in the Province of
" Manitoba just now on 'he subject of the school sys-
" tern of that Province. The agitation which is now
"sought to be raided, apparently more by the Toron-
"to Globe than by the people of tlej Prairie Province,
"looks ostensibly to the fo. lowing objects, \iz: the
"abolition of the present Board of Education and the
"estaolishue nt of a non-sectarian system, compulsory
"use of English text books in the schools, all public
■" schools to be subject to the same r gnlatioDS ; the
"appointment of inspectors; establishment of a
" training school for teachers, and a new. plan for
"the allotment of school moneys. This moans, in short,
" the total abolition of separate school system and

23

" considering the nature of* the subject, and the de-
" lieate character of the interests affected, it appears
" to us that it would lie the wiser course ion the part
"of our "Toronto contemp -rary to have, the agita-
" tion to those more immediately interested.

" Tiie only p ).ssible result can be to stir up sec-
" tarian strife and heart burning's such us unhappily
" prevail in New Brunswick, and which are most
"undesirable elements to introduce in a young and
" growing community comprising mixed population,
" both as to language and religion.

'•it is an agitation that could not tail to he attend
"ed with a considerable degree of asperity, trenching
'•upon dangerous ground, which it would be well to
" avoid and which it is no part of the people
" or journals in this part of the Dominion to
" assist in bringing about.

"The discussion is more injudicious, as there is
" no possisible means of attaining the object sought
" professedly by this agitation. The Manitoba Act
" under whose authority separate schools exist in
"that, Provinc-, and which forms a portion of the
" constitution of the coyutry. Was bv Imperial Act
"established beyond the power of the Parliament
" of the Dominion or Legislature of the Province to
" alter.

" Separate schools in Manitoba can only be dis-
" established by the Act of the Catholic b >dy itself,
"ami we may rest assurer!, from the well-known
"policy ot that denomination, that such action will
"never be intiated by them. Under all these cir-
" cumstiances, as we have pointed cut before, the ag-
" it at ion of the subject and especially irs agitation
"irmi outside the Province can lead to no result so
" far as its professed object is concerned, while it
" may be productive of very undesirable results, by
"stirring up sectarian strife, discord, producing ir-
"litation and creating heartburnings and animosi-
"ties which would disturb the harmony and might
"seriously injure the welfare of the FiVvince."

3. The Hamilton Kvenyng Times. Tne above ar-
ticle of the '■•Free i^'ress, and that of the Globe
which it combats, suggested the fallowing remarks
which I read in the Hamdtou Evening Times of
the 9th Dec. 1876:

24

"The Globe is urging that the schools rn Manifco*-

* ba should he made lie i sectarian, while the Ottawa

* Free Press shows very clearly that it is Impossible
K tlmt they wouM be s ,i:le withoit Imp-rial

* Legislation. Manitoba hasr 'if anything a'strong-
" er Imperial guarantee for the continuance of its
"sepuate schools tJun the older Provinces, so that
" the discussion in Mumooa of the question raised*
" bv the UJobe can only do mischief without any
" possibility of good results of any kind arising, The
" example of Ontario proves that it would be a good
"thing if all the Provinces had separate schools, and
'•and it is most certainly *n uniuiii Jed e\ ll to raise
1 ail agita ion to tak^ them from Provinces that al-
'• ready have them, more especially, if those who
*' agitate for this cm only have the agitation for
*' their pains/'

The thive above journals, together with many
others, some of which, although hostile'. to separate
schools, are of my opinion that the establishment
in Manitoba, of a system of education opposed to
that now existing, is impossible.

The antagonists of ill ■ Catholic schools of our
Province feel encouraged in their endeavours' to
overthrow them, because i he ''Common School Act,
1871," of New Brunswick was not disallowed, ard
that, ms yet, the catholics of that Province have to
abide bv it Evidently, prejudice blindfolds, other-
wise it is impossible not to Bee the < s-ential d rf* r-
ence between the position of the Catholies of Mani-
toba, in 1877, and that of theii co-reli<*ionisis of
New Brunswick in 1871. All the 'arguments em-
ployed against the Catlmlics of New Bruhswick
and the legal opinions adverse to ih in. may be re-
sumed ms follows : the la to having confer red no right
or privilege to the Catholics before or after the union.,
the// do not enjoy that of Appeal, consequently the
Legislature of Xew Brunswick ht>s an open field for
legislation on education.

Even with the supposition that this opinion be
correct, who can fail to discover (hat it is impos-
sible to apply »t to Manitoba, the position being en-
tirely different.

New Brunswick had no law establishing. separate
schools, while, on the contrary, Manitoba has laws

25

establishing them. The privileges enjoyed by the
Catholics of New Brunswick were hot conferred
by law ; in Manitoba it is the law thai confers on
Catholics the rights and privileges they enjoy. The
subjections of section 93 having no application in
New Brunswick, the Imperial Act did not in any
wav restrict the powers of the Legislature of that
Province in the enactment of its educational laws,
nor grant to the minority the right of Appeal, while
the 3rd and 4th subsections having their entire ap-
plication in Manitoba, the Imperial Act lessens, in
as much, the power of the Local Legislature and con-
fers the right of Appeal. In a word, as lonu as
yes will not mean no and no mean yes, the argu-
ments brought against the Catholics of New Bruns-
wick have ad their force ito favor of the Catholics
of Manitoba; and that, let it be remembered, even
without considering anything else than the British
N«»ith \merica At, and adopting the interpreta-
tion of the same Act, as given by. those who placed
the Catholics < if New Brunswick in the situation
they so relu«ctanly undergo.

The impossibility to abolish separate schools in
Manitoba, becomes still more apparent when, after
examining the Act of 1867, we ie consider tliat of
1870. By the latter, which is that of Manitoba,
it is not necessa y. as already shown, that the rights
or- privileges enjoyed by the minority be conferred
by the law; it siilHces that they be so by practice.
Tlii- last word alone, had it been found in the Act
of 1867. would have saieguaided the Catholics of
New Brttnsw ck.

By the Act of 1870. the ri-ht of Appeal is not,
as in the Act of 1867, sufrj^et to the condition of the
pn-' xistmce of a syst m of separate or dissentient
txhools established oy raw. No. by the Act o*' 1870,
there is ulitfuys rooinfr Appeal; from any viola' ion
of right, rt en without the pie-esla'dishmei/t by law
of o system of Denotniiiatio at schools ; for it must

1 hservrd thai, the clanse do<-s not determine

what must l-e tue origin of su ;h r ght; it. suffices that
tiit v have i e J-., and are, enjoyed either by law, by
practice, by treaties or in any way whatsoever.

Without having ever been in the councils of those
who diew up the law of 1870, it is easy to see why

26

the same Act in its section 22 repeats, while modi-
fying it, the section 93 of the Act of 1867. The
storm that broke out in New Brunswick in 1871
had already had its forebodings the year before.
The iramers of the Confederation noticed that they
had involuntarily left an ou.ission in the law of
1867, relative to education; and in order not expose
the Province of Manitoba to the difficulties they
foresaw, but too late, for New Brunswick, they re-
solved to complete the Act of 1867 by that of 1870.
This explains how the two Acts differ while resemb-
ling each other.

Whatever may have been the motive ot this dou-
ble legislation on the same subject, both Acts exist;
they both safeguard the minority, and come to par-
alyze any effort made to deprive it of its acquired
rights.

I had just finished what precedes when I receiy;
ed the " Daily Free Press' ot the 19th January,
1877, in which I find that the Protestant section of
the Board of Education had assembled on the eve
at Winnipeg, and that an Executive Committee of
the same had submitted the draft of a bill, which
they were instructed to prepare bj a resolution
passed Oct. 14th, last.

In November, 1876, the "Toronto Globe" had al-
ready disclosed the mystery, and made known to
the public in Ontario what had been withheld from
the public in Manitoba, notwithstanding the pecu-
liar interest the latter should take in transactions
that concern themselves alone.

The measure proposed and now published by the
Protestant Section ot the Board of education is. as
it appears, based on nine points of which the two
principal are, "The establishment of a purely noii-
Bectarian system of public schools," and " the aboli-
tion of the Board of Education it. its present sec-
tional character, and the appointment of a new
Board without sections."

In the pieceding pages I have opposed the scheme
in question, but I must conf« ss that I opposed it
without being either able or willing to believe that
it had been formed oy a Board including men of

27

learning, high standing in society and deservedly
enjoying respect and esteem. I did not think that
a plan bearing such a taint of illegality could lie
the fact of a Board established by the law and act-
ing officially in its name.

The few oetails furnished by the press concern-
ing the meeting of the 19th hist., have a signifi-
cance that will escape no one.

The Protestant section of the Board is composed
of twelve members, only Hie were present, and «»ne
of them could not refrain from observing that he
" considered the presence of only five members
when so imn ortant a matter wis to came into con-
sideration as very discouraging."

" The Reverend President and the Reverend
Secretary expressed a doubt as to the policy of dis
cussing the proposed measure when there was only
a btre quorum of the Board present."

Another Reverend member " expressed his per-
son d views as strongly oppose*! to the teaching of
religion iti the public schools," while a lay member
favored the inculcation in the public schouls of fun-
damental religious principles."

As it often occurs e pltiribus unum " it was final-
" ly resolved that the Board adjourn till Friday, the
" 2nd prox , at 2 p.m , and that the draft of the
u proposed bill be revised and printed, and copies
" sent to the Members before that date."

The above meeting, and the circumstances that
characterize it, fur nish abundant matter for com-
ment, and such will certainly be given later-. For
my part, I must just now, keep within the bounds
of the legal question. I am quite convinced, and I
think I have proved, that the law is contrary to the
proposed change, and [ have not the slightest
doubt that the Legislative and Executive authori-
ties whose combined action is requisite to the pas-
sage and enforcements of our statutes, will Stand to
their duty, repulse the injustice that threatens the
minority and not suffer such a stain to soil the his-
tory of our Province.

1 shall only add a few words to explain the rea-
son of my extreme surprise, on seeing that the Pro-
testant section not only ask for a thing illegal
in itself, but, moreover, asked for it in a manner

28

contrary to the spirit of our Provincial statutes and
implicitly condemned thereby.

Our Provincial laws create a General Board of
Eud cation and invest it with power to make such
regulations as it may think proper for tile general
organization of schools. Tins Board lias conse-
quently the duty to consider the general interest of
education, and is composed of twenty-one members,
twelve Protestants, and nine Catholic*,

The same Provincial law requires that the Gene-
ral Board shall resolve itself into two Sectional
Boards or committees, the one composed of the Pro-
testant, and the other of the Catholic members, of the
said General Board, and that to eacli of those re-
pectively be refem d the administration of the schools
belonging, to the section.

The sectional Boards have consequently the duty
to coi sider the particular interest and mamtyement
of the schools of their respective denominations.

The General Board* may perhaps be styled a Fed-
eral Senate of Education and the sectional Boards
are the executive* committees of their respective
sections. This is not at all unusual, and is exem-
plified in numerous organizations, anionyj others in
the case of certain universities that have their Sen-
ate, and besides that, distinct Facilities enjoying
complete independence among themselves, ai d
even with regard to their Semite except in matters
concerning the general organization.

I fail to become convinced that it needs an un-
usual amount of intelligence to detect the difference,
that exists betveen tfye dunes of the General Board
and those of the Sectional Boaids no more than
that it needs an extraordinary amount of good will
to allow these different Boards to act side by side
without encroach ui£i it or uneasiness.

One must have never studied our law of educa-
tion, or else faintly endeavored to facilitate its op-
eration, t » say that : '• under the present law we
have virtually two systems covering the same
ground, which are both impraeticetl and ineffici-
ent."

We have but one s;/ stem of education, which like
all other organizations, at the while, Legislative
and administrative, cmnpi ehends different ramiii-

•'

29

cations, that is to say ; the General Board, Sectional
Boards, the Superintendents, the Board of Trustees.
&c. &c. As many distinct branches graftal on the
«ame tree, the Law, whence they derive the sap
that imparts them life and maintains their strength
and vigor, provided each branch remain in its own,
place. Unfortunately, the last condition was dune
away with, in the Oi currence I take objection to.

What was considered in the meetiug of the 19th
inst , is undoubtedly a question of general interest
in education, therefore according to the snirit and
even to the letter of law, becomes the province of
our General Board. To treat such question of
general interest in a Sectional Board is to make lit-
tle of it, and to reduce it to the proportion of a de-
nominational oi rather of a Sectarian object.

Since members of the Board of Education thought
proper to agitate a question of such magnitude and
universal interest, why did they not bring it before
the General Board 1

Would it be, penhance, that feeling the proposed
change to be so offensive to Catholics it was thought
more advisable to work underhand, and to not even
mention the object in view to the nine Catholic
mem l»ers of the board ?

If, on the contrary, the intended scheme was sup-
ported by good and solid reasons, its authors should
have been glad to make it known to their Catholic
colh-agues. Reason is always at home among sen-
sible people. Who knows but that the Catholics
themselves might have something reasonable to say
on the subject '■ It is with the strike of ideas, as
with that of flints ; it may give light, and such light
as may sometimes modify opinions. This was the
case with the Toronto Globe m the month of Nov-
ember, when, after expressing its views in favor of
the plan, soon after ueclaied that the same was an
impossibility.

It was considered, with reason, as " very discour-
aging that so important a matter" should be refer-
red to the tribunal of ''five" Judges, that had no
right to decide officially on the matter. A little
More dissuasion might have brought light, certainly
not prejudicial to the subject.

Still more, Protestants have the majority in the

ro

Board ; even with the supposition, although such'
seems impossible, that they had no good reasons in
support of their views, or that the Catholics had
none to oppose to them ; or, what is better still,
that the convictions on both sides are so firm that
it would be useless to atcempt to modify them, the
advantage was still siding with the number- ; and
as twelve exceed nine, if the twelve be as unani-
mous as the nine, they would have carried the mea-
sure in the General Board.

Had the whole transaction been conducted in
that way, the measure would appear to me equally
illegal in itself; but I could not, and I would nob
blame the mode of action. It would be simply a re-
gular aathordii acting officially in matters of its
ordinary competence, aud in the marine)' provided
by the law.

Unfortunately, quite the reverse took place, one
section only was invited to meet ; some of its mem-
bers answered the call ; others abstained, and there,
under the pretence and the name of an official position
five gentlemen examined and decided on a question
not belonging to them as a body, though they may-
claim the right to examine it as individuals, and
they decided, in the name of the Board, that the
endeavor must be made to crush the Catholic sec-
tion. Instead of busying themselves, about and for
themselves, as to the changes that might satisfy those
that are said to be dissatisfied with the actual man*
agement of their schools, why do they endeavor to
throw on the Catholic seetion the responsibility
that does not belong to it, and that, in matters which
by the actual law, are beyond its control 1

What a queer idea to fancy that all that is said
against the administration of schools will he stopped
by pronouncing against the Catholic section the
famous sentence : " Let it be destroyed /" " Delenda
est Carthago.*'

It is with words as with drums, the emptiest are
the most sonorous, and vice versa. Reform is spo-
ken of, and with that bitj, very big word, it is
thought that the population is to be startled, that
the Members of the Legislature will be influenced
by the fear of losing their seats at the next general
election ; and with the aid of the stratagem, per-

31

sonal views and secret animosities are expected to
prevail against Catholics. Evidently, this last re-
sult, though not professedly, is, in reality, the sole
object in view.

In the name of law and of justice, let me be
permitted to make an appeal to the good sense of
the Protestant population and to tin? Members that
represent it in the Legislative Assembly, to beg
of them not to forget that the section of the Board
that exclusively governs their schools, has the right
to do by itself, and for them, all that is necessary
for their good administration, and that the re-
form spoken of is merely in view to injure Catholic
schools. The new scheme affords no new facility
Jor the success of Protestant schools, while it would
largely impede that of the Catholic schools. Above
all, the s -heme that is intended is illegal in its"lf,
and in the manner it has been prepared by the
Sactional Board.

I say the Sectional Board, notwithstanding my
convictions that theie aie men in that Board wor-
thy of my respect, and animated with such broad
views that they would not wilfully mingle in a
manoeuvre so narrow and unworthy of them.

32

SECOND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NON-SECTARIAI*

SHHOOLS FROM A RELIGIOUS POINT OF VIEW.

In the foregoing article is shown that the pro-
ject of replacing- the actual school law in Manitoba
by another system was a project illegal and uncon-
stitutional. The task assumed was not a difficult
one, the Constitution is so explicit on the point that
its attentive perusal suffices to conviuce of the ille-
gality of the proposed scheme.

I now come to the second part of my thesis and
examine the |>lan from a religions standpoint.
Here again I have no hesitation in affirming, that [
am not in sympathy with the socalled system of
" Non Sectarian Public School-," and my reason is,
because the system is essentially anti-religious and
anti-christian.

I beg of the reader not to become over-excit.ed at
the announcement of a few reflections on a subject
so deli'-ate and on widen it is so easy to arouse the
susceptibilities of those who differ with us in opin-
ion. My intention is not to enter upon irritating
Controversy. Far from me the slightest desire to
offend any one ; what I wish is, to draw attention
to a question deserving the most serious co> sidera-
tion of all the religious denominations that compose
our population.

No doubt theology plays a part here, for the sub-
lime science embraces not only all that relates to>
the supernatural but. as Wrll, all the duties of man,
ami viewed in this light, is the resort of all, and I
may say is relished by all those that form the popu-
lation, I now address. Canadians being a religious
people can hear mention made of duty >wtbout tak-
ing oMense and will not find fault with a well-wish-
er coming forwaid to point out, with resj>eet and
affectionate interest, ihe dangers towards which the
present generation is ushered. All our people
comprehend the necessity of knowing God, of loving

33

him and serving him. All are well aware that
there alone can be found the securities needed by
society and the pledge of final happiness that indi-
viduals aspire to.

At ease on this wide and firm platform, I freely
repeat, the System of n on Sectarian Schools is a sys-
tem essentially anti-religious and one that must
needs be repugnant to the conscience of every chris-
tian. In proof of what I advance I will say : 1st,
That the system disguises its tendencies and deceives
by assuming a name that does not define it proper-
ly ; 2nd, That it is impossible with us ; 3rd, That
were it possible/ it is not desirable ; 4th, That the
system is not desired.

1st, The name given to the "non-Sectarian system"
is inaccurate and does not convey an exact idea of
what the system really is ; a name that discloses
neither the origin, the principles, the tendencies nor
the result of the system.

The abuse made q£ words is astonishing. They
as well as language were intended for man to ex
press their ideas, but how often does it not occui
that the use of a word — entirely void of the sense
given it and having in reality quite a different
meaning — deeeives the unguarded and leads them
in a direction they would otherwise carefullv avoid.
Thus in the name of religion men have often been
spurred on to the greatest crimes ; in the name of
liberty, the utmost subjection has been imposed ; in
the name of protection slavery has been proclaimed ;
in the name of justice acts of the most crying injus-
tice have ceen perpetrated ; in the name of equal
rights, the most rediculous and the most contradic-*
tory distinctions have been established. In like
manner, under the protection of the word " non sec-
tarian-" sectaries arises, sectarian in the widest
sense of the word, sectarian not only in their en-
deavors to maintain their own principles, but ex-
tending their sectarianism to the degree of forcing
others to submit to their plan, and even of making
them pay for its diffusion. Thus in fact sectarian-
ism is the consequence of a system of education pre-
tended to have been established purposely to do
away with sectarianism.

34

It is unfair and injudicious to play with words,
especially when the same words tend to mislead the
public mind, to deceive a great uumber of those act-
ing in good faith and with the most sincere inten-
tions, and to serve the designs of others not equally
upright.

The mere mention of Sectarianism, Sectarian In-
stitutions or Schools often suffices to excite mistrust
and disturd even honest minds, it even dictates the
most unjust and arbitrary measures that in such
circumstances, easily obtain assent. While, on the
oth^r hand, for many, it is enough to hear the word
" non-Sectarian System," to relieve and convince
them that there is perfection, and that every one
should be takei> with enthusiasm for a system inju-
rious to no one. Amidst such a confusion of ideas
provoked by misrepresentation and abuse of words,
it is easy to overlook what should be done and what
should be avoided.

I say that the word " non-aec( arian " applied to
the system in question is necessarily deceptive and
the ground of my assertion is quite simple : The
system is the doctrine, or, if you like the word bet-
ter, the opinion of persons united in the same con-
viction and consequently opposed to the opinion
or doctrine of other persons differing with them.

The system is therefore sectarian, for it is the
teaching of a class and opposed to the system advo-
cated by other classes of individuals. It is well
known that the word sect comes from the latin secta
and the latter derives from the verb seco to cut off,
# separate. Well, now, I ask, if, perchance, those
i who speak of establishing their socalled " non-sec-
tarian " system, do not separate from those that re-
ject it. Is it not their aim to have opinions pre-
vail, opposed to their adversaries 1 Do they not
assume that they are in the right, and that their
views ought to be endorsed 1 Is not all this Secta-
rian ?

A system, to be non-sectarian, would have to be
neither in conformity with nor opposed to any sect
whatsoever. Every one, it is true, discovers secta-
rianism in a teaching in conformance with the doc-
trin of a teaching body ; it should be equally evi-

35

■dent to all that Sectarianism prevails in the Body
that opposes the teachings of another. If I am
looked upon by my neighbor as Sectarian because I
maintain my own convictions, my neighbor becomes
equally sectarian in my eyes, the moment he oppo-
ses them. If I am Sectarian, because I say a child
should be taught " there is a God," you are equally
Sectarian if you deny chat a child should be taught
" there is a God." If I am Sectarian while affirm-
ing that the divinity of Jesus Christ should be con,
fessed in schools, you are at least equally Sectarian-
if you maintain that such teaching should be avoid-
ed"

A number of individuals united in the same be-
lief form a sect and while one disowns the convic-
tions of other s it aims solely at the establishment of
its own. Others differ with us only because we
wish to differ from them.

The exclusion of all religious teaching does not
prevent a school system from being sectarian.
Every one knows of the sxistence of a sect whose
fundamental principle is to abolish and abstain trom
all religious teaching. The same sect has its teach-
ers, its 'tribunes, its journals, its adepts, and, in fact
its entire organization. If you do away with relig-
ious instruction in schools, you may indeed make
them neither Catholic nor Protestant but for all that
you would not make them " non- sectarian " because,
while rejecting every other doctrine, you would
adopt that of the sect that rejects the teachings of
any religion. While there is divergency of opinion
a " non-sectarian " system cannot exist, because the
training of children according to the views of some
would be disapproved of by others. One sect is put
aside merely to adopt another.

John C. Spencer, Secretary of State and Super-
intendent of Schools in the United States, made a
report to the Legislature of New York, in which
I read the following paragraph which comes per-
fectly to my subject: — " To the plan' (Denomina-
tional Schools") objections have been made "that
" it would enable different religious denominations
" to establish schools of a Sectarian character, and
" that thereby religious dissensions would be aggra-
" vated, if not generated. The objettion itself pro-

36

* ceeds on a sectarian principle and assumes the
" power to control that which is neither right nor
" practicable to subject to any denomination."

"It is believed to be an error ta suppose that the
" absence of all religious instruction, if it were prac-
" ticable, is a mode of avoiding sectarianism. On
1 ' the contrary it would be in itself sectarian, because
" it would be consonant to the views of a particular
" class and opposed to the opinions of other classes.
"Those who reject creeds and resist all efforts to
" infuse them into the minds of the young before
" thev have arrived at the maturity ot judgment
" which omy enable them to form their own opin-
" ions would be gratified by a system which so fully
" accomplishes their purposes. But there are those
" who hold contrary opinions, and who insist on
" guarding the young against the influence of their
" own passions, and the contagion of vice by im-
"■ planting in their minds and hearts those elements
" of faith which are held by this class to be the in-
" dispensable foundation of moral principles. This
" description of persons regard neutrality and in-
" difference as the most insidious form of hostility.
"It is not the business of the undersigned to ex-
" press an opinion on the merits of those views. His
" only purpose is to show the mistake of those ^vho
" suppose they may avoid sectarianism by avoiding
" all religious instruction."

Even the non-Sectarian system had no other
affinity save that which every one can discover with
the sectarianism of no religion, it would be sufficient
to show how inconsistent it is with the appellation
given it.

Of all the aberrations of the huma» mind, the
most deplorable and the most degrading is 'hat of
the foolish sect which hath said in its heart, " There
is no God," and it is to the schools of such a sect
that we would be compelled to send our children !
and to settle parent's minds, they are told, " Our
Schools are non-Sectarian"

Truly if such sectarianism were the only reason
that renders the system inconsistent with its name,
it is obvious that it would not have so many adepts,
because any man calling himself a christian, would

37

?spurn at a plan of education that is a constant ne-
•gation of God and of His Christ, a system so per-
nicious to the little ones so dear to the Divine
Saviour, and of whom he said, " Suffer the little
•children, and forbid them not to come to me," and
exposing the same children to incur the very sug-
gestive sentence of the Son of God, " He that is not
with me is against me • and he that gathereth not
with mescattereth."

It is evident that the sectarianism of no religion
is not the only one concealed under the qualifica-
tion of " non-sectarian" given to schools that would
be forced upon us. No, they who advocate the
system have other views, they are, I hope, too much
of fathers to wish their children to be brought up as
infidels, without God, without faith, without re-
ligion. It needs very little perspicacity to detect
the aim of certain upholders of the scheme, and to
become convinced of their inmost thoughts. Some
of them have had the courage to openly make
known their aspirations.

A Reverend Doctor Clark of Albany, in a pam-
phlet that received the endorsement and approval
of a great number of distinguished members of
different Evangelical Denominations, who take an
active part in the direction of the non-sectarian or
common schools of th# United States, the Rev. Dr.
Clark says : "It has been a matter of congratula-
" tion in years past on the part of many Protestants
"that so many Roman Catholics are coming to this
" country, that they might be brought thereby un-
"der evangelical influence, and the most effectual
'* agency in this work is our admirable Public School
System."

Here lies the secret of the zeal displayed for the
establish ment of "non-sectarian schools" and the
proof of the inaccuracy of the qualification given
to the system. If instead of "non-Sectarian" peo-
ple said " non-Catholic" it would be truer and call-
ing things by the right name.

Persons versed in this matter know the words of
the Rev. Nicholas Murray, a Presbyterian clergy-
man, spoken at a meeting in New York, to the
effect that " while it was useless for the Protestants
" to trouble themselves about the conversion of the

38

V adult emigrant Catholics, between the two stones of
" the mill the Bible and the Common Schools, they
"would grind Catholicity out of their children."

As for one of " the two stones of the mill" the
Holy Bible, Catholics do not fear it • on the con
trary, they revere and love it because it is true in
fact and in name. It is the Biblion, the Book
par excellence : it is the stone of the first water, the
water that flows from the fountain of Eternal Truth.
It is the Word of God in whose love Catholics wish
their children to be taught in school. No, the ines-
timable gem of the Bible will never "grind Catholi-
city out of the hearts of children." The stone is as
smooth as it is true.

Such is not the case with the other " stone of the
mill," non-sectarian schools, they are the grinding
agency, because they are as rough as their name is
Jalse, and the system hurtful throughout. Such
agency will necessarily shake the convictions of the
children, because the whole plan under the cover of
" non-sectarianism" is " the most insiduous form of
hostility." .

The falsity of the qualification given to the sys-
tem becomes still clearer when we come to consider
that its supporters not only select it for themselves
but would force it upon others whether they choose
it or not. Hundreds, thousands, millions of men
unite in an opinion with regard to the education of
their children. They say to the partisans of " non-
sectarian schools :" We cannot approve your sys-
tem, keep it for yourselves and for those under
your control, we want liberty to educate our dear
little ones. Since you boast of being "non-sectar-
ian" be consistent with yourself and allow others
to choose what they like better.

No, reply the upholders of the proposed plan,
we call our schools " non-sectarian" that suffices,
and " the plea of conscience urged against non-sect-
arian schools is fallacious." We are determined to
have ®ii.r own way. If you do accept it we shall
create agitation ; we shall arouse fanaticism ; we
shall raise a cry against sectarianism ; then we shall
come to the polls, and if a majority even of one side
with us you shall abide by the law that annoys you.
We shall be your masters, and we shall teach what-

39

ever we think proper. We shall' force you to give
us your children to he taught — not according to
your views — but according to the programme de-
termined by our sect. One vote in our favor, and
your children no longer belong to you, but they be-
long to us for we are the State. So much the bet-
ter for us if you are not pleased, we will have all
the Government Grant for ourselves, we will have
for the benefit of our own children, all the school
assesments on your real and personal property. If
all this does not ease your conscientious scruples,
build school houses of your own. But mind, we
will assess them, it will be so much added to your
school taxation, in favor of our children, because our
schools are "non-sectarian."

Such language sounds more like a dream than a
reality, and seems impossible in a country where
religious liberty is proclaimed for all ; nevertheless,
it is the sad story of the countries in which prevails
the system so disingeniously called " non-sectarian." k
Such is the lot reserved by that arch-sectarianism;
for those who rely on the right of thinking other-
wise, and comply with the obligation to follow the
dictates of a conscience which does not agree with
the views of the non-sectarian " schoolism" sect.

In order not to appear a prey to a delusion I
will cite proofs in figures :

It is in the United States that the so-called
"non-sectarian" system spread the most widely.
So it is there that it is easier to judge how far it
stands to its name, and if, in reality, the system is
such as to inspire confidence in all.

There are in the United States about 6,200,000
Catholics, having the same claim as others to citi-
zenship ; who pay their taxes, and moreover the
school assessments ; who, consequently, bear all the
charge imposed on their fellow-citizens. Well,
strange to say, the system is so sectarian that
Catholics cannot be benefitted by it. While con-
tributing largely for the erection of magrificent
public schools ; for providing the most complete
apparatus and largely paid teachers, the same Ca-
tholics cannot help thinking and saving : That's
the Institution where they wish '; to grind Cato-
licity" from the hearts of our " children." We are

40*

forced to give them our money and we have done*
so, but we cannot give away the faith of our fathers
and the souls of our children, and we will not give
them. Notwithstanding the injustice and the hard-
ship we will build another school. And, .side by
side with the grand public school — partly supported
by them — the Catholics have gone to work and
built other schools, where their children receive
sectarian instruction if you like, but, at all events,
sectarian according to the wish and the choice of
parents ; and that to avoid the sectarianism of no
religion and the other forms of sectarianism taught
in the " non-sectarian schools. There are, just
now, over 500,000 children in the Catholic schools
of the United States, whose parents have to bear
the burden of double school expense.

I beg of the reader to consider with attention
the following passages taken from a public lecture
delivered on the 8th December, 1871, by the Right
Rev. B. J. McQuaid, D.D., in his episcopal city of
Rochester :

" Catholics have put forth their strength in be-
" half of their poor children. These need religion
" and all its helps in the church and at the iire-
" side, but still more in the school which is the child's
" church.

" There are at the present time not far from
" 100,000 Catholic children in the Christian Free
" schools of the State of New York, and there are
" over 4,000 children in the Catholic schools of
" Rochester. These children are the children of the
" people ; among them are children whose fathers'
" bones lie bleacking on the battlefields of the late
" war. Among them are many whose mothers'
" little earnings can ill be spared from the family's
" support.

" A plan or system of schools which in one State
" alone excludes one hundred thousand children of
" the very classes in whose behalf Free schools are
" supposed to be maintained, cannot be said to be a
" success. Schools that are carried on upon a basis
" so truly defective as those in this city or Roches-
" ter, which are able to gather within their walls
" no more than ti /e thousand five hundred children
" in daily average attendance, whilst a porion of its

41

" citizens, who are unwilling to separate religion
" from education, can show an average daily atten-
" dance of 4,000 in special schools of their own,
" can scarcely be called common schools for all.

" It is, we know well, the system which the ma-
" jority of our fellow-citizens have adopted, but we
" have yet to learn that majorities, even if all-
" powerful, are infallible, or that minorities have
" no rights, or that a system that falls back in its
" ultimate defence, when logic, sound sense and
" fair play have stormed all its positions, on the
" mere power of numbers, is a system that can, or
" that deserves to be permanent."

After dwelling lengthily on the subject, the elo-
quent Prelate, resumes as follows :

" After what you have heard from me this even-
" ing, many may be anxious to know what do those
" Catholics really mean, and what is it thev want.
" What are their views upon this great subject of
" education 1 In the first place, we are in favor
" of education for the people. We are in favor
" of the most general system of education that can
" be devised. We favor a system that will bring
" in all the children of the State. But we do not
" favor a system that gives them a defective, inju-
" rious, poisonous education. Hence, since under
" the present system formed by the State we can-
" not take our stand upon the platform with our
" fellow-citizens, we retire to one of our own. We
" build school-houses and establish schools. I think
" that here, in the city of Rochester, rue need not
"fear comparison with the public school-houses of
" the city. Here are the two school-houses of St.
" Joseph's, the largest school-honses in the city ;
" the school house of the cathedral on Frank street;
" the very large and beautiful school-house of St.
" Peter's congregation ; and the not so large but
" more beautiful school -house of the Immaculate
" Conception. We build school-houses, large, spa-
" cious, roomy, well ventilated, well provided with
" all the appliances for inifmrting instruction. We
" supply teachers and books. And I would not
" fear, although in these schools religion holds the
" first place, like a beautiful goddess presiding over
" all, I would not fear to bring out the children of

42

* all these schools and place them side by side with
" the children of any other schools in the city for
" examination in those secular branches which we
" are told are so valuable. We know their value.
" And while these branches are studied in our
" schools, we wish to bring in the beautiful hand-
" maid of religion to help the child and improve its
" mind, to mould its young heart, and to draw the
" mind and heart to God. Our cchools furnish the
" children all the other schools do, and furnishing
" this education, doing the very thing for which the
"State collects taxes and supports schools, we ask,
" and rightly and justly we ask, why is it that the
" money must all go in one direction and none of
" it come where so many of the children are to be
" found receiving the education the State means
" they shall have, and receiving at the same time

" THAT INTERDICTING THING CALLED RELIGION ?

" But while we claim these rights for ourselves
" we are equally strong in our convictions that the
" same rights belong to others. That whilst we
" bring religion into our schools and mean always
" to have religion there, we say to our non-Catholic
" fellow-citizens, bring into your schools whatever
" of religion you have, bring in prayer and religi-
" ous singing and Bible reading. These means of
" good you hold as sacred and precious; we would
"much prefer good Protestants of any kind to in-
" tidels and deniers of all revelation. "We thank
" God for any and all truth wherever we find it.
" Jf but the beginning of truth to-day, we pray God
" that this small beginning of truth may grow into
" the fullness of all truth."

It is a fact somewhat worthy of attention that in
the city of Rochester, State of New York, there
were in 1871 over 4,000 children in the Catholic
schools, and that the parents of these children be-
sides building and supporting the only schools to
which they could send their children, had to furnish
their full share for the erection and support of the
so called "non-sectarian" schools for the instruction!
of 5,500 children of non-Catholic parents. No won-
der that, under such circumstances, Catholics are
" touchy" on the u non-sectarian school system."

Leaving the neighboring Republic, and coming

43

home to our dear Dominion, we find proofs of the
falsity of the name given to the same mode of edu-
cating.

According to the census of 1871, New Bruns-
wick had a population of 285,594, of which 96,016
were Catholics, that is to say they formed a little
more than one third of the whole population ; and
that third was deprived of all held sacred and dear
in their schools and compelled to bear all amount
and any kind of sectarianism it might please the
other two thirds to impose upon them. The Ca-
nadian Parliament felt the injuctice and — notwith-
standing its large Protestant majority — remonstra-
ted with the Executive of New Brunswick, but to
no avail. Sectarianism is in the hearts, the law
and the schools of the two thirds and the Catholics
must abide by the consequences. In a locality of
the same Province the Catholic population was
3,032 whilst the non-Catholic numbered only 79.
Well, the " non- sectarian" law passed by the two
thirds against the one third, is such that 3,032
Catholics were left at the mercy of the 79 non-
Catholics.

Is all this " non-sectarian V

In the town of Portland, as in the whole of the
Province of New Brunswick, Catholics form the
one third of the entire population. They pay their
share of taxation for the support of the schools in
which the children of the other two thirds are in-
structed, but their conscience forbidding them to
send their own children to such schools, they had
to erect others, and these were assessed to the
amount of three hundred dollars, for the support
of "non-sectarian schools," and lately good Bishop
Sweeny's carriage was seized to pay the said tax.

All these hardships imposed upon the Catholics
of New Brunswick are said by some to be nothing
but " fair play," " equal rights," etc., so the good
people of Prince Edward's Island thought they
could do no better than follow such example. Out
of a population of 94,021, Catholics number 40,-
442. The non-Cotholics took advantage of the
small difference in nnmbers, the whole Island was
agitated on the school question, fanaticism was
aroused, war declared against Catholic schools, and

44

as one and one third are more than one the "non
sectarian system" prevailed. But to show how
false is its name, only a few weeks ago the pupils
of the school were furnished with a text book that
a Catholic parent can not find in the hand of his
child without being grieved and even insulted.

Besides the text books there are others that come
to prove the deceitfulness of the name given to the
plan of education I oppose. The latter are found
in public libraries connected with the school sys-
tem in question. Without mentioning the impious,
infidel and immoral productions which have been
found in such libraries, the choice of other books
looked upon by some persons, as unobjectionable,
indicates the most exclusive spirit and the ut-
most " sectarianism " As a general rule, not
only almost all the books are Protestant, but
moreover, a great number are written by the
most violent and least scrupulous opponents of Ca-
tholicity. In such books the religion of nearly 300,-
000,000 christians is shamefully reviled, its teachings
grossly misrepresented and the countries where it
is practiced set forth an unenlightened and inferior
in every way. Infamous calumnies — a thousand
times refuted — are repeated over and over again
as a matter of course. Catholics are pointed
out as worthless citizens, their pastors as angry
wolves, the Sovereign Pontiff as the curse of the earth
and Catholicism as the enemy of liberty and learn-
iug. The immense services rendered to humanity,
to science, to arts and civilization, are ignored by
the greater number of the readers of " non-sectarian"
libraries. They are, as it were, wrapped in a thick
cloud formed by the ignorance of certain modern-
ists, who get rid of the trouble of searching in the
past, by terming "dark ages" a period during which
there existed a host of eminent men reaping a rich
harvest of science and virtue. A period during
which Europe was covered with monuments of such
grandeur and perfection, that they elicit to this
very day the admiration of the most distinguished
artists. Monuments of piety and also of genius,
science and arts. Monuments impossible had the
mediaeval epoch been one of ignorance and deserving
the appellation, " dark ages."

45

The most profound and deplorable ignorance,
with regard to Catholicity, is remarkable in those
who seek information in " non-sectarian" libraries,
and read nothing else. Every day we are aston-
ished to find men — otherwise well informed — en-
tirely ignorant of all that belongs to the religion of
their fellow countrymen. This ignorance is so com-
plete, that there is many an " Israelite indeed" who
like Nathaneal of old say, in speaking of all within
the pale of the Catholic Church : " Can anything
of good come from" that quarter ? The basest as-
sertions against what is pureet and most sacred,
are stereotyped in books found in such libraries.
41 Non-sectarian" teachers recommend them ; non-
sectarian pupils read them ; and a whole generation
is embittered and nourishes feelings of contempt
on the mere strength of falsehood.

The very history of our young country evinces
proof of what I advance. Anything favorable to
Catholicity is left aside or carefully lessened ; and
many Canadian pupils of what they call " non-
sectarian schools," and readers of " non-sectarian
libraries," have not the slightest suspicion of what
has been done and endured by the French colonists
and the French Canadians, in the discovery and
settlement cf this our common country ; in defence
of the British flag, and for the maintenance of our
constitutional rights and liberties. Somewhat ac-
customed to the injustice of many of our fellow
countrymen on the subject, truly refreehing were
the just appreciation and noble words of Lord
Dufferin with regard to the first French settlers
and French subjects of Her Majesty in Canada.

Many students in the sacalled "non-sectarian
schools" have never pronounced the word "Catholic"
but with disregard, and the word " French " but
with contempt, and the word " Priest " but with
horror.

Such is the result of the system, it is therefore
evident that its qualification is spurious and the
plan essentially sectarian. How often the ingenui-
ty of some of those with whom we were brought in
contact, has led us to discover the unpleasant picture
drawn of ourselves, and the astonishment experienc-

46

ed on finding out the difference between the picture
and the reality.

To a number of pupils, teachers, inspectors &c of
" non-sectarian " schools T would say : Recall, my
good friends, what you have heard, said, and
thought yourselves about Catholics : what you
read in your schools and libraries and after a pause
of a moment, I leave to yourselves to judge if the
system practiced in such schools is in reality " non-
sectarian."

I do not wonder at the erroneous impression
made by the term " Non-Sectarian," many people
have been caught in the snare before the system
was unmasked by experience, it deceived a certain
number who, later, have had reason to deeply re-
gret the harm it had done to their children. The
tree is known by its fruit, and the fruit produced by
what many call " our admirable Tystem of Public
Schools " has been, in cases too frequent alas, for-
getfulness of God and of Revelation, or the Sectari-
anism of no Religion. In other cases, where the
logical and ulterior consequences were not drawn,
the end aimed at was obtained and resulted in- the
Sectarianism of a particular Denomination and in
both cases the institution has incited hatred or at
least indifference for Catholicism. Therefore the
reader should not wonder that Catholics who prize
their faith above every earthly consideration,. op-
pose the establishment of a sygtem manifestly inju-
rious to their dearest interests. It is nothing sur-
prising that the love of such parents for their child-
ren prompts them to do all in their power to see
that their faith shall be in safety against tendencies
of a systen the very name of which is evidently

FALLACIOUS.

2. A system of schools, if really " non-sectarian,"
would be impossible in our midst and such impos-
sibility would be owing to the character of our peo-
ple, and to the nature of the system in itself.

The very fact of our being a christian and free
people elucidates the proofs of tne relative impos-
sibility of the system, for a christian people can
neither desire nor maintain a plan of which the
ulterior and unavoidable result would be forgetful-

47

ness or ignorance of God no more than a free peo-
ple can become the supporters of a scheme, by its
nature, odious and tyrannical.

To discover the fundamental idea of the system
in question, we must go back to the old Lacedamo-
nian plan which substituted the State for the fa-
mily which it destroyed, snatching the child from
the arms of its mother to train it from its infancy
for a soldier or a slave of the Republic. Cruelty
on the one hand, ignorance on the other were the
natural fruits of the laws established by Lycurgus.
But if the domineering plan of Lacedsemon — the
same that brought about its ruin — seems a. source
too distant and indirect of the system of Public
Schools, no one can deny its affinity with what has
cone to pays in civilized countries for a century.
Voltaire, the enemy of God, and of his fellow-beings
undertook to wage war against the christian re-
ligion which he called " V In fame. ' The monster
found many admirers in France, in England, in
Germany and elsewhere. Allured by the novelty
and still more by the passions it favored, the north-
west Oi Europe acclaimed Voltaire, and the impi-
ous sect of which he was the corypheus, at one time
thought they had the mastery of minds and hearts.
Sovereigns readily acquiesced to a system that fa-
vored, at the while luxury and oppression, and the
people easily round therein an incitement to revolt
and plunder. "La belle France" whose misfortune
it was to have fostered the monster suffered more
than any country from the pestiferous utterances
falling from the filthy lips ot the foul fiend. The
French followers ot Voltaire, with their impetuous
nature, logical minds and facility to draw the na-
tural results of a doctrine for which they had be-
come impassioned, rushed into the area of destruc-
of destruction, inspired by their leader, with a fury
that was not to be arrested. Voltaire was the soul
of 93. A saintly king was beheaded. The mar-
tyrdom of the rich, the nobility and the clergy re-
newed the scenes of pagan ampitheatres where the
blood of Christians freely flowed. The altars of the
true God were trampled upon and an infatuated and
senseless people knelt before a prostitute thej' styl-
ed " la Deesse Raison," (Goddess Reason).

48

Weary with destroying, glutted with blood and
plunder, it is no wonder that the disciples of Vol-
taire became the followers of Lycurgus, and as such
violated the sacred precinct of family, and with a
display of brute force, proclaimed themselves the
State Omnipotent, with absolute power to lay hold
on youth and divert it from all religious instruction
in order to mould it according to the horrid morals
they had just proclaimed, and which was subsequ-
ently known as Socialism and Communism. They
awoke the notion that the State can be the sole
judge of the instruction to be given to children.
Masses become as tyrannical as individuals ; in that
respect number signifies nothing, except it may be
said that the tyranny of the multitude is often
blinder and more cruel than that of the indivi-
dual.

Napoleon the first appeared among the ruins
heaped up by the tyranny pf the multitude. A
despot himself, he thought that he could rule more
freely keeping a fast hold on youth, hence his sys-
tem .of " universitaire" education without religion
or " non-sectarian.'" The genius of Napoleon I.
restored many ruins and shined brightly as a sol-
dier ; unfortunately, he nourished the poisonous
seed planted by Voltaire. This fault hurried his
downfall as well as that of the two dynasties which,
after him and like him, were not wise enough to
smother the modern hydra of instruction without
religion.

Napoleon III. at a later period, found at Sedan
the proof of the folly of a Sovereign who believes
that a rising generation can be edue'ated without
God. Soon after, the " Communards" educated
by the International in schools without religious
instruction, the '■ Communards," readers of infidel
newspapers, partizans of the "Educational League"
whose motto is, "spread of education without re-
ligion," the hideous Communards of Paris came by
the blazing light of the finest capital of the world
in flames, to prove the real value of the system of
enlightenment of the age and the influence of mo-
dern civilization on those trained in " non-sectarian'*
schools. For, it must be remembered, they did
act in a way to strike the universe with horror, not

49

because they could not read as it has been said.
No, such is not the case ; they had, on the con-
trary, accepted the teaching of the " Educational
eague" which says through one of its organs : " Re-
ligion is useless as an instrument for forming the
minds of the young.'1

A few non-sectarian schools having caused such
misfortunes in France, it is easy to foresee that the
ruin would have been complete had the system
been generalized. What saved France and per-
mitted restorations still more astonishing than its
downfall, is that by far the greater number of chil-
dren arc educated in christian schools. Meanwhile
the misfortunes of that great nation are a lesson
for itself and for others of the awful c msequences
entailed by the pernicious system, which tend* to
develop the intellect without strengthening the
heart and preparing it for the struggles awaiting
it.

The Solidaires of Belgium, the Oarbonaries o
Italy endeavor to drive their respective countries
towards the abyss in which the. philosophers have
.sunk in France and of which the International
threatens Europe and America.

Such is ihe origin and such are the oonsequences
of the famous modern system of schools called
"Non-Sectarian."

France is not the only country that reaps the
disastrous consequences of studying in a false dir-
ection. The friends of Germany are truly afraid
of the spread of Rationalism and irreiigion in the
father-land, and that among the higher classes, who
receive their education in schools from which re
Jigious teaching is banished. In Germany the
Common ami Elementary Schools are cfenomitKir
tional, so the body of the nation receive religious
instruction and are not exposed to the misfortunes
of the upper classes.

Modern England has been guarded against na-
tional commotions, because its people are not so eas-
ily fascinated by empty theories; and kind Provi-
dence rewards the country, because they who gov-
ern it, willingly and publicly affirm thesr religious
eonvictious. Nevertheless, we must confess that

50

aristocracy of learning as well as of rank and for-
tune, are also stepping fast towards infidelity.

The misfortunes of France have naturally awa-
kened a feeling of alarm among its noble neighbors
and determined an enquiry into the mode of educa-
tion given to the sons of those who now direct pub-
lic affairs and public minds.

The House of Lords appointed a Select Committee
" to enquire into the condition of English Univer-
" sities. The Marquis of Salisbury was the chair-
" man. The evidence taken before that committee
u reveals the appalling fact that infidelity or doubt
" as to the first principles of religion, nay, of belief
" in God, is widespread in the univei'sities of Eng-
" land, and especially among the most intellectual
" of the students ; and that this sad result is due
"ina great measure to the teaching and examina-
" tions. In the first report of the session of 1871,
" in the evidence of the Rev. Professor Leddon,
"'D.D., Canon of St Paul's and Professor oi Exe-
" gesis in the University of Oxford, we find the
" following passage, in answer to question 706 :
" Cases have come within my own experience of
" men who have come up from school as Christians,
" and have been earnest Christians up to the time
" of beginning to read philosophy for the Final
" School, but who, during the year and a-half or two
" years employed in this study, have surrendered
" first their Cristianity, and next their belief in
" God, and have left the university not believing in
■'" a Supreme Being"

Such a revelation with regard to the high edu-
cation in the Mother Country naturally recalls the
words of the Royal Prophet : " And now, O ye
" kings, understand : receive instruction you that
"judge the earth."

From the above mentioned facts it is easy to ar-
gue as follows : If such are the results of a partial
education among certain classes of European society,
what can be expected if the entirely secular system
were imposed on our school population % The elite*
of English students, after all the instruction given
at home, at school and at church, cannot resist the
deleterious influence of one or two years of the
study of philosophy without God, in the university

51

of Oxford and others, and become infidel. How
can it be expected that American youth will resist
the pernicious tendencies of the system, if its whole
education be based thereon, and if all classes of
society be educated in accordance with it in all the
branches o£ learning ?

True, an ocean separates America from Europe ;
but what has shaken European communities on
their basis, that is to say, education without reli-
gion, cannot help being felt on this side of the At-
lantic.

I will say in another article what the system has
already produced in the social line in America.
Suffice, just now to show the relation of the general
system of " non-sectarian" schools in the United
States with the one which has been so hurtful to
France — though only partially applied — and which
seems to gradually prepare the ruin of other coun-
tries.

It is an error to believe that the actual school
system of the neighboring republic is as old as the
Republic itself, the cause of its prosperity and the
secret of the prodigious development of the United
States. Such is not the case. For more than half
a century the " Stripes and Stars" protected Deno-
minational schoos.

The strong-minded men who gave to the United
States of America the start and direction that have
made them so prosperous, had acquired in Denomi-
national schools the knowledge of secular branches
of education, a onq with that reigious instruction
which is indispensable to form good citizens and
true patriots.

Mr. O. A. Brownson, in his book " The Convert,"

gives the following information on the origin of

the Public Schools in the United States :

" Fannv Wright was born in Scotland and in-
to .

" herited considerable property. She had been
" highly educated, and was a woman of original
" powers and extensive and varied information.
"She was brought up in the Utilitarian principles
" of Jeremy Bentham. She visited the United
" States in 1824, and returned to England in 1825.
" She came back the next year to try an experi-
" ment for the emancipation of the negro slave.

52

" Fanny Wright, however, failed in her negro
" experiment, but decided on a radical reform of the
" American people themselves.

" The first step to be taken for this purpose, was
" to rouse the American mind to a sense of its
" rights and dignity, to emancipate it from super-
" stition, from its subjection to the clergy, and its
" fear of unseen powers ; to withdraw it from the
" contemplation of the stars or imaginary heaven
" after death, and fix it on the great and glorious
" work of promoting maris earthly well being.

" The great measure, however, on which Fanny
" and her friends relied for ultimate success, was
" the system of Public Schools. These schools were
" intended to deprive, as well as to relieve, parents
" of all care and responsibilitv of their children af-
" ter a year or two years of age. It was assumed
" that parents were, in general, incompetent to
" train up their children, provide proper establish-
" ments, teachers and governors for them, till they
" should reach the age of maturity.

" The aim was, on the one hand to relieve mar-
" riage of its burdens, and to remove the principal
" reasons for making it indissoluble ; and. on the
" other hand, to provide for bringing up all chil-
" dren, in a rational manner, to be reasonable men
"or women, th&t is free from superstition, free from,
" all belief in God and immortality ; free from all
" regard for the invisible, and make them to look
" upon this life as their only life, this earth as their
" only home, and the promotion of their earthly
" interests and enjoyments as their only end. The
" three great enemies to earthly happiness were
" held to be religion, marriage, or family and pri-
" vate property. Once get rid of these three insti-
" tutions, and we hope soon to realiza our earthly
" paradise. For religion is to be substituted science,
"■ that is, science of the world, of the five senses
" only; for private proper tg, a community of goods,
" and for private j amilies, a community of xoives.

" Fanny Wright and her school saw clearly that
" their principles could not be carried into practice
" in the present state of society. So they proposed
" them to be adopted only by a future generation,
" trained and prepared in a system of schools fonnd-

33

**■ ed and prepared by the public, They placed their
*' dependance on education in a system of Public
*' Schools, managed after a plan of "William Phique-
•*• pal, a Frenchman, and subsequently the husband
" of Fanny Wright.

" In order to get their system of schools adopted,
*' they proposed to organize the whole union, se-
*: cretly, very much on the plan of the Carbonari of
41 Europe. The members of this secret society were
" to avail themselves of all means in their power,
*\ each in his own locality, to form public opinion
" in favor of education by the State at the public
M expense, and to get such men elected to the Legis-
" lature as would be likely to favor their purposes.
" This secret organization commenced in the State
xt of New York, and was to extend over the whole
" Union. Mr. C. A. Brownson was one of the
" agents for organizing the State of .New York,
" He however became tired of the work and aban-
i( doned it after a few months."

Such was the aim in preparing the plan of the
Public ScJiools of the United States. My readers
as well as myself have the " fear of unseen powers ;"
they have no desire " to withdraw their minds from
the contemplation oj stars or heaven after death ;"
they have no inclination to rear their children "free
from all belief in God and immortality." So I am
satisfied that it suffices for them to know the real
object of this system to repudiate it.

Even the famous system would show me '• all
the kingdoms of the word and the gory of them,"
and say : " all this will I give thee . . . . " I would
answer : " Peg one Satan, for it is written : The
Lord thy God thou shalt adore, and him only shalt
thou serve"'

Thank God, I am a Christian ! I repulse the
views of Fanny Wright, as I do away with those
of her grand -father, Voltaire; of her cousins and
friends, the " philosophers," the " Solidaires," the
" Carbonari," the " International," the " Commu-
nards," etc.. etc. I have no sympathy for a system
praised by all those miscreants, though by them all
termed " n on -sectarian. " And as I know my
fellow citizens also, thank Heaven, for being

54

Christians, I have no hesitation in saying, the sys-
tem is impossible in our midst.

Another reason of the impossib ility of the said
system is that we are free. Yes, Canadians, we
cannot rejoice too much, knowing and feeling
that we are in a free country, in a country where
true and real liherty is enjoyed perhaps to a fuller
extent than in any other country of the world. We
have surely more real liberty than our neighbors
across the line ; and in some respects we are more
free here than the English people are on the banks
of the Thames.

The Treaty of Peace of 1763, was for Canada the
starting point, the basis of the religious liberty it
enjoys ; liberty of which Canadians of all origins
are so proud and so jealous. Ever since, Canadians
have achieved one by one all th9 civil and politick
rights theyenjoy.

The above insertion is nothing new for those who,
together with the knowledge of the history of our
country enjoy the faculty possessed by all serious
minds to notice the connection between consequen-
ces and their principle, and to turn back from the
effect to the cause. At all events, the fact of our
liberty exists and is highly appreciated by every one.
We are free and being so I do not fear to be mis-
taken in saying that the permanent establishment
of the system of education which I disscuss is im-
possible amongst us.

The most populous Province had to modify the
attempts made in that direction ; and it is easy to
foresee that the momentary success in the establish-
ment of said system in other Provinces cannot be
lasting.

The very word, religious oppression is repugnant
to Canadians. The State itself must respect the
conscience of even one ^individual. This is his
birthright, and cannot be voted away for the sup-
port of public schools or of public churches.

Observe that the introduction of the so-called
" non-sectarian " system, violates the conscience not
only of an individual, but of the half of the popula-
tion of the Dominion. The Catholics, and many
others with them, consider the system as dangerous,
opposed to their faith and of a nature to shake that

55

of their children, therefore they repudiate it on con-
scientious grounds The conviction is so widy known
that it is astonishing to find men endowed with
common sense, denying that such is the case.

I do not discuss, just now, the reason of such
conviction on the part of the opponents of tlie sys-
tem. I merely establish its existence as a matter
of fact.

The last official censuses of the different pro-
vinces, with the exception of British Columbia,
show the Catholic population of the whole Domin-
ion to be 1,527,923, and the non-Catholic 2,050,010.
So, in the Dominion, taken as a whole, Catholics
are in a proportion of 3 to 4 non-Catholics ; that is
to say, not very far from the half of the whole
Christian population of the country. Besides, that
denomination numbers three times as the most nu-
merous of the other denominations in the Domin-
ion. Well, is it possible to force upon such a large
portion of ihe community a system of education
declared by the same — and they are the only judge
of their conviction — as contrary to their conscience,
and in the meantime, to boast of praising religious
freedom f No, such a course is impossible except
with those who are ready to say in one way a'nd
act in another.

Religions liberty is not the only one at stake in
the matter. Civil liberty has also a close connec-
tion with the subject. Opponeuts to the proposed
scheme are citizens as well as its supporters. The
former contribute their share to the prosperity of
the country, supply the treasury, bear public charges
and are ready to give their lives for the defense of
the national flag. Again I repeat, they are citizens
as well as » thers. Why then think of depriving
them of the benefit of a public s) stern of education ?
It is well known that the Catnolics, as a body, will
derive no advantage from the proposed scheme, and
the plan depends for its maintenance on the sup-
port of public money in which Catholics contribute
as well as their fellow-citizens, and on the very as-
sessments levied on Catholic property as well as on
others.

Is there any justice in all that? Ts there any
i otion of civil liberty in creating a system such,

56

that nearly the half of the population can derive no-
advantage from it, and forcing the same population
to incur the half of the expenses of the system 1

Suppose a district where there were ten uphold-
ers of your system and ten Catholics on an equal,
standing, but the latter repudiating the system.
What will be the result? The ten upholders, the
law in hand, will erect school houses of their taste
and choice, receive the government grant propor-
tional to their number and have their taxes. But
the advanthge siding with them does not end here.
They will, moreover, get the government grant pro-
portional to the number of Catholics in the district,
they will compel the same Catholics to pay their
scohol taxation and the whole of the above money
will be at the disposal and for the benefit of the
upholders of the system, while the ten Catholics
who, on conscientious grounds, cannot profit by the
plan, will have neither schools nor their share of
the public funds, nor even their own assess-
ment.

Is all this the liberty of which all are so jealous X
Is all this the application of the principle of " Equal
Rights V Is all this fair play which all the sub-
jects of Her Majesty, without distinction of creed
or nationality can claim 1

Read, please, what Judge Taft of Ohio said re-
ferring to the wrong done to Catholics who cannot,
in conscience, send their children to the so called
" non- sectarian schools :"

" This is too large a circumstance to be covered
" by the Latin phrase " De minimis non curat lex."
'•These Catholics — paying their proportion of the
" taxes — are constrained every year, on conscien-
" tious grounds, to yield to others their right to one
"third of the school money, a sum averaging at the
" present time about $200,000 ev«*ry year. That
" is to say, these people are punished every year,
" for believing as they do, to the extent of $200,-
" 000 ; and to that extent those of us who send
" our children to these excellent common schools
" become bene ficiaries of the Catholic money. What
" a shame for Protestants to have their children*
" educated from money robbed from Catholics I
" Mercantile life is supposed to cultivate in some, a

57

" relish for hard bargains. But if it were a busi-
" ness matter, and not a matter of religious concern,
" could business men be found willing to exact such
" a pecuniary advantage as this ? I think it would
" shock the secular conscience."

Observe, please, that while repelling the injust-
ice, W3 ask for no privieje nor favor. We ask to
remain free in our religious convictions, and to not
be deprived of our rights as citizens " on the plea"
that some consider such convictions as 'fallacious."
We are confident that they who breathe the same
atmosphere of liberty as we do, they who are sin-
cere while proclaiming equal rights for all, will
unite with us in pronouncing the system which
would hinder the benefit of education for nearly the
half of the population, an impossibility in our
midst.

I go still further and say that a system of edu-
cation which would be in reality as well as in name
" non-sectarian," which would neither affirm nor
deny any notion whatever of any belief, which would
contain nothing in conformity with or against
christianism, I say that such a system is a radical
impossibility.

To have the pretention to instruct without teach-
ing either directly or indirectly, even in an inciden-
tal manner, anything religious or irreligious, is one
of those whims or Utopias aimed at only by unsound
minds, worked upon by people with special views
such as Fanny Wright, and accepted solely by those
who are deceived by the name, or who do not de-
tect the result.

How can any one educate without inculcating
something partaking of the supernatural or oppos-
ing it? Instruction in all the branches of know-
ledge, to the exclusion of the one which ought to
direct all others is an impossibility. People may
dream as long as they like, without finding a way
to educate a child while leaving it in suok ignor-
ance and indifference that it could neither affirm
nor deny the existence of a Supreme Being, the end
of man, the wisdom of Providence or any religious
theory. It is impossible even to conceive a whole
system of instruction so inert as to allow such ig-
norance, otherwise instruction would result in ren-

dering those under its nurture more stupid than
those deprived of any culture whatsoever.

Such an endeavor would be an effort to develop
intellect by depriving it of the breath of intellec-
tual life imparted by the Author of our exist-
ence.

Once more, I repeat, the scheme is an impossi-
bility, simply because the teacher is a rational
being ; that children themselves are endowed with
reason; and that it is impossible to bring an intelli-
gent youth in contact with the visible world with-
out inspiring reflections that lead 'to one of the con-
victions believed and taught by some one of the
sects that claim to direct human intellect.

To educate is to perfectionate. But man is crea-
ted to the image and likeness of God. and how can
any one perfectionate the image without, awproach-
iug it to the model?

What is science, except a participation, in a very
inferior degree it is true, but to a certain extent, of
the knowledge God has of Himself, of what He has
done, of the laws He has prescribed for sensible
beings and imposed on inanimate nature. There-
fore, far from. God there is no real knowledge.
" For of Him, in Him and bij Him are all things.'*
Any teaching exhibiting the marvels of creation,.
without any mention of its Author, without looking
for the first cause of what is seen and learned, with-
out any religious notion, such a teaching is not only-
dangerous and criminal, but is so incomplete that
it cannot be called the culture of intellect.

The Journal of Commerce of New York, form-
erly a violent opponent of Catholics views with re-
gard to education, although as staunch a Protest-
ant as ever says in its issue of 11th May 1870 :

"Where the Common School system won its
" chiefest laurels, and achieved its highest success,,
"all scholastic learning was based upon the funda-
" mental truths ol religion, because without the
"sanction of religion there can be no proper traiu-
" ing of the y.oung in any branch of instruction. It
" is all in vain to say that geography, arithmetic,
"grammar, history, botany etc., may be taught as
"sciences without any necessary connection to re
" li gion true or false ; and that the baptism of faith

59

4i can be given to all these acquirements by the ex-
41 ercise in the family and at the church, having no
41 mutual relations with the school room.

" The mind is not governed by laws which allow
** for such separation and distinctions. Good men
" will come to acknowledge this in time."

To educate, a teacher must have ideas, apprecia-
tions, convictions on what he teaches. He cannot
be an automaton, a scientific mechanism, able to
turn out so many words by the hour, without con
necting the ideas expressed, and without even look-
ing for the sense of the words ; without sferintring tAiwk.
or feeling, or without imparting to others what he
does or does not believe. If he has no conviction
he is not what he ought to be ; if he has convictions
without expressing them, he is mocking at himself
or at those who employ him.

I append the following quotation from Doctor
Anderson, one of the prominent men of the Baptist
Chuich in the United States :

*' It is impossible for an earnest teacher to avoid
♦? giving out constantly religious and moral im-
*' pulses in thought. He must of necessity set
" forth his notions about God, the soul, the con-
*' science, sin, the future life and Divine Revela
' tion."

" If he promises not to do so, he will fail to keep
" his word or his teachings in science, or literature,
" or history will be miserably shallow and inade-
" quate. Our notion of God and the moral order
"form, in spite of ourselves, the base line which
" affects all our movements and constructions of
" science, literature and history. Induction in
" physics, classification in Natural History, neces-
" sitate a living law, eternal in the thought of God

" All instruction enfolding the

" laws of science, literature and History should
" be permeated with the warmth and light and
" glory of the Incarnate Redeemer."

" Incidental instruction in morality and religion
" ought to be the main reliance of the Christian
" teacher. The ends of a Christian school while
" working by its own laws and limitations, ought
" not to be essentially different from a Christian
" church."

60

" The principles we have thus indicated are uni-
" versal in their application. If the Christian
" teacher must make the elements of his religious
" faith color all his teaching, the same must be true
" of the unchristian teacher. It parents wish their
" children educated in Christian principles, they
" must seek out honest Christian men to be their
" teachers."

There is not a single educated and sincere Catho-
lic, from His Holiness the Sovereign Pontiff down
to the humblest village school-master, who does not
agree with the above opinion ; or rather, the learned
Doctor is among the numerous intelligent Pro-
testants who take the Catholic views with regard
to education, and who say with us, a system purely
and entirely un sectarian is nothing but a delusion.
The Reverend A. A. Mayo, Unitarian minister
of Cincinnati, does not hesitate to ridiculize as fol-
lows the ideas of those who believe in the possibility
of such a plan :

" It is easy to elaborate a secular theory of edu-
" cation in the closet, where an ideal boy can be
" placed in a spiritual vacuum, and developed ac-
" cording to an exclusive mental system. Now,
" the effort to control and educate such a miniature
" republic on secular or purely intellectual princi-
" pies, is a job compared with which harnessing
" Niagai-a to turn the spindles of a cotton mill
" would be a cheerful enterprise. To say that the
" teacher does not need every resource of religious
" " and moral power to govern and educate children
11 is to mock at all educational experience and de-
'* clare ourselves utterly ignorant of human life."

All things speak so loudly of God as having been
made by Him, that it is impossible to study outside
of Him without sliding towards the abysses into
which materialists and atheists have sunk. For a
Christian country such as ours everything is con-
' nected with Christian doctrine. The very atmos-
1 phere we breathe seems to be embalmed with the
■ sweet perfumes of faith. l"o silence that faith is to
v fall into Rationalism, and to try to avoid both in
'teaching is to reduce the sublime art to an impos-
sibility.

61

But sorae of the supporters of the system will
8ay: All this is nonsense. The system exists, there-
fore it is possible, and reason teaches that "ab actu
ad posse valet consecutio." No, gentlemen, your sys-
tem exists nowhere, because here is what occurs in
practice :

In the countries where the system has been es-
tablished there are three broad currents of thought ;
the Catholic, the Protestant and the Infidel thought.
Now, I say that your system, as inicated by its
name, is so radically impossible, that where its es-
tablishment has been attempted it has necessarily
fallen into one of the three currents of thought here
i mentioned. The system cannot fail to bring about
one Of the results that it pretends to avoid.

In school districts of the United States, entirely
Oataolic. the trustees having the choice of teachers
and of books as well as the direction of the school,
such institutions become in reality, and for all pur-
poses, Catholic schools while retaining the name of
" Common schools," and this accounts for Catholics
not opposing the system under such circumstances.

A similar fact, but of more frequent occurrence,
is observed in purely Protestant distrcts ; and in
certain States, most of the schools become in reality
and for all purposes Protestant schools, while re-
taining the name of " Common" or " non-sectarian
schools," and this explains the zeal displayed for
the establishment and maintenance of such schools.

Where the " Common schools" are neither Catho-
lic nor Protestant, they are so many nurseries of
infidelity ; and the United States reap the bitter
fruits of the system, viewing, as every one does,
the alarming increase in the number of those who.
have no practical religion.

Therefore there is nothing real in the teaching
in an unsectarian sense, because the scheme in that
light is an impossibility.

3. Even if the system were possible it is not de-
sirable.

After what has been said above, it is undoubtedly
shown that the system in question is not desirable.
I will, however, add a few reflexions under this
head,, for the subject is far from being exhausted.

62

I said in tiie first paragaaph of this article that
the name given to the system is essentially false.
But even were it proposed, as it should be, under
the qualification non-Catholio or non-Christian, that
would not render it more desirable. Because the
new appellation, while indicating the tendencies of
the scheme, would merely coiroborate what has
been said in opposing it, and would be, as it were,
the synthesis of the whole of my argument.

I have subsequently said that a plan of education
really and absolutely outside of any sect whatso-
ever would, by its nature, be radically impossible.
But, from this it cannot be concluded that, should
the working of the system be made possible by rally-
ing it now to one sect and then to another, such pos-
sibility would make it desirable. I go still further
and say that, even if the relative impossibility
which I have pointed out, would disappear-, and
the system be accepted, this would 'not make me
desire to see it thrive. I would not relish the sys-
tem any better, but 1 would dread it still more,
were our population so unchristian as to favorably
accept it ; and if the feeling and love of liberty
weakened to such a degree that the majority would
advocate the servitude.

It is to the family and not to the State that the
education of youth is confided. From the begin-
ning God established the family among men :
" male and female he created them. And God
blessed them saying, Increase and multiply." To
the husband and wife he commanded love and in-
dissoluble union : " This now is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh" and " They shall be two in
one flesh," and "What therefore God hath joined
together let no man put asunder." To children he
commanded obedience, love and respect for patents.
" Honor thy father and thy mother." To parents
heads of families, he gave imprescriptible rights,
together with obligations which no power can
lessen. And among these obligations is that of
parents to provide for, and direct the education of
their children : li Hast thou children, instruct them"
and " He that teacheth his son maketh his enemy
jealous."

03

This is the personal obligation ot parents ; they-
can entrust it to another only when they are cer-
tain that the instruction given will be in accord-
ance with what it requires of them ; and that the
souls of their children, for which they must answer,
will not be exposed to any noxious influence, nor
deprived of any o/ the helps to be expected fiom
education.

Such is the established order, and such order ne-
cessarily rejects the theory that ascribes to the
State the right to invade the sacred precinct ot fa-
mily and then to exercise absolute power. This
theory is a relict of paganism, the principle of sla-
very, and cannot We countenanced among those
who enjov the liberty of the children of God.

If the State should be master of the child, why
should it not be that of the mother 1 If it has
right to become a .substitute for the father, who will
prevent it from replacing the husband? If it has
the right to compel parents to send their children to
a special school, it may also hinder their being in-
structed at all. riiis is what Lycurgus did. If
the State has the absolute control of the school, it
can also claim that of the church, just as the Czar
of Russia and the Chancellor of Prussia pretend
and endeavor to do. if the State has the right to
prohibit religious teaching, it has an equal right
to prescribe irreligious teaching. Such is t .he case
iu certain universities of Europe. If the State has
a right to pie vent children from acknowledging the
true God, during a certain number of hours, days
and years, it has also the right to enjoin the adora-
tion of fal-e gods, and this the State did ordain for
centuries, by condemning to the most cruel tortures
millions of the disciples ol Jesus Christ whose only
ciime was to believe that they who govern., as well
as they that are governed, should submit to the
King of Kings.

What is said and written every day shows clear-
ly that what 1 advance here will be easily miscon-
strued. Strange (one cannot affirm the rights of
God without being accused by certain parties, of
being hostile to the State, just :is though God and
State were irreconciiiable enemies and the two mas-
ter s that cannot be servect at a time. On the con-

64

trstry, one is so much the more loyal to the State
that he is more mindful of his duties towards his
Maeer. Society has nothing to fear from those
who uphold the rights of God and ot truth. Be-
cause any society well established will find its se-
curity in the conviction of all its members that they
are dependent on God as their s^ole and absolute
master, and that there is no true liberty without
Him.

Christian teaching alone can effectually check
the natural tendency of man to the abuse of power
as well as of liberty. To establish the rights of
God is, no doubt, to define the duties of man. But
it is in the meantime, teaching the latter his rights
to the noblest freedom. Christian doctrine guards
society against the thraldom into which it had been
plunged by pagan Csesarism ; and guards it also
against socialistic licence which is wore than pagan
ism itself.

The religion I profess teaches me " There is no
power but from God, and those that are, are ordain-
ed by God" This doctrine surrounds all authority
lawfully established and lawfully exercised, with a
prestige which no worldly consideration can inspire
in the same degree.

But, :n the meantime, the same doctrine, reminds
me that all men are created to the image and like
ness of Him who is the Being infinitely free and
independent, and who decks the brow of all those
redeemed by the blood of the Saviour, with a halo
of glory peculiar to the enjoyment of the freedom of
children of God.

It was while studying and witnessing the appli-
cation cf the above doctrine that the celebrated
Protestant Guizot said : " Catholic Church is the
greatest school of respect." Respect to every human
being, respect to every legitimate authority.

Having myself been brought up in that school,
it is far, very far, from my desire to fail in the re-
spect due to the State ; and even to the respect due
to any fellow-men. Because, in the State I see a
ray of the supreme dominion of God, and in every
man a type of His infinite freedom. This respect
for others I have for myself, and while I aui the
obedient servant of the State I decline to become

65

its slave. This doctrine, if well understood, can
surely displease neither the State nor my fellow-sub-
jects. If, on the one hand. I repudiate the pagan
teaching whicH finished by the aptheoses of Caesar,
I cordiailv adhere to the Chri'stfan teaching which
savs : " Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesars."

Having established the principles by which I am
guided, I hope not to be misunderstood when I say
that it is not desirable that the State should dis-
turb the peace and freedom of families, in coercing
in one way or another the surrender of the children
to be educated according to the dictates of the State,
and against the wish and desire of parents who
have at heart the accomplishment of their duty.
To impose in the matter a system which grieves the
conscience, is undoubtedly a tyrannical act.

The followers of John Knox have preserved to
the present day, some of the ideas he had retained
of his Catholic training. Not only have they strug-
gled in the old countries, to prevent the encroach -
meut of the State, endeavoring to submit them to
the religion established by law, but, in many in-
stances, even in America, they have raised an ener-
getic protest against the State endeavoring to im-
pos- upon them schools established by law. Among
others the Rev. John C. Lord, Presbyterian clergy-
man of Buffalo made use of the following language :
** (jrod has not committed to governments the work
" of education. The civil magistrate has other
" duties to perform, has no divine warrant to turn
44 teacher. or to superintend education. This is not
*' a matter to be passed at the polls. What right
4< has the State to educate my child 1 The State
" may administer justice, build canals and railroads,
" incorporate banks and perform civil functions,
" but it has no right to establish a system of Public
" Schools which compels in fact, the great mass of
*' the community to have their children educated,
*' there or not at all. I wish my children educated
*' ' in the nurture and admonition of the L »rd' and,
*' not in the nurture of the State. So do Christians
" in general if the truth were known. But the
*' State throws obstacles in the wav by its taxation
i *' and its great public establishments."

66

On the same subject, and to show that it is not
desirable that the State dictate in matters of -edu-
cation, ths Honorable Garritt Smith expresses him-
self as follows:

** It (the State) is certainly no more fit to have
" a part in shaping and controlling the school, than
" in shaping and controlling the church, aud the
\ sound arguments against its meddling with the
" church are in the main, sound arguments against
" its meddling with the school * * * * No
" less is it the parents right to choose the kind of
" school than the kind of church for his children.
" Many Protestants are content with no school
" which- is not positively and directly a religious
" one. Hence their opposition to the government
" school which rests on an evil compromise, a cora-
" promise requiring the elimination from the school
" of all religion and use of all Bibles. * * * *
" Just here let me say that the school is far worse
"than worthless, which taking a child in its most
'• plastic age, declines nevertheless to have a part in
''framing its religious character."

It is not only undersirable that the State assume
the duties of parents in controlling the schools, in a
way offensive to the convictions of such parents,
but it is moreover certain that such control has the
most deplorable results, because the system, in-
stead of preparing the heart and the mind of the
children to look to the end for which they are mader
on the contrary, predisposes them to busy them-
selves solely about material pursuits and renders
them very unscrupulous as to the means to be em
ployed in securing what they desire.

The New York World says : — " The truth is that
" the mistake of means in our system of education
" arises from a perversion of ends. Our school sys-
" tern answers much more nearly than those of older
" countries to what are considered by modern men
" the chief end of man in our time. That end is to
"get on in life, to make money, and to gain what
" money brings. To that purpose the present sys-
" tern is entirely adequate."

The State, while assuming the duty of educating
children and forcing, at least by taxation, parents
to accept its views, acknowledges its own incompe-

67

"tency. It elairas no control over the soul and,
nevertheless, it wishes to get hold of all the facul-
ties which are the handmaids of the soul. The
avowal that the State has nothing to do with the
direction of religion, is the best proof that it is not
desirable to submit the instruction of a rising gen-
eration to its absolute control. Fortunately, here
in this our country, every one admits the necessity
of religious training to model the heart and to
strengthen the will. But the State declines having
any desire or authority to impart that religious edu-
cation though instructing the child at the very and
only time at which it is possible to do so. There-
fore it must be admitted that it is not desirable
that the State go so far as to hurt the consciences
of parents, who are anxious for the religious instruc-
tion to be given to their offspring.

It seems to me that it does not requiie very
close observation to become convinced that a youth,
who would have gone through all the course of
instruction, which it is claimed ought to be given
in public schools, and who in the same schools
would never have heard a word about religion,
would be in reality completely ignorant of what he
ought to know, and, in many instances, averse to
it. As the opinion I oppose is said — though im-
properly— to be one dear to Protestant, I know the
reader will not find fault with me for quoting freely
from eminentt Protestants of the United States,
the only place where the experiment has been tho
roughly made. •

Rev. Mr. Young, pastor of the Presbyterian
congregation in Warsaw, New York, wrote to Mr.
Morgan, Superintendant of common schools : "The
" Presbyterian congregation in this town, regarding
" the State plan of common school education as in-
" competent to secure that moral training of their
" children, which is indispensable to a proper di-
" rection and use of intellectual faculties — estab-
" lished, some eighteen months since, within the
" bounds of School District, No. 10, a parochial
" school, to be instructed by such teachers only as

u profess religion In the progress of our

" schoools we find that evangelical religious truths
" sanctifies education as well as all other things

68

•* with which it is connected ; and that our children
'" have made aiore rapid and effective progress in
" intellectual attainments than formerly — but the
" * Free School Law' passed by our last Legislature
" has invaded our sanctuary, and we fear is about
" to thwart our purposes.

" We might have supposed that these principles
" of toleration would secure to the religious deno-
" minations respectively the privilege of worship-
M ping God according to their respective views, and
" which excuse them from supporting those of a
4 ' contrary belief; that these principles would at
" least allow them the same toleration in the edu-
" cation of our children. But such toleration is
" now by legislative enactment denied us ; while
" we are subjected to such onerous taxes for the
" support of common schools, as are equivalent to
" an actual prohibition from carrying out our views
" conscientiously entertained."

A Rev. Mr. Jones, of the Methodist Church of
llion, says : " .... The teacher should not have
'* to deal with the intellect alone. The State, in
" assuming to act in loco parentis, could not refuse
" to take care of the spiritual education of the chil-
" dren. Teachers must not be allowed to substi-
" tute the demoralizing doubtings of irreverent
" speculation for the grand saving truths of divine
" inspiration."

In a report of the Superintendent of public In-
instruction t^ a general assembly in Iowa, the Hon.
A. S. Kissell discussed as followe : " The painful
" fact is, that the great mass of instruction now
*' provided our youth — except perhaps the rambling
" and imperfect methods adopted in our Sabbath
" schools — is a practical denial of our national reli-
" gion. We may listen all day to the exercises of
** any of our most efficient schools, and hear often
" enough excellent advice given to the pupils with
'• reference to the importance of a generous, noble
i( and virtnous character ; we may be satisfied that
" the rulas and discipline of the school are admin-
i( istered in such a way as to secure habits of order,
™ industry and good behaviour ; but we cannot help
" feeling that essentially the same feat have been
" achieved at ancient Athens, as in our modern

69

** Boston which stands so conspicuously as a repve-
■" sentative city of Christendom. Somehow here,
*• in this nursery cf our nation, in the public schools,
" a perpetual libel is filed against the religion we
" adopt. Must these schools have no higher stan-
" dard than refined heathenism could furnish ? . . .
" will it not be ill-timed and futile to urge upon
" the adult, that of which, during all the years of
*' his early training, he heard nothing, and which
"" was so effectually denied or ignored in the course
" of his training, that he would not have known
" that the foi-mation of his character had any con-
" ceivable dependence on such an influence."

All such opinions — which as far as our subject
is concerned are but one with mine — can surprise
nobody, even had it never been previously express-
ed in every way. A reflecting Christian may easily
become convinced how defective and undesirable a
system of education is, which shuts the doors of
schools against leligion, both for teachers and pu-
pils. The result must necessarily be fatal to the
very intellect you wish to develop. The child is
an intelligent being ; his supple and plastic mind
is perfectly adapted to receive any teaching, even
in the most incidental mode. A wink, a smile, a
motion of the head or of the lips, anything in fact
on the part of the teacher is apt to produce a deep
impression on the mind of an intelligent child.
What, on the other hand, would be the fate of the
game child, if, instead of even an indirect teaching,
he observes in his master the most complete re-
serve or the most entire indifference with regard to
Religion ?

The breath of the Supreme Intelligence has en-
dowed the children of men with " a living soul."
Thai, soul, to live and develop itself, requires food,
ftnd the food of the soul is the " teacching of the
mystery of God the Father, and of Christ Jesus, in
whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge"

As far as your system goes you deprive the young
of those divine treasures of knowledge and wisdom.
You shut their eyes to " the true light, which en-
lighteneth every man that cometh into the world."
You place the youthful intellect in a " spiritual

70

vacuum," where everything is darkness, doubt, ig-
norance. And what will you give it as a compen-
sation 1 Human knowledge. Alas ! " But all men
are vain in whom there is not the knowledge of God."
What is your human knowledge or secular instruc-
tion 1 Arithmetic, history, geography, etc., etc

Well, let us try the teaching of such branches
without any reference whatsoever to anything reli-
gious :

Teacher— What is Arithmetic 1

Pupil — The science of numbers.

T. — Give the first numbers.

P. — One, two, three, four, five, six, etc.

T. — Give examples of the use of numbers.

P. — There is one God, there are two testaments,
the are three personsinGod.

T. — Mind what you say, my child, that is sec-
tarian.

P. (disturbed) — There are three sacraments.

T. — Hush ! that also is sectarian.

P. (still more disturbed) — There are seven sac . . .

T. (hastily) — You are getting confused, my child;
you are a new comer ; you have received sectarian
instruction ; the next will show you how to an
swer.

Another pupil — There is one horse in the stable,
there are two buggies in the shed, three eggs in my
bosket.

T. — That's the boy that understands the system.
And once for all let it be remembered that you are
in a " non-sectarian" school, and that nothing of
religion can be heard within these walls

(Apart) — Pcor children ! that's the first blow to
their faith.

Yes, many a Christian became an infidel, their
faith having received the first blow in a class of
arithmetic, or the teaching of the positive sciences,
which seem, at first glance, the least capable of
diverting a reasonable being from the knowledge
and love of God.

Is it desirable to teach history without the men-
tion of God 1 "In the beginning God created
heaven and earth." This is the beginning and the
origin of all history. What will the teacher do
who cannot make mention of the Crea'tor of all

71

things ? Fearing to be sectarian, his embarrassment
will iucrease when, coming to another period of the

history of the human race he reads : " the

" angel said to them ... This day is born to you
" a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."

Pleease, Mister Teacher, a boy may say, what
is au angel? What is a Saviour? Why call him
Christ 1

Teacher — Silence ! this school is not sectarian.
I have already told you not to expect I will teach
you religion.

Strange, deplorable teaching of history, which
will meution the adorable name of God with the
j-iame indifference as that of Jupiter ; which has no
more to say about the sweet and beloved name of
Jesus, true son of the. Eternal, than about that of
Mars, fictitious sou of the imaginary king of Olym-
pus.

How hurtful the teaching of history has been
without the help of revealed truth !

Geography is a description of onr globe, of its
inhabitants and its productions. To be complete,
this science must make mention of the origin of the
earth. 'ef the formation of seas and rivers. It can-
not remain silent about the lessons which necessa-
rily flow from the study of the variety of the pro-
ducts we admire. Geographers cannot be satisfied
with the mere mention of the names of different
nations. They must describe their moral and reli-
gious condition. Well, all this is impossible on a
just and true stand-point, unless the Spirit of God
move over tho intelligence of those who seek such
information, as He in the beginning, moved on the
surface of the deep,, from which He formed what
constitutes the principal object ot geography.

The undesirability of the system that excludes
religion from its teaching, becomes still more ap-
parent when we advance in our studies. Without
the help imparted through divine knowledge, men
may partly acquire what they call science, but they
cannot help having false and unenviable notions.
From the first to the last word of any science there
is room for divine truth and revealed learning.
Even the very knowledge of the alpliabet is conducive
to render more comprehensible one of the divine

attributes: "I am Alpha and Omega" Many
children have experienced a sweet an I delicious
impression, on finding out that the first reading
fesson in Greek may help them to acknowledge
God, as the first principle and the last end of every-
thing.

To remove all objections we are told that religious
instruction ought to be given in the family and in
church. To this I reply, instruction at home, es-
pecially for those who attend school is often a real
impossibility. 4sa rule, the public schools are in-
tended for the children of parents who are not in
exceptional good circumstances. Well, in such fa-
milies, generally speaking, the father is at work
from morning to night. Weary, harassed, it can-
not be expected that he will have time — even if
sufficiently edncated — to go over all the lessens
given at school during the day, to point out to his
children the relt^ious teachings which, naturally,,
must accompany and direct such lessons. On the
other hand, the good mother, up early in the morn-
ing, having hardly time to breathe before the child-
ren leave for school, busy as she is with all her
household duties, has little leisure at her command.
The fact is that many children come late to school
just because their mothers had not time to get them
ready. Let us remember, the schools we speak of
are seldom for the children of the rich, but for those
of the main body of the people, farmers, mechanics,
laborers etc. These classes are as fond as any other
of theii children, and as anxious to give them a
good education, and to prepare them for the strug-
gles of life. But we must admit that said classes'
have not the same means as others to secure their
children complete religious instruction. If the
school be Christian it will help the parents to per-
form their duty and to do justice to those they love-
so tenderly. If yon deprive parents of this reliance
you embitter their existence more and more, while
adding to their many trials. Who is not aware
of the anxiousness experienced by a good christian
mother, when she believes that her children are ex-
posed to pernicious influence ( Even the fear of
bad company often determines parents to keep their
children at home, and thousands of men have been

73

beprived of all sort of secular instruction for that
very reason. Give this feeling the name you choose,
for my part, I thiuk any real conscientious convic-
tion is entitled to regard, and I respect it.

Undoubtedly it is the duty ot parents to attend
persoiiHlly to the religious instruction of their child-
ren. But even supposing they do so, I say that it
is not desirable that such instruction be confined to
the paternal roof. It must (Vct-etoH to the school,
Otherwise the teaching in the family would soon be
looked upon by children as a thing to be left at
home ami of no use elsewhere. They would not
hold such teaching in the same esteem. Indifference
at first, and contempt soon after, would be the in-
evitable result of the contest between the domestic
and school teaching. The child must look upon
those who educate bird as the guardians selected by
the love of parents for his advantage. Teachers, to
succeed, need to captivate the attention and even
the affection of their pupiis. The latter must be
enabled to notice in their teachers not only learning
but also virtue, otherwise they will despise them
and even theirimprovement m their studies will
be hindered.

But how can a christian child whose religious
instruction is well attended to at hom-% regard with
respect and confidence the teacher who seems to
ignore everything about religion? The lessons of
tin- father and the mother ought to be corroborated
by the lessons of the person to whom they entrust
the tuition of their child, otherwise the lessons of
parents will turn to naught, or be at least singular-
ly diminished. A father will tell his sou to re-
member that God is everywhere, tint we should
walk in His presence, and work under His divine
eye, in order to please him and secure his help.
But if, on arriving at school, God must be left at
the door, and the intellect not to b'^ busied about
His remembrance, the strongest ittdtive for the
child to study a?id behave well, disappears. Use be-
comes unconscious of the want of divide assistance.
In fact the most manifest contradiction pre ails in
the mind. Children think more deeply than people
generally believe. The Contrast between the do-
mestic hearth and that of science, between the

74

lessons of parents and of their representatives, pro-
duces a very baneful impression on the minds of
youth. If a child is virtuous and well inclined he
will of course prefer domestic training, but if he ia
impetuous and of a nature difficult to control, he
will easily put aside the inculcations of religious
training and aim solely at pleasing himself. Butr
in all cases, he will be less studious, less respectful
to his teacher, less dutiful to his parents, and lose
many of the qualities that grace the good pupil and
the young christian. Experience, and the vety na-
ture of the human heart, prove that such is the un-
avoidable result of the boasted system.

Under the christian system the religious teach-
ing given at home is strengthened at school ; the
duties proclaimed by the father are extolled by the
teacher, all those who have any influence over the
intellect and heart of the young, agree among them-
selves and assist each other, the lessons are much
more efficacious, the impressions more lasting, and
the ultimate result incomparably more satisfactory.
The pupils are more earnest in their studies, behave
themselves better, people have, what they ask for :
Education. That is to say. the bringing forth all
the moral and intellectual faculties of the child for
its own benefit, and developing the good disposi-
tions of the young with advantage.

The greatest misfortune of those who study is
when their .studies drtw them from God and from
faith. Such an awful result is unfortunately of too
frequent occurrence though it ought to be avoided.
For, as it has been very properly said by a great
genius: " If a little science draws from God, much
science brings back to Him." The habit of study-
ing without reference to God has deceived many
men of mature years ; the deplorable result is much
more to be dreaded for unguarded youth. Ca( ho-
lies are justly alarmed at the great number of in-
fidels ''turned out" by certain public schools.

With too many laus, religions instrction is hardly
good enough for young children, nothing of the
kind being found in schools. And the school being
the house of learning, these lads believe themseives
"the learned." So, in the estimation of many,
aeligion and learning are no longer the inseparable

75

guide of the soul, but have become irreconcilable
«nemies ; and as the young man sees in knowledge
the means of making his way through life, religion
becomes, in his estimation, an impediment to sue
•cess and undesirable baggage. Such are the fruits
of the system in irself,

Now, some one will say : Such is not the case ;
I was educated in common schools, and I am as
religious as any, and in fact more than many that
were trained in Denominational Schools. So much
the better if you form the happy exception. I do
not argue on exceptions but «»n the rule, and there
are exceptions to every rule. Besides, obseive,
please, that 1 do not even argue against Common
or Public Schools, as such ; but me^eiy against
schools being called and pretending to be " non-
sectarian." No doubt — and I have already estab-
lished the fact — that in many instances a great deal
of religious instruction is imparted in Common or
Public Schools ; evidently the strength of my ar-
gument is not with these last schools, which are in
fact what T wish every school to be, viz., institu-
tions to secure religious instruction along with the
knowledge of secular branches.

An unmistakable proof of the undesirability of
education without religious instruction, is the fact
that all infidels of every shape, name and color, all
miscreants of every tribe and country, are zealous
promoters of the system, and regard it as the only
way to secure in time the negation of all teligion.
And, strange to observe, in many instances thrse
very supporters of the scheme send their own chil-
dren, especially their daughters, to religious insti
tutions, lightly judging that they will not only be
well educated, but that their morals will be safe-
guarded under the protection of religion. A man
may be a practical infidel himself, but there are
few, if any, who like to see their daughters brought
up under Godless tuition.

The church is undoubtedly a place of religious
instruction ; but a child will have but very meagre
teaching if he receives no other. It is well known
that Sunday schools cannot give complete religious
instruction, and that they ate but little attended,
if at all, by those who are in greater want of them,

76

notwithstanding the endeavors, in many instances,
of both parents and teachers to send children there.
Preaching is better adapted to adults than to chil-
dren, and cannot replace the incidental instruction
which may be given in school without effort as
without contention ; and which finds its natural
place on the lips and in the manners of a Christian
teacher .; in the explanation given, and which pene-
trates more easily into the mind of the child, be-
cause it is more frequent and in accordance with
its mental advancement. Without being felt, this
kind of instruction establishes in the soul of the
child dependence of everthing on God, and con-
vinces him of the necessity to have religion every-
where. Consequently renders him more moral
more honest, more of all he should be, not only at
home and during divine service, but in all circum-
stances of life. Everywhere he will make use of
the knowledge he has acquired in school. Other-
wise, religion would seem as if wrapped up with the
Sunday dress, and put aside for the week, as of no
use excent when going to church.

Of all the arguments against those who oppose
the system, the following is, in my estimation, the
weakest : " The plea of conscience sometimes urg-
" ed against non-sectarian schools is fallacious
" since such schools only fail by defect to teach re-
'Uigion." This is exactly the point, and -the very
reason that shows how undesirable the system is.
Such schools " fail by defect to teach" the thing
most indispensable, and such defect is so fatal, that
nothing cnn remedy it. The defect to teach what
ought to be taught — as the sole sure guide of any ac-
quirement— is precisely the justification of all the
opposition made against the system, and the proof
of its undesirability.

A few comparisons may show the weight of the
argument. Darkness only fails by deject to give
light, still no one thinks it is bright. Starvation
oxily fails by defect to give food, still no one esteems
its nourishing. Light clothing, during winter, only
fails by defect to keep warm, stiii people can safely
say the dress is cold.

Suppose a man in a state of starvation and ex-
posed to freeze to death on a dark night. Do you

77

think you could save, help or satisfy hirn by stoic-
ally saying : " Don't complain, my friend, you onlg
Jail by defect to have food, light and clothing. Hun-
ger will "not interpose obstacles"to your appetite when
you will have the chance of a meal. Darkness will
rest your eyes and prepare them to enjoy light. Ex-
posure will make you prize the comfort of warm
clothing. So don't be uneasy/'

And to say that this is exactly similar to what
we are told about religious instruction in schools \
While such instruction is unquestionably the purest
and brightest light ot the intellect, the true and
wholesome food of the heart, and the divine mantle
which protects the soul against the cold wind of
indifference, and the freezing blast of infidelity, both
leading to eternal death.

On what ground can any one expect to satisfy
earnest christians by the utterance, our "schools
only fail by defect to teach religion."

Such an argument reminds me of what happened'
in the small town of Atheopolis near one of the
numerous Devil's Lakes of the Western States.
People there decided on building a new school-
bouse. Just in the heart of the town there was a
slightly elevated point surrounded with all sort ot
attractions. The summit was planted with beauti-
ful trees, a delicious stream bathed the fooc of the
hill, pleasantly cooling the atmosphere during sum-
mer, and used as skating rink during winter. The
gentle slope of the hill and high rocks in the rear,
seemed to offer every facility for gymnastic exercise.
A' better site for a school house could not be ima-
gined, and it was secured by the unanimous vote of
all the rate-payers of the locality. The trustees
accepted a tender of an architect of great renown.
Nothing was spared to have a first class establish-
ment. A line large house was erected. The laws
of acoustics made all the apartments sonorous, with-
out excess, and deadened all outside noise. The
most learned dioptrics disposed the lights in a way
to rendei it abundant, pleasant and unhurtful.
Patented desks of the best style, were ordered from
Philadelphia. Globes, maps, and all appliances to
impart learning, were provided at great expense,
and a first class teacher engaged at a large salary.

78

The whole population, parents and children were
really enthusiastic, the new school house was the
topic of the day, and every one longed to see it open.
The architect, not content with the praise received
from all around him, was proudly drawing attention
to a certain apparatus he styled the " best system of
ventilation" and of his own invention. It served,
at the while, as an ornament and a sort of cupola
on the top of the building, communicated with all
the apartments and was set at work by the weight of
those attending school. Every one was seized with
admiration. An old architect who had great
experience and success in the erection of large edu-
cational establishments, was the only one who dared
to express a doubt as to the fitness of the structure.
On the day appointed by the trustees, the school
opened, and it was a real day of joy. .

The whole proved satisfactory, and according to
expectation, for a while Bui winter set in. Doors
and windows had to be closed, and a very unplea-
sant change followed. Children, as well as master.
became uneasy. A certain dullness was noticeable
with most of those attending school. Parents be-
gan to be apprehensive about the symptoms of v\ eak-
ness observed in their children. In the middle of
winter the thing got worse. Phthisic, dyspepsia,
diphtheria and many other diseases which had never
been known among the children of the place began
to spread rapidly. Medical men ware consulted,
but they could not ascertain the cause of the evil.
Finally a commission was appointed to make clo-e
ooservations. The commissioners repaired to the
school, called parents and children and began the
enquiry. But to their great astonishment, they,
themselves, soon began to feel weak and sick. The
whole was found to proceed from the scarcity of at-
mospheric air. At last they discovered that the
famous 'ventilator was nothing but an Air-Pump,
which was the harder at work as those present be-
came more numerous, for it was moved by the very
Weight of their bodies.

The doors and windows were immediately opened
to save the huge gathering from suffocation. The
discovery startled the people of the town, they be-
came as much against the architect as they had

79

avored him in the beginning. Many parents sued
him before a magistrate as having done so much
harm to their, children. The poor man could not
deny the fact, it was of public notoriety, but lie
gave the following explanation : " I'eople always
" complain of the difficulty oj ventilating a school
" room arid keeping perfectly clear of all unpleasant
" and injurious gas and air. I imagined that an
" Air Pump would be the very thing to suit the pur-
11 pose and unobjectionable, as the school would only
u fail by defect to have air, but, at all events, be free
"from all noxious vapors.1'

Such is the whole system of unchristian educa-
tion. T> avoid some of the thousand miseries in-
herent to human nature, and unavoidable under any
circumstances, the system adopts the most deplor-
able counterpart, in encouraging tuition that fails
by defect to teach the only remedy to human misery,
and may be justly termed a sort of pneumatic engine,
by means of which, all the religious dispositions of
children may be exhausted from their hearts.

89

4-.THE NON-SECTARIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM 19
NOT DESIRED.

This last affirmation may seem extraordinary,
and perfectly groundless on the part of one who
opposes the desire expressed to establish the system
in Manitoba. So I beg of the reader not to get
under the impression that I pretend to ignore, that
b certain number of the inhabitants of the Pro-
vince have expressed their sympathy for the sys-
tem, nor that I overlook their opinions. But I
Wish to point out in this number the reasons which
prove that the system is so little patronized and
meets with so much opposition, that we may justly
say — in a general way — that it is not desired. To
support what I here advance, I must naturally ex-
tend my observations outside of certain localities,,
and also of classes of individuals, even were they
numerous.

I am satisfied that our young Province, while
animated with the just desire to work for itself, has
not such pretension to superiority as to believe that
it can receive no lesson from elsewhere. Young
countries, as well as young men, need to study and
to know what has been done by their elders, to be-
nefit by their experience.

The question of education is so important, that
it would be follv to voluntarily ignore the pas<£ in
order to judge what ought to done or avoided in
future. Superficial men alone dispose with de-
plorable facility of an opinion contrary to their
own ; while men of learning and sense always
weigh with calm consideration the opinions of others
before repudiating them.

I address serious minds, and they, I am sure,
will not find fault with me for going as far as po ■•
sible, with regard to distance and time, to ascer-
tain, if in reality, the scheme I oppose is desired.
Therefore, to show that the immense majority of
those who have dealt with the question of educa-
tion have manifested no desire for the system, I

81

will briefly examine what has been thought of it
bv those of the different persuasions that profess
Christianism : how it stands in various Christian
countries ; and add a few remarks on the subject
with regard to the Dominion, without excepting
our young Province of Manitoba.

Having to mention the views of Christians, I
will follow chronological order, and, consequently,
begin by Catholics. It cannot be denied that they
are the oldest as well as the most numerous of all
Christian denominations ; I will even say the one
which has given most education. I know this is
saving a good deal ; still it is the least that can be
said to be true to facts and to history. Now-a-days
evevy one knows the opinion Catholics have always
had concerning religious instruction in schools. Its
necessity is for them a belief in which they all
unite, and it may be safely said that there is not
even one amongst them who desires the establish-
ment of a school system without religious teaching.
Not only the Sovereign Pontiff and his thousand
Brother Bishops repudiate the idea of such teach
inir, hut the clergy of all other orders, as well as
every layman, have but one opinion, and there are
not two convictions among Catholics on the point.
They who pretend " that there are thousands of
strict Catholics who are advocates of" the. "non-
sectarian system," do not know what a strict Ca-
tholic is, no more than they know what Catholics
consider as " fallacious" or not. It would be a vain
effort to search for one single sincere and educated
Cuholic that would advocate the system. All
C ttholics, of whatsoever rank or condition in Eu-
rope, Asia and Africa, as well as those ot Ocean ica
and America, reject it. There is in this very fact
sufficient matter for reflection, and, at least, the
proof of an opinion of some weight. They who lay
so much stress on the supremacy of numbers, ought
to tiud in this an argument against the system,
because Catholics are not only the most numerous
of Christian denominations, but they alone number
more than all other Christian denominations toge-
ther. Moreover, in this instance, the weight of
the " argument of numbers" is increased by the
weight of the " argument ot time." I will surprise

82

nobody by stating that the Catholic Church is as
ancient as Christianity ; consequently, that it has-
dealt with every century through the whole Chris-
tian era. The experience of nineteen centuries i»
something in the estimation of thinking men : and
the unanimous conviction which prevails through
the whole Catholic body in 1877, with regard to*
the necessity of religious instruction for youth in
school, has prevailed during the eighteen hnndred
years which Christian history allows us to compute.
I know that the number of men and the number
of years a^e not always, and in all matters, a crite-
rion of certitude; but, to ascertain a fact, such
numbers have alwavs great weight. When mil-
lions and millions of Christians are unanimous,
during eighteen centuries, in repudiating a system,,
it surely proves, at least, that such a system is not
desired. Any one anxious to frame a plan of edu-
cation suitable for Christian youth, in a Christian
country, cannot wisely consider such a fact as of
no importance. It is well known how far preju-
dice and ill-will can mislead, but there are facts-
which necessarily command attention. And that
of the unanimity and perseverance of Catholics, in
not desiring schools that fail by defect to teach
religion, is worthy of the mast serious consideration
of those who prepare schemes they intend for Ca-
tholics as well as for others.

The number of men as well as of years is not the
only reason that gives weight to the Catholic idea
on the subject. Even — swithout taking into consi-
deration what is most precious to Catholics them-
selves, and viewing merely what any reasonable
man cannot refuse to admit — that body, with re-
gard merely to the number of its members and to
the number of centuries through which it has ex-
isted, has necessarily greatei experience than any
other concerning education. Pagan Rome subju-
gated the world without educating it. Christian
Rome made the noblest of conquests by the educa-
tion of the world. Lombards, Franks, Saxons,
Britons, Celts, and so many other barl>urous nations
became the most civilized of the world in the Chris-
tian schools established by Christian Rome.

83

When implanted in Italy, Gaul, Great Britain,
^Germany, and elsewhere, Catholicity founded
schools, academies, colleges and universities, and
formed the legions of heroes, of saints, and of scholars,
that have thrown so much lustre on civilized Eu-
rope during fifteen centuries, and of whom so many
thousands elicit the just admiration of all truly
learned men of the present age. Yes, legions of
great men, in all branches, received their edu-
cation in the Christian schools of the time. There-
fore Catholicism, which, during the above period,
was the only religion of Europe, has a right to
claim experience in educational training. Such ex-
perience, joined to the number and to the length
of time, already alluded to, renders so much the
more worthy of attention the fact that Catholics
have no desire for Godless schools.

The fact of the successful training, due to the
experience of Catholicity, is very easily established.
It has, nevertheless, been repeatedly denied by
men, whose erudition in some other matters should
direct better.

Archeology and Statistics — so much appreciated
at the present time — have largely contributed to
put the thing in its true light. Some of the strong-
est opponents to Catholicity are foiced to render it
an unlimited tribute of praise, and to acknowledge
it as far the laryest nursery oj teachers, not only in
matters of faith, from its rudiments to the sublime
summits of sanctity, but also of teachers in secular
branches, from the rudiments of language to the
grandest and highest conceptions of genius.

May I be permitted to corroborate my statement
by the opinion of one, who has lately shown great
hostility to the Catholic Church, but who is suffi-
ciently learned to feel the' impossibility to conceal
what history records :

Mr. Gladstone, himself, is my authority. In
his " Studies on Homer" Vol. 2, pg. 631, he says
that the Roman Catholic Church " has marched for
" fifteen hundred years at the head of human civili-
" zation, and has driven, harnessed to its chariot,
" as the horses of a triumphal car, the chief intellec-
" tual and material forces of the world ; its learn-
" ing has been the learning of the world ; its arts

84

" the arts of the world ; its genius the genius of the
** world ; its greatness, glory, grandeur, and ma-
"■ jesty have been almost, though not absolutely, all
" that, in these respects, the world has had to boast
"of."

So much for fifteen centui ies. Since that time
competition in the field has only served to stimu-
late the efforts.

This important quotation is but one among so
many others supplied by Protestants, in justification
of Catholicism, against the undeserved accusations of
its being a body of only poor experience in the art
of teaching. Such testimonials as that just quoted,
ought to be, for every sensible man, a reason not
to reject a priori the unanimous conviction of the
Catholic body. Surely I am not in the wrong when
I maintain that the system I oppose is not desired
by the most numerous, the most ancient, and the
most experienced of all christian denominations.

Catholics are not the only christians that repu-
diate the system. The Greek Church is equally
adverse to it ; and the millions of " orthodox" < f
that church are as many adversaries of the ;«nti
christian scheme. The Czar of Russia has shown
to the world, and especially to his subjects, that
his government is not always of the most exquisite
tenderness. Still he h&a new** gone so far as to try
to eradicate all christian notions from the heart of
the nation by forcing, on its school population, the
dire trial of irreligious schooling. While mention-
ing that the Greek Church has no desire for the sys-
tem, I perfectly undei stand that I cannot remain
there long, for neither the adversaries nor the sup-
porters of the system, in Manitoba, have any idea
to take either in Russia, or in some of the Turkish
Provinces, the plan of education we want ; but
having to speak of all christian denominations, I
eould not help mentioning the Greek Church, which
counts so many millions of adherents.

Having stated that Catholics and Greeks have
no desire for the abolition of religious tuition in
schools, I naturally come to examine the views of
Protestants on the subject and here, again, I see in
the numerous body of Protestants, taken as a whole,
great opposition to the system, the scheme Wing

85

mot a Protestant, but an anti-christian inslitvZion.
I term Protestants those who separated from the
Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century,
4ind the various sects into which they have since
■subdivided. With this explanation, I say that the
immense majority of Protesta'hts have never had
the desire to see their children educated in schools
deprived of religious teaching. My assertion is
based on the fact that from the very establish merit
of their creed, the Protestants of Europe have been
anxious to have their children trained under reli-
gious tuition, and in schools where religious teach-
ing and religious exercises were freely practised.

That the Protestants of the United States sin<e
the foundation of the English color. y in America,
until 1840 or al>out, had established and supported
denominational schools and no other. That even
to day, in many localities of the United States, where
schools are exclusively conducted by Protestants,
the religious character of such schools is ]>erfectly
distinct. So much so that a Presbyterian divine of
Rochester said in a sermon preached on the 17th
Dec. 1871 : " There is a great deal of religion in
41 our schools * * * * from the ringing of
* the bell up to the recitation in the Anabasis,
"there is scarcely one thing that is not toned and
u shaped by the religion of our blessed Lord."

That the Protestants of Canada as well as those
of the Mother country have always thought it ad-
visable to secure religions education in schools, and
wherever the godless system was attempted, pastors
and parents multiplied private institutions to ob-
viate the disastrous consequences. If there were
no Catholics to be injured by the establishment of
" non-sectarian schools," Protestants would never
have thought of it in Canada no more than in the
United States. As ?, body they are adverse to the
system in itself, as clearly demonstrated by a close
investigation. Infidels alone like (he system for
itself.

A glance over countries known as well educated,
will bring the conviction that the scheme is not
patronized to the extent that is sometimes imagined.

It has been repeatedly, but falsely affirmed, that
a " non-sectarian" school system had been long since

86

established in Prussia, and that such was the cause
of its advancement of late. The truth is that old
Frederic King of Prussia, although an unbeliever
himself, and the intimate friend of Voltaire, felt
it a duty to enjoin religious instr action in the
schools of his kingddm ', and the regulations he pub-
lished on the 12th August 1763. prescribing re-
ligious instruction in schools, were fully preserved
until persecution broke out under Bismarck in
1872. True, after the disastrous campaign of 1806,
the system of education was remodelled, but nothing
was attempted to impede religious instruction. Far
from that, it was continued to the schools of every
denomination, and placed under the supervision of
their respective pastors Not only Protestants had
their schools, but Catholics had also theirs, and
even the Rabbins had the right and duty to look
after the schools, established for the children of Is-
rael. Tn small localities, where more than one
school could not be supported, the different deno-
minations came to an agreement, but always in a
way to preserve religious instruction. The whole
goes to show that the " non-sectarian system" was
neither practiced nor even desired in Prussia.

They who consider the school organization of
that country as the cause of its late success, ought
to be convinced that in this, as in preceding centuries,
religious instruction in schools does not prevent the
prosperity and the aggrandizement of a nation The
German army, which invaded France in 1870,
counted about one third of Catholics, and I am not
aware that it has been said that they, princes, offi-
cers, or even privates, were inferior to others, al-
though they 1 ad received religious instruction in
accordance with their faith.

The Swiss Republic has an organization some-
what similar to that of Germany, and religious
instruction is not banished from schools.

The Revolution of 1830, placed a disciple of
Voltaire on the throne of France. The son of
" Philippe Egalite" was, naturally, an enemy of
liberty of teaching. He insisted on the absolute
control of the Government on the high education
of the land, according to Napoleonian views. The
days of his reign were about the same as those of

87

the two Napoleons, and ended in like manner ; he
also having become a victim of the system. But,
notwithstanding the hostility of Louis Philippe to
any competition with the State in relation to Uni-
versities, Lyceums, Polytechnic Schools, etc., his
Government never dared to abolish religious in-
struction in the Common Schools. Such teaching
was maintained in the law passed in 1833. The
Bill was introduced " a la chambre des Deputes"
by the ptotound Protestant, Guizot, who made the
following remarks: "The teacher is summoned
" by the parent to share his authority; this au-
" thority he must exercise with the same vigilance

" and almost with the same affection You

'• know that virtue does not always follow in the
" train of knowledge, and that the lessons received
*' by children might become dangerous to them
" were they addressed exclusively to the under-
" standing. Let the teacher, therefore, bestow his
" first care on the cultivation of the moral qualities

"of his pupils Nothing, besides, is more

•' desirable than a perfect understanding between
"the minister of religion and the teacher ; both are
" in possession of moral authority ; both require
" the confidence of families ; both can agree in ex-
" ercising over the children committed to their
"care, in several ways, a common influence."

Had the idea expressed with regard to common
schools prevailed in the establishments of high
education in France, the country would not have
received the humiliation it has undergone.

In England, the Committee of Council on edu-
cation selected, for its secretary, Doctor James
Philip Kay. Doctor Kay is well known for the
services he has rendered to education. He was
even knighted by Her Majesty on that account.
He, travelled through the European continent to
study various school systems. He planned differ-
ent measures which were adopted by the Committee
of Council on education, and, subsequently, sanc-
tioned by the English Government. His nanit; is
an authority, and his views on education are con-
sonant with the public opinion of England and the
Parliament. I believe that a Canadian would not
show himself unworthy of a British subject, and

88

hostile to oui young Province, in adopting the
ideas expressed by Dr. Kay : " The parent should:
w not be led to regard the school as the privilege of
w the citizen, so much as another scene of house-
" hold duty. The communities are neither most
" prosperous, nor most happy, in which the political
" or social relations of the family are more promi-
V nent than the domestic. To make the households
" of the poor scenes of Christian peace, is the first
" object of the school. Wnv then should we substi-
" tute its external relations for its internal — the
" idea of the citizen for that of the parent — the
* sense of political or social lights for those of do-
** mestic duties — the claim of public privilege for
" the personal law of conscience V

Doctor Kay knew perfectly well the reglious
character that the desire of the English people had
imparted to the forty Normal schools of England
and Scotland. Twenty-seven of them being con-
nected with the church of England, two- with the
established church of Scotia d; two with the Free
Church in Scotland ; one with the Roman Catholic
Church, one with the Weslyan etc., etc., and in
speaking of these Institutions he says: — "The
" Eng'ish National Training College has thus re-
ceived a definite consideration, in harmony with
" the separate religious organization of elementary
" schools, and forty such establishments have been
" incorporated into a scheme of administrative ac-
"tion, in which the education of tne future school
" master commences in the infant, is pursued in the
" elementary school, developed during its appren-
" ticeship, and completed as a Queen's scholar in
" the Training College. In every part of his-
" career, he is subject to the direct and independent
" influence of the religious communion to which he
"belongs, through the managers of the schools or
" college."

It is clear, therefore, that England established a
general system of National schools not excluding'
religious teaching. I conclude that England hid
no desire for your " non- sectarian" system, perfect-
ly satisfied that religious training will never prevent
the development of the intellect, nor throw any dif-
ficulty in the way of educating the young. Even

89

should Manitoba retain denominational schools, I
think it would hurt nobody.

The following is a curious occurrence ; just at
the time that Gteat Britiain was studying continen-
tal system of education. The United States of
America were making similar enquiries. But,
strange to say, with an quite contrary result.

In 1837, the Massachusetts Board of Education
was formed and their agents sent to Prussia, Horace
Mann accomplished his mission but in a way very
different from what was done by the English dele-
gates. Instead of reporting the full system of
Prussia he exposed a mere skeleton of it. He pre-
served the dimensoins in showing its universality
and — if I may use the expression — the bones of the
system, in the government grant and private asses -
ment. But the soul, the moral life of the system
was left to those across the Atlantic. Until then,
the American schools had been christian, but the
organization established by Fanny Wright in 1827
was at work among the American people, and
urjred by the- idea of hurting the Catholics, whose
number began to be felt, had prepared the way for
the Report of Horace Mann. The Report was re-
ceived and the system accepted as a genuine Prus-
sian Institution while, in fact, it was nothing but a
natural produce of the French Revolution ami of
infidelity. There begins, as an exception, the de-
sire m a pro tes taut community, to have Godless
schools.

The system has prevailed there but the following
quotations prove that it is not in perfect harmony
with the views and desires of all American Protes-
tants.

Governor Seward, New York, in his message to
the Legislature in 1840, speaks as follows of the
children excluded from Public Schools, by the new
system : — " I do not hesitate, therefore, to recoui-
*' mend the establishment of schools in which they
" be instructed by teachers speaking the same lan-
" guage with themselves and professing the same
" faith.

The following year the Secretary of State,
Spencer, reported as follows : " No officer, among
" the thousands having charge of our common

90

" scliools, thinks of opposing by an authorative
" direction, respecting the nature or extent of moral
" or religious instruction to be given in our schools.
"The whole control is left to the free and unre-
" stricted action of the people themselves, in their
" several districts. The practical consequence is,
" that each district suits itself, by having such re-
" ligious instruction in its schools as is congenial to
" the opinions of its inhabitants."

Thirty Presidents of American Colleges at Ober-
lin, Ohio, passed among other resolutions, the fol-
lowing :

" Resolved, that we note with pleasure, the evi-
" dences of increasing interest in the literary, scien-
" tific, and especially the religious education of the
" youth of our land ; believing as w 5 do, that
" education not based upon Christian truth, is of
" questionable value."

" Resolved, that we commend these interests to
" the sympathies, prayers, and liberality of Christ-
" ian people and congregations, that our schools
" may be increasingly useful as fountains, not only
" of sound instruction, but also of earnest, elevated
"piety."

Doctor Anderson, of the Baptist Church, ad-
dressing the Baptist Educational Convention, in
New- York, says : " Happily, I need not say much
" on the moral and religious education in Colleges.
" By far the larger part of our colleges have been
"founded by religious men, and by prayer and
" faith, consecrated to Christ."

Rev. Doctor Clark, with the warm approval of
many influential men of different persuasions, say s:
" If we are to have a Christian nation, it must be
" by force of Christian ideas instilled into the
" hearts of the young. * * * It is clear from
" the history of the Free School system of America,
" that it had its origin in the desire to maintain the
" truths of the Bible in the hearts of all the people.
"The Bible, in fact, is its source. To remove,
"therefore, the Bible and its sacred piinciples from
"our system of education, would be to take from
" that system its very soul, its life giving power."

The Presbyterians of America, in their general

91

assembly in 1848, passed the following :

" Resolved, that this General Assembly, believ-
"ing that the Children of the Church are a trust
*' committed to the Church, by the Lord Jesus
'■ Christ, and having confidence in the power of
" Christian education to train them, with the
" divine blessing, in the way they should go, do cor-
" dially recommend their congregations to establish
" primary and other schools, as iar as may be prac-
" ticable on the plan, sanctioned by the last assembly,
" of teaching the truths and duties of our holy re-
" ligion in connection with the usual branches of
" secular learning."

In a convention of Baptists held in Marion,
Alabama, on the 12th April 1871, the following
opinion was expressed: "The tendency of the
"common school system is to foster infidelity, the
"only hope is christian education in our own
" schools."

According to the Right Reverend Doctor Coxe,
Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in New
York, these are the positions to be held by church-
men :

1st. " Secure to every human being the best edu-
" cation you can provide for him."

" 2nd. Where you can do no better, utilize the
" common schools and supplement them by addi-
" tional means of doing good."

" 3rd. But where you can do better, let us do
"our full duty to our children, and to all children,
" by gathering them into schools and colleges truly
christian."

Rev. Doctor Peck, President of the Board of
Trustees of the Syracuse university said : " The
" hope of our country is the christian religion, the
" putting of it where it is not and the allowing no
" man to take it away from where it is. Our in-
stitution is for positive Christianity, such as comes
'* fiom the Holy Bible, such as Methodists approve ;
" that which will influence your children to come
"to Christ. If you want anything else don't put
u me on the Board of Trustees, nor ask me to give
" anything. These are your principles. God for-
" bid that you should change them or seek to
"adjust them to the liberal religion of the day."

92

All the above opinions of leading clergymen of
different denominations shew, that the " non-sec-
tarian" system is not universally desired in the
United States. Its prestige lessens every day, as
may be learned from the superintendent of educa-
tion in Buffalo, in his report of 1870: "Thein-
" crease of the number and attendance of pupils at
"private schools, during the past ten vears, is a sub-
ject of serious consideration. Formerly the Pub-
" lie (schools monopolized almost entirely the educa-
" tion of our youth ; but at the present time, pri-
" vate and religious schools are attended by nearly
"25 per cent of those who are of the school
"age."

The annual report of the Board of Education in
the city of New Yo»k for 1870, establishes that the
same year, out of 155,603 children attending school,
46,049 were in private religious schools.

A communication sent to the Missouri Republi-
can of St. Louis, 22nd Feb. 1872, by E. H. Shep-
ard, after proposing to apportion to each denomina-
tional school in existence, the assessments levied
from their respective supporters, says: "Should
" action on this subject be much longer delayed.
" while we see such crowds flocking to parochial
" schools of different denominations, we may ex-
" pect to see a combined opposition formed against
" the present taxation that will endanger the labors
"of so many years."

Such a number of quotations mav be unpleasant,
and I will not multiply them, but resume my argu-
ment concerning the United States, by affirming
that, it is not exactly, a Herculean task, to bejome
convinced that, the "non-sectarian" system is not
universally desired by Protestants of diifesent deno-
minations, even among our neighbors; nor is it
difficult to show that, in many instances, it is very
different from what it is believed to be.

A word now about the Dominion. I say that a
system, purely secular, and without any reference
to religion, is not congenial to the desire of the
great majority of Canadians. Upper Canada has
been the field of many battles, and of immense
agitation on the school question. Gigantic efforts
were made, for many years, to secure secular edu-

93

-cation, having but little connection with religion 5
although the Rev. Mr. Ryerson, himself, styles his
a " Christian System." Notwithstanding all the
efforts made to prevent the establishment of sep-
arate schools, they are nevertheless, recognized.
The concession has quieted minds, restored har-
mony, and given, to the intercourse between Pro-
testants and Catholics, a friendly tone, which the
school question seemed, at one time, to have' ren-
dered utterly impossible. The volcano which vo-
mited flames enough to burn everything " popish''
and lava sufficiently abundant to bury alive all that
was " Romish," is extinguished. Now and then,
the cratera sends forth a little smoke, but nothing
compared with what took place at the time of the
School question. I am inclined to think that the
people 01 Ontario are better satisfied now than they
were then.

In the Province of Quebec, the Protestants have
their schools and the Catholics likewise. The
" non-sectarian" system is unanimously repudia-
ted.

I ignore what the future has in store for the Ca-
tholics of the Province of Nova Scotia. I am not.
prepared to say if they will long continue to enjoy
what practice has secured for them ; but, so far,
religion is not excluded from schools. The Pro-
vince of Nova Scotia, as well as those of Ontario
and Quebec, does not move in favor of a system so
much the less desirable as it is the more offensive
to the conscience of so many Canadians.

There remain New Brunswick, Prince Edward's
Island, and British Columbia. It is evident that
in these three Provinces, non-Catholics have de-
cided in favor of the system ; as it is equally clear
that the Catholics reject it. The latter being the
less numerous, have been defeated, and bear the
application of the old proverb, " voz victis" " (Woe
to the vanquished)."

This result, considered from a sectarian point of
view, is a source of jubilation for the enemies of
Catholicity. Their joy is so much the greater, as
the grief imposed upon their fellow-countrymen is
more bitter. The triumph, as well as the defeat, is
recent. God alone knows how long this state of

94

things will last. But it has certainly given rise to
undesirable strife, and bitter fruits have already
been produced. A body is never made healthy by
keeping open and irritating a sore. Besides, the
success achieved is not exactly what it seems to be.
If we come to a close investigation of the circum-
stances of the case, we will easily find out that,
after all, there is not a very great difference, even
in those provinces, in the number of those who re-
pudiate the system, and those who realy and prac-
tically voted on its merit. First, Catholics form
more than ore third of the population, then take
from the system the support of Protestants who are
not willing to make use of it for their own children,
under the conviction that it is hurtful ; count after-
wards those who voted for the system through mere
opposition to Catholicity, and because the " non- sec-
tarian" system had been made a sectarian question,
as well as those who voted tor it merely on political
grounds, as a question of paity. In a word, leave
the system to its real value and to the sympathy it
commands by itself and for itself and you will find
that the apparent sympathy will singularly dimin-
ish. It is a strange phenomenon to see the educa-
tion of youth used as a political engine, by political
parties ; and the phenomenon is still more astonish-
ing when we consider that the hottest religious ani-
mosity is developed 4o establish or support a sys-
tem which boasts of having no connection whatsoever
with religion.

For people who always speak of the power of
numbers, it is not consistent to believe that the
three smallest Provinces outside of our own, repre-
sent the Canadian opinion equally as well as the
three largest. Besides, the experience of three
smaller Provinces is but recent, and generates great
uneasiness in their mid.st. While the experience of
the three largest Provinces is more ancient, has re-
stored and maintained harmony among the different
sections of their respective populations.

The two Political parties who tight for power in
Ottawa, seem to have come to the same conclusion
on this question of education. The late administra-
tion, in providing for the organization of Manitoba,
did all they thought necessary to secure a system of

95

separate schools for the new Province. The actual
administration, in organizing the government of
the North-west Territories, has enacted in the same
sense, and granted separate schools to said territo-
ries. When succeeding to power, both parties ral-
lied large majorities in votes expressing their regret
at the condition of things in New Brunswick. It is
impossible not to see in all this, that Canadians are
rather in favor of a system of education which would
leave full liberty to follow religious convictions on
the subject.

In beginning this number, I said I would go as
far as possible with regard to time and distance. I
think the tour I have made is long enough to ful-
fil my promise, and it is time to come back to Mani-
toba.

What does Manitoba think on the subject1? —
every man sees with his own spectacles; and, even
at the risk of being accused of being blind, I cannot
say that I see, on the part of the people of Manito-
ba, the desire to repudiate all religious instruction
in the schools for their children. Almost every
session our Legislature is modifying the school- law,
and every year the action of the Legislature is in
the same direction ; that is to say, the recognition,
more and more explicit, of the system of seperate
schools. In fact, Protestant and Catholic schools
are no where more separate and distinct than in
Manitoba. Two Superintendents, one Protestant
and one Catholic ; two sections of the Board of Edu-
cation, one Protestant and one Catholic, each with
entire jurisdiction over the schools of their denomi-
nation, and none atall over those of the other see-
not even the right, for the members of either
<m to visit, officially, the schools of the other;
>wer of each section, to, respectively, establish
di crs within the same limits. The Government
gi i alloted to both sections of the Board, accord-
in o the Protestant or Catholic population. In
a t. the most complete and entire separation,

v ut any idea of dependence or of exceptional

| Li. Thi^ very year the law for the creation of

a isitv iii Manitoba, explicitly recognizes the

1 actual system of education. An

exj lanation of our present laws,

96

leaves no room for ambiguity about the levying of
assessments for our common schools, as it says i

" In no case a Protestant rate-payer shall be
" oMiged to pay for Catholic schools, and a Catholio
" rate-payer for a protectant school." Our school
law shows clearly that our people are not, after all
so averse to denominational or christian schools, con-
sequently, that they are not in earnest about the
" non-sectarian system." The Members of the Leg-
islature knew what they were about, and their per-
serverance in voting in the same sense, for seven
years, is congenial to the views of the population.
Moreover, our statutes have incorporated as de-
nominational, the three colleges which exist in the
Province, and two others intended to be established
at a later period ; as they have also incorporated
Denominational Institutions for the education of
young ladies.

What is the meaning of all this, except that all
the different denominations of Manitoba, all those
under their respective control in the Province, all
those who aid in their support from abroad, that all
have the sincere conviction that the religious future
of families depends, not only on the instruction that-
children receive at home and in church, but on
that which they receive in schools; That young
people will be what they will have been taught to
be' in school. Why all such distinctions if — as.
" some say : — "a good strong secular education is all
" our people want for our school population V

If a religious establishment is a proper place —
and it is — for college students, such qualification
renders it also desirable for other pupils. If it is
good for those who attend colleges to have religious-
tuition, it is just as good for those who attend com-
mon schools. The latter schools are intended for
the main body of the people. Why then deprive
the main bod\ of the children of the people, of the
advantage that other can secure for their children,
by educating them in colleges 1 Riches and rank
are not exceptional titles to the benefit of a christian
eduoation.

If it is desirable for young gentlemen and young
ladies to receive a refined education, in religious-
establishments, it is equally desirable that every

97

christian* boy and christian girl receive a christian
education, in the only schools they can attend. It
is cruelty to refuse religious institutions to children,
because their parents are not in such circumstances
as to enable them to send them to colleges or boarding
schools. I fail to conciliate the manifest contradic-
tion on the part of men, who would not send their
own children to schools, where there is no religious
instructions ; who do all in their power for the suc-
cess of establishments in which they, themselves,
teach religion along with secular branches, and who
at the same time do all they can to deprive common or
public schools of a similar advantage, in endeavoring
to establish a system of education such, that infi-
delity or, at least, indifference for religion be the
result.

The college student needs the help of strong con-
victions and solid religious instruction, to be guard-
ed against the seductions of the high condition, to
which he aspires; but others, in the ordinary classes
of society, have an equal want of religious convic-
tion, to enable them to endure the toils and afflic-
tions of life, the temptations, which naturally fol-
low the sight of the riches of others, and to' be
through all their life, useful to society and to them-
selves.

These my convictions are those of most of the
people of Manitoba, and as the result cannot be se-
cured without religious instruction, accompanying
teaching of secular branches in schools, I say in con-
clusion : The people of Manitoba as other Cana-
dians, as a large proportion of Americans, as the
whole of christian Europe, have no desire for God-
less or nonsectarian schools.

98

THIRDLY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NON-SECTARIAN:

SCHOOLS FROM A SOCIAL POINT OF VIEW.

The object of education is to improve the person
who receives it so that it may be useful to himself,
to his family, and to society in general. It is un-
deniable that instruction not tending to have this
result, or unfit to secure it, is absolutely defective
and more dangerous than useful. A school system
which excludes all religious teaching becomes, ne-
cessarily, a nursery of infidels, and is, consequently,
the enemy of social order. What I advance, is
said, I know, not to be in accordance with the
"spirit of the age" but I kno \ also, that the same
spirit of the age is, unfortunately, opposed to the
spirit of Jesus Christ, and for me, as for every
u christian " Jesus Christ yesterday, and to-day :
and the same for ever/' So, I repudiate any teach-
ing which lessens the knowledge of Divine Wis-
dom.

The greatest social danger of our age is the de-
ehristianization and the demoralization of the rising
generation. And, no doubt, the quickest aud the
surest way to deehristauize and demoialize a peo-
ple, is to instruct them as a pagan nation, by the
complete neglect of religious .instruction. I said
that the non-sectarian system has not my sympathies
from a teligious standpoint; becaus-. instead of
forming the heart to virtue and religion, the tend-
ency of its very nature is, to paralyize and stifle
every religious disposition. Another natural con-
sequence of the system is, a tendency to the d< struc-
tion of social order. I consider religion •» the sole
solid foundation ol society. Any thing prejudicial
to religion is also dangerous to society. Therefore
even fiom a mere social point of view, I reject any
school system which excludes religious teaching.
I need not say, 'once more, that I do not oppose
common or public schools, as such, for the fact is.

99

that public schools owe their first establishment in
the world to a religious sentiment and religious au-
thority As early as Anno Domino 529, a Council
of the Catholic Church (Vaison), recommended the
establishment of Public schools. A Synod at
Mentz, held in 800, ordered that the parochial
priests should ha\e schools in the towns and villa-
ges; in order, said the Synod, that, ''the little
u children of all the faithful should learn lettei$froni
"them. Let them receive and teach these with the
u utmost charity, that they themselves may shine
" as scars for ever. Let them receive no remunera-
tion from their scholars, jnless wjiat the parents,
" through charity, may voluntarily offer." A coun-
cil, held in Rome in 836, describes the different
kinds of schools to be established through Christen-
dom ; not only in towns and villages, but wherever
there could be found place or opportunity.

The spirit of the church has not changed, and as
the church likes schools so do I. Public schools.
Common schools, schools for the rich and for the
poor ; but L like them all to be christian schools;
and I repudiate pagan or godless schools, as I re-
pudiate the spirit of the aye, which tends to in-'
culcrtte the doctrine that Go I has nothing to do
with the things of this world, and that His teaching
is m>t the sole guide of society, as well as of the in-
tellect.

The end of education is to develop the faculties
of the soul. And in so doing, becomes, as it were,
another faculty at the service of those who have
the ad vantage of being educated. But this faculty
may be pernicious as well .m it may turn to be use-
ful. To be advantageous,even socially, edxic&twn must
be directed by religion. Giizot says: "Popular
" education to be truly good and socially useful,
" must be fundamentally religious." Experience
shows that knowledge without religion is exceed-
ingly baneful : those who have done most harm to
humanity were learned men. The same conviction
is expressed as follows, by T.ord Derny ; «• Reli-
" gion is not a thing apart from education, but it
" is interwoven with its whole system ; it is a prin-
" ciple which controls and regulates the whole
" mind and happiness of the pople." The un-sec-

100

tarian system is quite contrary to these views, and
opposed to the welfare of society, because it does
not prepare the heart for the duties of life. Hear
the Protestant Bishop of Tennessee : — " The secular
" system took no notice of God or of Christ, or of the
" church of the living God, or, except in the most
" incidental way, of God's Holy Word. The intel-
" lect was stimulated to the highest degree, but the
" heart and the affections were left uncultivated. It
" was a system which trained for the business of
" life, not for the duties of life." Nobody then
ought to wonder at the disastrous consequences of
the system.

Governor Brown, addressing the seventh Natio-
nal Tea.-hers' convention in St. Louis, did not hesi-
tate to say : " It is a very customary declaration
" to pronounce that education is the gre Uest safe-
" jruard of republics against the decay of virtue and
"the reign of immorality. Yet the facts can scarce-
" ly bear out the proposition. The highest civiliza-
" tions, both ancient and modern, have sometimes
" been the most flagitious. Nowadays, certainly,
" your prime rascals have been educated rascals.

" And it is at least doubful whether education in
" itself, as now engineered, and confined merely to
" the acquisition of-knowledge, has any tendency to
*' mitigate the vicious elements of human nature.
" farther than to change the direction and type of
"crime.

" This is not alleged, be it understood, of moral
" culture or religious instruction but simply of the
" edncation of the intellect."

The thing is so clear and so manifest, that many
organs of publicity in New York, through New
England and elsewhere, readily acknowledged that
the corruption which is spreading, at an awful rate,
in the United States, is the result of the Suppression
of religious instruction in the Public schools of the
country. It cannot be otherwise, because if, in the
culture of man you neglect, a part of himself, you
destroy the just equilibrium b< tween his natural facul-
ties. The culture of the intellect, at the cost of
moral and religious feelings, is nothing but a dan-
gerous tx>l that your pupil will use against himselt
and against society. Suppose a two edged weapon,

101

pointed at both ends, but having no handle with
vvhieh to use and direct it. Such a weapon could
not be employed without being hurtful, and so
so much the more so as it is sharpened
all aiound with greater care and perfection.
This extraordinary instrument would be an
image of the intellect cultivated without the
aid of religion. Such tuition is so much the more
dangerous, as it seems mote :etined and per-
fect ; while, in reality, there is nothing to guide and
direct it.

An illiterate individual may ignore the law of
God, and be wicked enough to do evil. But, as a
rule, all the harm he does is on a small scale ; while
a large field for mischief is at the disposal of an
educated man, who has neither the knowledge nor
the love of the divine Law. Peter Chrysologus
culls teachers of youth, the " substitutes of angels."
There is no exaggeration in such a sublime appella-
tion, provided the teacher is a real " messenger of
God," one who brings the good tidings, one who
guides the heart, one who enlightens and directs
the soul in the way to praise God, to pray to Him
and to please Him. Teaching is a sublime aposto-
late, a noble mission, provided always, it contributes
to form the heart of the young and follows the in-
junction of the Divine Master : " Suffer little child-
dren to come to me."

On the other hand, the noble profession loses its
sublime character in receiving little children to
hand them back to society, without that which must
guide them through life. This is refusing the little
ones the bread of divine knowledge : " The little
on< s have asked for bread, and there was none to
break it unto them."

Unsectarian schools forget that the Saviour says :
" Whoever shall receive one such little child in my
name receiveth me." Such a system has, necess-
arilv, an influence over the hearts of the children
committed to its guidance. And, as it does not
help in bringing them to God, it is sure to take
them fiom Him. Consequently, it scandalizes the
children, at least, by defect to teach them what they
need for themselves and for society. And this
scandal is denounced very severely by God, who

102

says : " But he that shall scandalize one of these
" little ones, it were better for hirn that a mill stone
" were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned
" in the depth of the sea."

We all ki ow what paganism gave to society.
Why then endeavor to establish a system of educa-
tion, having for its inevitable result, the bringing
back to paganism, countries civilized by christian
teaching 1

Social order requires mutual confidence between
different ranks and conditions. But what kind of
confidence can be reposed on one who has no re-
ligious instruction 1 Outside of religious considera-
tions, egotism is the sole motive of those who act-
And such motive of action makes of all the mem.
bers of society, so many enemies of its general wel-
fare ; because the individual, resuming all his as-
pirations in self, will turti against society whenever
it may suit his interests. And we may safely say
that the refinement of irreligious Public Schools
can do no better than render the people refined
pagans.

The system of education without roligior., tern is
to nothing less than to poison the happiness of fa-
milies ; and a child under its guidance, is greatly
exposed to lose respect and obedience for its pa-
rents. Suppose an adolescent, in unfavorable cir-
cumstances, whose intellect has been very highly
stimulated in godh ss schools; what do you think
he will be at, home? His parents may not have
received the same degree o instruction, or may
have lost it amidst the toils and troubles of a life
of labor. Poverty does not, by itself, take away
the sensibility and tender feelings 'of the heart; but,
too often, it singularly diminishes the pleasant
countenance and amenity ot manners And then
it is of daily occurrence, to see young men of un-
sectarian education, despise their poor mother ; for-
get her tenderness and affectio' , and merely call
her with indifference and f I isrespect, " t/te old wo-
man" The father, who has nothing to give but
his labor and the sweat of his brow, is often stvled
by his learned son, " the cross old mat/.." Religious
instruction would have counterbalanced the propen-
sity of slightly educated youth, to believe themselves

103

superior to their parents, who have encountered thft
sad realities of life, and who have amassed no for-
tune.

The culture of the intellect without that of th<*
heart, develops the spirit of vanity in children of
the poorest classes. Associated in school, with
children in better circumstances, the child of the
poor bears, in that respect, a pression which has
the most deplorable consequences. Such a child
ofVn becomes insolent towards his parents, on a
mere question of dre«s. It is not enough tor him
to see his father hard at work earning bread for the
family, and his mother worn out with fatigue ; the
yorng man who receives instruction not interwoven
with feeling, becomes the torment of a poor family,
and becomes more and more troublesome, as he ex-
pects, thereby, to force his parents to sati>fv his
vanity. How many mothers have slied the bitter-
est tears, how many fathers have over-worked thein-
selves and injured their health to have peace with
their unfortunate sous, who had received instruc-
tion without being educated ! !

A great difference is found in children who re-
ceive the education of the heart; i-eligious instruc-
tion along with the culture of their understanding.
Buch education makes the child remember one of
the reasons for bearing with patieho \ and even with
a certain amount of satisfaction, the hardships and
humiliations of poverty, for he has often heard the
words : " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for thews
is the kingdom of heaven." He lovingly recalls the
wo'ds : *' He that honore h his father shall enjoy
Ion.; lite. H«j t! at hom-reth his mother is as one
that laveth up a, treasure." And, should the im-
petuosity of youth be menacing, christian teaching
will remind him "of what an evil fame is he that
" forsakcth his father? and he is cursed of Uod that
" angereth his mother."

These lessons, nio re profitable to society than any
profane acquirement, would keep peace, harmony,
and happiness under the roof of the poor as well as
as of the rich, ami throughout the whole social body.
The teacher who inculcates such principles in the
hearts of his pupils, largely contributes to the pub-
lic welfare, and in particular, to the comfort of pa-

104

rents who have entrusted their children to his care.
The young man who has received such instruction
from a learned and respected teacher, will find no
weariness in the company of his parents ; and a
shabby dress will less hurt his pride when he re-
members it is written : " The son of man hath not
where to lay his head."

Besides the examples of the Divine Redeemer,
religious teaching of history will offer, for the ad-
miration and imitation of pupils, a number of illus-
trious personages who, amidst the greatest and most
complete destitution, extended the culture of their
mind to the highest degree, and formed their hearts
to the most heroic virtues. Children of christian
education, will console and honor their parents,
while those trained under the other system will
despise, desert and abandon them. Yes, there is a
vast difference between good and bad instruction ;
between religious and irreligious training ; between
the mere culture of the intellect andthe develop-
ment of all the good dispositions of the human soul,
in a word, between Christian and Godless schools.

The Pagan system cannot fail to favor the pas-
sions, but fails to render virtuous. It neither af-
fords a remedy against evil inclinations, nor gives
what is necessary to strengthen the will against
them.

All the " learned " of unchristian schools, cannot
obtain situations coiresponding with the instruction
they have received, and, much less, with the ambi-
tion it has excited. What then is to be the social
fate of a young man who, through all his school
training, received neither religious nor moral in
strnction, who, consequently — as far as his school-
ing goes — is perfectly ignorant of divine law and of
his obligations towards society 1 He daily witnesses
the comfort and luxury of the rich, sometimes his
inferiors with regard to instruction. What motive
can encourage him to endure poverty or prevent him
from using illegitimate means to get money 1 He
feels strongly inclined to enjoy absolute freedom
and independence ; what motive can determine him
to submit to any authority or law ?

The strength of the police is the only means at
the command of society, for its protection. But

105

woe to society if the police be weak and unvigilant !
It would be a poor defein-e against a crowd of eru-
dite without position or resourse, without even the
desire of honest but humble labor, the latter be-
ing considered, by them, as unworthy of the instruc-
tion they have received.

Crime is, by no means, the result of ignorance in
reading or writing : but it is, by all means, the re-
sult of ignorance or neglect of the law of God.
Consequently, human knowledge, without religious
knowledge, tar from being a prevention of crime
is, in too many instances, a source of temptation,
so much the greater as human knowledge itself af-
fords the means of satisfying the passions and of con-
cealing the faults committed.

This ought to be kept in mind, in order to judge
fairly of the social results of the " non-sectarian "
school system. Some twenty years after it had
been established in the United States, the "Church
Journal," in an article bended ; " The Common
School System a Failure," said, " The Common
" School System is proving a disastrous failure. It
"has grown up on the pledges it has given of its
" ability to make crime less frequent, to confer
"greater security to life and property, and to give
" elevation to the tone of national morality. But
" it does not at all fulfil these promises. The whole
"system, we regret, is proving a lamentable failure.
" The prevailing system is lamentably

"defective ; in that it does not aim at the training
"of the whole man ; neglecting as it does, the moral
"and controlling powers of human nature, and
" concentrating all its force upon the development
" of the intellectual powers. The prevalent notion
" that-maukind are vicious because ignorant, and
" that to make them weretii] it is only necessary to
" make them intelligent, is contradicted alike by
" sound philosophy and universal experience.

The " Richmond Examiner," another Protestant
paper, published at the same time the following : —
" The worst of all the abominations, because, once
" installed, it becomse the hot-bed propagator of all
" — is the modern system of Free Schools."

No wonder that a report of the Prison Associa-
tion of New York, revealed a " most alarming in-

106

crease of erime, since the introduction of the Com-
mon School System into the country. "

What shall I say now of .the awful consequence*
of the system, with regard to its deplorable neglect
in the training of the female portion of the com-
munity'? Without i| -ivfcig my own appreciation, I
will approach tlie subject by the following, written
by a distinguished American Lady. (M. M. page
119,. " Aibove all you c»n notice in the young
"women of the present day a madness beyond de-
" scription for dress, for balls, theatres, and all
•' kin Is of worldly amusements. The chief mental
"agony of the masses of the young women of the
*' present day seems to be, who shall have the laig-
" est waterfall, the smtllest bonnet, and make them-
" selves the greatest fright, Wore it not for their
"vain daughters, hundreds of parents at this mo?
" rneut would have a happier countenance, and not
" that careworn wretche I look that we so frequent-
" ly see when honest people get in debt, inclined
"by living beyond their means.

" In Boston, a short time ago, one hundred and
"eighty unfortunate girls were artvsted in one
" night ; and 1 doubt n>t that the greater portion
"of them could have once been respacoable servants,
" but considered the office and name too louo ! It i*
" this delusion, this false i>ride. that crowds the
" streets nightly with pretty y amg girls, some of
"vfrhem count only twelve short summers. With
"Hamlet, £ exclaim, 'Oh, horrible! most horri-
" ble."

"The truth is, that after a girl is fifteen yens
"old, in this c iiintry, <me considers hers J f a person
" of sound jul'j merit. These girls are simply living
" pictures walking about the earth, deriding eVery-
" thing they are iucapibleof understanding. And
" who could be charmed with such women 1 — with
•' ' Grecian bends,' ' Grecian noses V "

I naturally leave the responsibility of the picture
to the one who has drawn it. I have no personal
knowledge of the moral and social c m lition of the
young women of the eastern cities of the United;
States. In travelling, I sometimes witnessed tilings-
I would have liked to see different ; but I am not
inclined to judge a people, or a portion of them, by

107

observations, necessarily superficial and void of ail
that, i»i my estimation, is requisite lo judge sound-
1\\ It is quite averse to my disposition to fellow
tlie course of travellers wlio pass seyeie condemna-
tion on tilings, persons and Dimmers they are per-
fectly unacquainted with. Noble countries and
moral populations have been, too often, victims of
the levity and unfairness of judgment on the part
of tourists. I will not fall into the same error, i or
assume such responsibility. Nevertheless, as I
oppose a svstem I believe dangerous, nobody can
find fault with me for searchi. g for proofs in the
very ami only country where the system has been
tried for a certain period. Meanwhile, having to
mention very grave affirmations, I shall avoid any
quotation from parties who might, be suspected of
being animated by national prejudice. I shall,
merely, quote from American authorities ; from
• newspapers, avowedly and truly, devoted to the ho-
nor and welfare of their country.

A work entitled " Satan in Society," and pub-
lished by a well known American physician, not
satisfied with statements that corroborate what I
have just cited, does not hesitate to attribute to the
" non-sectarian school system" the horrible revela-
tions it contains A great deal cannot be repro-
duced here. The following is sufficient (page 194) :

"The evils and dangers of the prestnt system of
"education, and bringing up the boys and girls of
"our country, are too obvious to require minute
" description. Irreligion and infidelity are' pro-
" gressing pari passu with the advance guards of
" immorality and crime, and all are fostered, if not
"engendered, by the materialistic system of 'school
"instruction, and the consequent wretched training
"'at home and on the play ground; The entire ab-
u pence of all religious instruction from the school
" room is fast bearing fruit in a generation of inti-
" dels, and we are becoming worse even than the
" Pagans of old, who had at least their positive
"sciences of philosophy, and their religion1, such as
" it was. to oppose which was a criminal offence.

" But we have not only the removal of the salu-
" tary restraints of religious influence from our
* popular system of education : we have the pro-

108

" miscu us intermingling ot the sexes in our public
" schools, which, however much we may theorizfi to
" tlie contrary, is. to say the least, subversive of
"that modest reserve and shyness which in all
"ages have proved the true aegis of virtue. We
"are bound to accept human nature as it is, and
"not as we would wish it to be, and both Christian
" and Pagan philosophy agree in detecting therein

" certain very dangerous elements Nour-

" ished by languishing glances during the hours
"passed in the school room, f lined by more inti
"mate association on the journey to and troin
"school, fed by stolen interviews and openly ar-
" ranged festivities — pic nics, excursions, parties and
"the like — stimulated by tlie prurient gossip of the
" newspaper, the Hash novels, sentimental weekl es
" and magazines, the gallant of twelve years is the
"libertine of fourteen. That this picture is not
"overdrawn, every experienced physician will bear
" witness.

" And as for the Public School girls, they return
"from their ' polishing schools — these demoiselles
" — cursed with a superficial smattering of every-
" thing but what they ought to have learned — phy-
sical and moral wrecks, whom we, physicians, are
"expected to wind up in the morning tor the hus-
" band-hunting excitements of the evening. And
" these creatures are intended for wives ! But
" wbes only, for it is fast going out ot fashion to
" intend them for mothers — an * accident' of the kind
" being regarded as 'foolish' !

" We assert, then, that the present system of
" education, by its faults of omission and com-
" mission, is directly responsible, not, it is true, for
" the bare existence, but for the enormous preval-
" ence of vices and crimes which we deplore ; and
" we call upon the civil authorities to so modify the
" obnoxious arrangements of our schools, and upon
" parents and guardians to so instruct and govern
" their charges, that the evils may be suppressed,
" if not extinguished."

After reading the above, it is more regrettable
than surprising that Mr. W. H. Storey was forced
to publish, in his paper, the Chicago "Times," and
to sustain the assertion that : " The Public

109

" School System in Chicago had become so corrupt,
" that any schoolboy attending, who had r. itched
•"fourteen years of age, was whistled at by his
"companions as a spooney, if he had not a liaison
" with some one or more of the public school girls !"
The Daily "Sentinel," of Tndianapolis, onored
Mr. Storey's articles, and added that: "It was
" only too true of Indianapolis, also, judging by
" the wanton manners of troops of the girls at-
tending public schools in Indianapolis."

The disasterous social results of the unsectarian

school system are plainly lamentable, as shown in

the following editorial article of the Boston Daily

•Herald." of October 20th, 1871: "Year after

4 year the Chief of Police publishes his statistics of

• prostitution in this city, but how few of the citi-

• zens bestow more than a passing thought upon

• the misery they represent ! Although these
' figures are laige enough to make every lover of
' humanity hang his head with feelings of sorrow
' and shame at the picture, we are assured that
' they represent but a little, as it were, of the
'aciual licentiousness that prevails among ail
' classes of society. Within a few months, a gen-
' tleman, (Prof. Agassiz), whose scientitic attain-
' ments have made his name a household word in
'all lands, has personally investigated the subject,
'and the result 1ms tilled him with dismay ; when
' he sees the depths of degradation to which men
'and women have fallen, he has almost lost, faith
' in the boasted civilization of the nineteenth
'century. In the couis^ of his inquiries, he has
' visited both the well-known ' house of pleasure'
'and the 'private establishments' scattered all
' over the city. He states that he has a list of

• both, with the street and number, the number of
' inmates, and many other facts that would per-
' fectly astonish the people if made public. He
' freely cow versed with the inmates, and the life-
' histories that were rvvealed were sad indeed. To
' his utter surprise, a large proportion of the 'soiled
'doves' traced their fall to influences that met them
' in the Public Schools; and although Boston is
'justly proud of its schools, it would seem, from
' his story, that they need a thorough purification.

110

" Tn too many of them, tlie most obscene and soul-
" poJluting books and pictuies chculate among
"-both sexes. The very secrecy with which it is
" done, throws an almost irresistible chaim mIm ut
"it ; and 1o snch an extent has the evil gone, that
" we tear a large proportion of both boys and girls
" possess some of the artich s, which they kindly(?)
" lend to each other. The natural result folio vis,
" and frequently the most debasing ?>nd revolting
" practices are indulged in. Ami the evil is not
" confined alone to Boston. Other cities suffer in
" the same way. It is but a fewyeais suet the
"second city in the commonwealth was stimdal-
" most to its foundations by the discovery of an
"association of boys and girls who wire wont to
" indulge their passions in ore of the school-
" houses of the city ; and not long ago, another
" soniewhat similar affair was discovered by tlie
fl authorities, but hushed up for fear of depopulat-
" ing i he schools."

Enough on a subject so painful and so delicate.
Pespect for the r< ader does not allow me the repro-
duction of numerous testimonies I have at hand,
based on multiplied facts which show how far the
non-sectarian p-cbool system has been prejudicial lo
the nations tljat have adopted it. Persons versed
in statistics, cannot help being horrified at what they*
establish* on the subject, Let those who take an
interest in this mighty social question, compute the
official figures gjiven in public documents, and they
will soon become con \ inced that, education, even
when largely diffused, hut not based on iehg on. is
never beneficial to society; and that philanthropists
have every reason to join with christians in the
adoption of a mode of education capable of r* medy-
ing the evil. The very nature of the too well known
evil ibices me to be reticent ; but I am sure to be
understood by those who are expected to guide
public opinion.

Alluding to the same subject, the eloquent Bishop
McQuaid, in a public lecture on schools says:
" Down to I his depth of religious degradation have
" the christian people of this state (New York)
"fallen. We, Catholics, believe that they forsook
u their earlier system of education to keep us from

Ill

" its advantages and to hurt our church. They
" have hurt ihemselves as christians and honest men,
" th -v have ema scul tted education of ail that gives
" it vitalizing power ; they have helped to place the
" cauker-wor.n of intioelity in the body p ditic,
"through the childrm ; we have stfflfered in a pecii-
" niary way, and Because, like good citizens, we suf-
" tei- when taV country suffers."

I will take the liberty to sav to the people of
M mit »ba. Be per>aude I that the propose I system
would be still more pernicious to Protestants than
to Catholics. Citholies repudiate the scheme,
its establishment woil I throw obstacles in
the way of e hieatiOu of their children
and drive them awav from the Public
schools; then parents woul I hive to establish
scuools of th<«ir ovn. So CVholies would suffer
pecuniarily, being deprived «d' the advantage to be
derived from a liberal syst an of education, but the
v.-rv supporters of the non sectarian system would,
here as tdsewhere. reap its bitterest fruits, its social
d'-in >ralizatiou. Our loss would be external, theirs
wo lid be internal; Tue journal of commerce, al-
rea iy cit ; I, alftr us as follows; '* Vs Protestant,
" from the m >st earnest conviction, we believe tint
" nothing lias contributed so much to the extension
"of the R)ntn Catholic o'rgiiiiz itioa and inHumee
" in bliis country, as the. partial persecutions it has
'•r-eeivel."

There is not the slightest doubt that the Public
sch ad system has obliged the Catholics of the Uni-
te I States to take an exc option tl p>sitiou an I has
rallied theai closdy together, and tmallv hastened
their deVeloptne it and strengthened them as a b > ly.
Tlie'r school organization, we ik and despised at first
is sueli now, that several religious denomin -ttious
are following the example in establishing schools
of their own. It is not the first time that vexarion
has turned to the ad vantage of the vexed and to
th,j disappointm ait of the vexers.

There cari be uo real social advintaye to compen-
sate for the real social disadoant uje of Godless
tuition.

L 't us examine the pretexts under which it is
proposed as being socially advantageous : It is said

112

that a system allowing freedom of education, in-
creases materially the expenses. lam very far from,
endorsing such an idea, and I am certain that a
system of Public Schools whicli allows fall jreedorti
about religion, naturally satisfies the religious feel-
ing of the people, and that very feeling is the abun-
dant source from which liberalities flow, largely
contributing to promote education. It is the same
religious feeling that inspires thousands of persons
with the desire to devote themselves entirely to the
noble task of educating the youngr without laige
pecuniary remuneration. The establishment of
" non-sectarian schools" would put a stop to the
resources flowing from christian charity, and, con
sequently, throw on taxation the whole burden of
supporting schools The prohibition of religious
teaching shuts the door of the schools to the clergy
of all denomination^ to the religious bodies who
devote their whole existence to the instruction of
youth. This is, indeed, the object infidels have in
view, but it is surely not desirable on economical
grounds.

The moment you shut schools against the reli-
gious sentiment, you open them to a sentiment of
cupidity. Hear what Muller says in his book on
" Public school education" page 171 : "There is
" one view in which the public will agree in re-
"gard to the Public Schools, it is that they cost too
"much money. For the management ol the god-
" less Public Schools there is a costly array of
"Commissioners," and " Inspectors," and "Trus-
" tees," and Superintendents," and "Secretaries of
" Boards," and "Central Officers," all in league
" with "Contractors," to make " a good filing," —
" so-called — out of the plan. We have, now, con-
" tractors for buildings and repair's, contractors for
" furniture, contractors for books, contractors for
" furnaces, contractors for fuel, contractors even*
"for pianos, and all making money out of it. The
" ' Boards" that give the contracts do not make any
" money by way of commissions, do thev % Ah !"
" you know full well that hundreds of thousand*
" of dollars are annually spent or squandered iru
" running these Public Schools, and which are re*

113

" corn mended, in a particular manner, for their
M economy! "

As expressed above, there is in the administra-
tion of godless schools, abundant room for im-
mense gain and undesirable speculations. And
who will pay all the profits made out of the school
organization? The Public Treasurey or rather the
rate payers. It is for the latter not to allow them-
selves to be deceived by promises of economy, while,
in fact, the system proposed is essentially and
necessarily more expensive than the other. From
the statistics I have before me, I find that the public
unsectarian schools of the United States, cost year-
ly from twenty to thirty dollars for every child at-
tending them ; while the denominational schools,
in the same country, merely cost trom six to seven
dollars per child.

I have already reported the public challenge
made by the Bishop of Rochester, "to bring out all
"the children of these denominational schools and
" place them side by side with the children of anv
" other schools in the city for examination," and
the assurance that the Catholic schools of that city
are in no way inferior to others. Nevertheless-, in
that very city of Rochester, the Public Schools that
gather within their walls between five and six
thousand children, cost yearly from $100,000 to
$120,000. The fact is? that one-fifth of the whole
municipal taxation of several cities, is expended for
the Public Schools even when, — as it occurs in
some instances — no more than the half of the
school population of the same cities, are attending
the same Public Schools.

The more "crippled" the recources of the Pro-
vince aie the more desirable it is to leave to all re-
ligious denominations, the most complete freedom
in education.

It cannot be expected that people will be earn-
est in the support of a system offensive to their
conscientious convictions. Consequently, those
who believe that the hearty co-operation of the
people is required to raise the character of the ed-
ucation given to our people, ought to avoid, in their
scheme, the very thing that would prevent this
hearty co operation.

114

No doubt,' there is a difficulty in thinly peopled
localities where the inhabitants are divided with
regard to religious convictions, but the way to ad-
just the difficulty is not to inioose -a system against
the will of the interested parties. In exceptional
circumstaaces, it is <reneiaily possible to come to art
agreement ; and parties- will always agree more-
easily, with the managers of a school that openly
shows its tendencies and its means of securing them,
than with man igers of a school which, under the
pretext of teaching no religion, practices, in reality,,
the most dangerous hostility.

Some say that it is a crime for the State not to es-
tablish such school as would in

fact please themselves. Were the opinion of such,
casuists adopted, the State would soon become a cri-
minal not to be tolerated. The obligation of the
State in reference to education is identical with its-
obligations in reference to the other necessities of
its subjects. The State is obliged to educate, to the
same extent that it is obliged to lodge, feed, clothe,,
doctor and warm people, that is to say, the State is
obliged to make such laws and incur such expenses,,
as would protect and help the people in their rea-
sonable efforts to'lodge. feed, and clothe themselves.
But it could not be a crime for the Si ate to refrain
from obliging — by taxation — every one to resort to
such or such lodging, to use peculiar diet, or to dresa
in a certain attire.

The question of education presents itself under
the same aspect. The State is bound to protect and
facilitate teaching, but it is not its" duty, nor even*
its right, to take hold of education in an arbitary
way, by disregarding the reasonable wishes of parp-
en ts.

How can it be a crime for the State to abstain
trom doing wrong and oppressing the people.]

With high sounding words, people express very
empty theories, and treat the question of education
in a manner that would be perfectly ridiculous if
applied to the most ordinary necessaries of life.

It is, undoubtedly, desirable that all citizens-
know their rights, as they are all bound to know
their duties. It is quite proper that everyone use,.
with intelligence, all the advantages conferred by

115

the free and noble institutions which govern the
■country ; hut to obtain such a result, it is in no
way necessary or even desirablethat a "non-sectarian
system of Public English schools," be substituted to
the one we possess. I put the word Knglith in
italics because it is employed by the parties I op-
pose, in a way antagonistic to the use of the French
language. By the constitution of the Province, as
well as by tliat of tlie Dominion, both languages
■are on the same footing, and the abolition of either
of them would be anti-constituiional and illegal.
Such a course is not necessaiy "for fulfilling the
" duties of social life, for preserving the rights of all,
4t and for carrying on successiullv the affairs of the
State."

How unacquainted some Canadians seem to be
with the history of their country ! The public men
of Canada so warmly praised by Lord Lhiflerin in
a public speech at Windsor, were all educated in
French Catholic Institutions, and His Excellency,
alluding to Krench Canadians, said : " It is not to
" be foi gotten that it is to their elevation of mind,
" to their love of fivedom and to their due ajprecia-
"" tion of civil lights contained in germ in the .Con-
" stitnticn first granted by England to Canada, that
41 we are indebted for the parlementary autonomy of
"which the country is so justly proud."

1 would now say but one word to repudiate the
assertion that, we oppose the n on- sectarian system
because we wish to keep people in ignorance. Such
an asseiticn is too mean to deserve any refutation,
but, without hesitation, I will say to the detractors:
do for education, with means equal to those at my
command, more than I have done for the sac-
red cause, and I promise to acknowledge that
you are in the right. But until then, please do not
insult persons who have nothing more at heart
than the enlightenment and the prosperity of the
country. Please, do not utter an assertion that
any one acquainted with us would repudiate as
groundless and deceitful.

It cannot be maintained that hostile Jeelingst&re
the result of chiistian teaching, whose main object
is to inspire charity. Hostility under the pretence
of religion, is nothing but an abuse of the latter

116

word, and its cause ought to be seached for, outside
of christian schools.

Writings, secret associations, discourses, such as
could not be tolerated in christian schools, are the
sources from which hostility flows. Our schools are
very little known by men like him wno wrote the
following to the " Manitoba daily Free Press" on
the 10th of January 1876 : , " There are very
" strong reasons to suspect that^the Roman Catho-
lic schools, hatred to Protestants as heretics, is
"taught as a duty."

As it is of the utmost importance that the Protes-
tant population be informed exactly of what Catho-
lic school teaching is concerning them, I will take
the liberty to give my personal experience in the
matter, and hope to be forgiven for drawing atten-
tion to myself personally. Born of pious Catholic
parents I received from my infancy religious catho-
lic instruction;and witnessed, at home, even the most
minute practices of catholic piety. At the age of
five years, I began to go to school, and the same
school was catholic with daily religious instruction,
and under the direction of the parish priest. At
the age of ten I left home and school to go as board-
er to a college, whose entire staff of directors and
teachers, are ecelesiastics. I remained there eight
years,to complete the classical course and the study of
philosophly. I then determined to join ihe church,
and began the study of theology and other ecclesias-
tical branches. This lasted four years and at the
age of twenty-two, I was ordained priest. I do
not wonder at hearing some one say — what business
has the public with a sketch of your life? — just a
moment of patience, please. I am writing this pass-
age for those who have sufficient leisure to read all
the injurious accusations brought against catholic
institutions and catholic training ; and to prove to
them, that I have " very strong reasons" not only
" to suspect" but even to firmly believe " that hatred
"to Protestants is" not "taught" either in Roman
Catholic families or in Roman Catholic Institutions.
J here solemnly declare, and " God knowieth that I
lie not," that, through all my training at home, at
school, at college and in the theological seminary,
/ never received a lesson that could in tlie least, in-

117

duce me to hatred to Protestants or, in /act, to any
human being, and J may add that, faithful to the
teaching] I received, I have never experienced a feel-
ing of hatred to any one on account of his religon.

I am not an exception in this respect. The edu-
cation I received is the same given in all Catholic
Institutions. The men ^who direct the state, who
compose the clergy, the Bench and the learned pro-
fessions, in the Province of Quebec, received educa-
tion similar to mine, iu one or another of the six-
teen classical colleges in that Province (all in
chargo of ecclesiastics. )and in which 4,000 pupils are
yearly educated. I have no hesitation in saying
that they have all made the same experience as my-
self, and would willingly endorse my assertion.

The fact is, that in almost all the classical and
industrial colleges of Quebec, as well as in all the
convents for the education of young ladies, there
are Protestant pupils, and I would uot dread to
call them as witness* s <f ihe tiu h of what I *ffiirm.

I am even exceedingly surprised at people ex-
pressing different views. " God is charity" and
how can th^ knowledge of God dispose the s:>ul or
heart to hatred 1 We claim the privilege of teach-
ing, in our schools, the commandments of the Lord,
and the Catechism daily taught in our schools, and
pointed out by some people as objectionable, gives
the following instruction, which I copy from lesson
XIX.

Question — To how many commandments may
the ten commandments be reduced?

Answer — To these two principal commandments:
Thou shaft love, the Lord thy God, with thy whole
heart, and, with thy lohole soul, avd with all thy
strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as
thys°lf. This do and thou shalt live. Luke X.
Mark, XXI.

Q. — And who is my neighbor ? Luke X., 29.

A. — Mankind of every description, and without
any exception of persons, even those who injure us,
or differ from us in religion.

Q. — How am I to love my neighbor as myself?

A, — As you would, says Ohrist,that men should do
to you, do also to them iu like manner. Luke, VI. 36.

118

Q — What particular duties are required of me
by that rule?

A. — Never to injure your neighbor by word or
deed, in his peison. property, or character ; to wish
well to him, and to pray tor him ; and always to
assist him, as far as \ on are able, in his spiritual
and corpoial necessities.

Q — Am I also obliged to love my enemies?

A. — Most certainly. Lore you entmies, savs
Christ do qood to tlam tltat hate you, blets ihem
that curse you, and / ray for them that jjersecute aiid
cahirmiiae you. luUe \ 1. Math. V.

Such are the teachings to be found in the hands,
on the lips, and, as far as leachers can command, in
the hearts of pupils of Catholic schools.

Mr. Editor, 1 began tins publication by the asser-
tion that the s\stem termed " non-sectarian Public
Schools" meets with no sympathy on my part, and,
in order to give my reason, I begged of you to be
kind enough to allow me lo publish in your columns
what I think of the s>sUm fiom a ]e«.nl, religious
and social point of view. I have ace< mplish* d my
task, and I can safely answei for the double feeling
I have expei ienced during the couise of these long
— perhaps too long — series of obsenations :

1st. My only desire is to help in tie great and
sacred cause of education, lo ) r« mote the wtllare
of this Province, my only home, and to secure a
perfect understanding among the diffeient sections
of its people, my countn men.

2nd. I feel very thankful tor your condescension
in publishing such a lengthy document, perhaps not
always in accordance with your own views and
those of a certain number of your readers. Accept,
therefoie, my sincere thanks and 1 est wishes.

Yours respectfully,
f Alex. Arch, of St. Boniface.
O. M. 1 .

P.S. Three articles having? appeared in the Win-
nipeg news-papers, relative to the first part of the
above letter, I beg leave to ask further space to ex-
amine them.

The first article is an editorial of the " Manitoba
Free Press"31st Jan. J thank the editor for the kind
appreciation of my work, as well as for the clear and

119

fair analysis of the same. I must, however, confess
that I cannot understi ml when the author says:
" we need but refer to the disin/eniousness of the
" the parallel, in the letter which has elicited
" these remarks, sought to be drawn by the
" writer between a supposititious attempt to de-
" prive the Protestant majority of the Province
" of Quebec of their educational rights or privileges
"ami the agitation began in this Province."

" Protestant majority of the Province of Quebec"
is, undoubtedly, a typographical error. As to the
parallel I have established, I will repeat it, and
show its ingeniousness in the following form t

QUEBEC.

The Protestant minor-
ity of Quebec lias educa-
tional rights.

The Legislature of
Quebec cannot modify
the schol system of the
Province in a way re-
pugnant to the educa-
tional rights of its Pro-
testant minority.

Should the Legisla-
ture of Quebec attempt
to deprive the Protest-
ant minority of its edu-
cational rights such at-
tempt would be illegal.

Should the Legisla-
ture of Quebec eu-ict in
violation of the educa-
tional rights of the Pro-
testant minority of that
Province, an appeal shall
lie to the Governor-Gen-
eral ttec., &c.

MANITOBA.

The Catholic minority
of Manitoba has educa-
tional rights.

The Legislature of
Manitoba cannot modify
the school system of the
Province in a way re-
pugnant to the educa-
tional rights of its Ca-
tholic minority.

Should the Legislature
of Manitoba attempt to
deprive the Catholic mi-
nority of its educational
rights, such attempt
would be illegal.

Should the Legislature
of Manitoba enact in
violation of the educa-
tional rights of the Ca-
tholic minority of that
Province, an appeal shall
lie to the Governor-Gen-
eral <fec, &c.

It seems impossible to imagine a parrallel more
ingenious and more complete than the above.

Protestants and Catholics may not, and do not,
agree on what they consider as prejudicial to their
respective educational rights, but both sections be-

120

ing on equal footing before the law, it is for each of
them to pronounce what is, and whac is not, contrary
to its conscientious convictions.

Certainly "all the childrdu would " not " meet in
the schools upon an equal footing," when such
schools are condemned by the religion of some of the
children, while approved, of or at least tolerated,
by the religion of their school mates.

Two correspondences have appeared in the Stan-
dard. The first dated Dec. 31*t, i.e., January 31st
1877, signed " One of the ' Five,' " and compre-
hending fifteen paragraphs.

The second pal dished in the Standard of March
10th, by "Libertas " and republished under the form
of a Pamphlet.

These two correspondences greatly differ; still, a»
they have a common object, I shall examine them
both together.

" One of the ' Five ' " says that I am " fighting
u behind the mask." " Libertas " says : " when an
* Archbishop writes a book, there are a number of
" people quite overcome by it." The fact is, I nei-
ther concealed my name nor invoked my title. I
was wiiting a letter and, according to general prac-
tice, I was awaiting the end ot it to sign my
name.

" One of the 'Five' " says that, in the part of
my letter he opposes, " the writer is generally clear
"enough ," and "Libertas " afnims " that there are
"points on which the pamphleteer is strong." May
I sa\ that tins is the most L expected even from
friends. Among other reasons, the way I have
employed many of my best years, has persuaded me
that I have no claim as an elegant writer, and I
have no such pretension even in my mother-
tongue, much less in the English language, in
which I am so little versed. But 1 confess that in
writing on the important question of education, I
accomplished a duty, with the desire of being " clear
enough " to be generally understood, and to bring
some " strong points " in support of my opin-
ions.

I will neither trouble the reader nor mysslf
about certain amiabilities from my opponents to-
wards " Catholic doctrine," and " Catholics " and

121

" servile parliaments " and Government House in
"Winnipeg making snarling attacks from behind"
and " weak-kneed members of Parliament " and
" those who are willing to be cajoled by the sight
" of a mitre and a shepherd's crook " and " Quebec
" constituencies going to the dogs," &c, <kc.

I took the liberty to criticise the way a portion
of the Protestant Section of the Board of Educa-
tion had acted. I also stated that most of the
members were not present at a certain meeting,
but, I too highly respect the Board to say with
" Libertas : " " the heels of a few refractory mem-
" bers of the Board of Education were nipped " and
" those dear good men . . . have no care for
(Education) such matters." Nor will I say with
" One of the ' Five ' :" " Protestants may well ask
" in what sence they represent them."

It is a proof of weakness of t argument, on the
part of those who argue, to stray from the question
at issue, to be led by immagination. Both corres-
pondents have done so.

u One of the ' Five ' " exclaims : " Is such a
" country to be cursed with a system that argues and
** necessitates inferior and ill-furnished school-hou,ses,
" poorly paid unintellectual and uneducated teach-
" ers, skeleton schools, and ignorant people ! " Lib-
ertas " adds, in his usual strain : " Would we have
" our people the ignorant tools of designing men,
" would we have the country retarded in the indus-
" trial arts, would we have political charlatans ris-
" ing to hold the chief places in the state, will we
" have a large mass of the rising j'outh of the coun-
M try absolutely ignorant, unable to read and write."
You are too intelligent, gentlemen, not to notice
that you deviate from the point under discussion.
Nobody is so stupid as to aim at what you men-
tion, and, to use your own words, " reason and
common sense " do not lead to such an unfair ap-
preciation of my desires and sayings.

My two contradictors agree on the propriety of
agitating the country on the subject ; making of
education, a political and sectarian concei n. "One
of the ' Five ' " says : " your correspondent may
" say what he pleases, but the Protestant popula-
" tion feel deeply on this question and members of

122

" Parliament must give pledges to their constituents
" when they seek re-election.

" Libertas", always warmly toned, makes the fol-
lowing appeal : " Friends ! sweet friends, worthy suc-
cessors of Cranmer and Knox, will ye not forget
"the past 1 will you not ally yourselves with the
"gentle, lamb-like successor of Gardiner and Bon-
" ner 1 " To secure the politico-religious excitement
desired, the " putting to death of the unfortunate
" Scott " is one more alluded to. Parties using
such language will not easily persuade thinking
men that they Lave no sectarian views, in advocat-
ing the so-called — unsectarian system !

To atone for such appeals to excitement and
passions, the appealers admit that "Catholics are at
" liberty to establish and maintain schools," hut on
the condition of " public money — their (Catholics)
" money to some extent — being used," for the ex-
clusive benefit of non-Catholics ; with the under-
standing, no doubt, that the assessments on Catho-
lic property would also go to the benefit of schools,
Catholics cannot be benefited by.

The use of "guillemets" is very important, as it
appears in the two following instances : "One of
" the ' five' " pronounces a part of my " translation
"particularly, faulty," and ohjects especially to my
using the words " personal views." These words
are vot mine as may be easily found out in the re-
port of a meeting of the Protestant Section of the
Board of Education, held on the 19th January
last. " Rev. Mr. Robertson expressed his per-
" sonal views as strongly opposed to the teaching
" of religion in the Public Schools." I copied the
words without suspecting they were unintelligible,
and, unintentionally, omitted to mark them with
inverted commas. Hence the fatal error ! A
similar omission, on ray part, has misled " Libertas,"
who affirms that, while endeavoring in my " intro-
duction" to show that separate schools are in ex-
istence in this Province. I am " plainly nervous,"
I am nervous indeed, because that part of m\ letter
is full of nerve and strength, being almost exclusive-
ly, the history of our school system copied from of-
ficial documents and the very text of our school
laws, as expressed in our different statutes ; as, for

123

instance, in 36 Victoria, Chap., XXII. Having
no suspicion that our school laws could be so com-
pletely ignored, I neglected to place quotation
marks. Hence, the error with " Libertas," who
qualifies the mere reproductiou of our school laws,
a fit of nervousness. No wonder that he after-
wards affirms that my statements " are not in ac-
cordance with facts," when I say that the Pro-
testant schools are entirely under the control and
jurisdiction of Protestants. Is " Libertas" in Man-
itoba? and if so, how is he so completely unaware
of the condition of the schools in the country 1 The
two sections of the Board of Education, all the dif-
ferent Borrds of Trustees, everyone connected in
any decree whatsoever with the management of
our schools, know perfectly well that my above
statement is in accordance with facts.

The two correspondents who know how to agree,
know also how to disagree.

One ot fhe " five"

" The result was that
the Bill — for towns p,nd
cities — was eviscerated
and mutilated, so as to
be scarcely recognizable.

" When your corres-
" pondent denies that
" two systems cover the
" ground is he not quib-
" bling, hair splitting or
" dwivellinff.

" Protestants object to
"public money — their
" money to some extent
" — being used to dise-
'• minate views they re-
ject and which they

" Libertas."

" The Board of Edn-
" cation is one ; last year
" unitedly devised the
" schools law for towns
" and cities."

" The Government
" grant is voted for one
fi system of schools." . .
•' Catholic and Protes-
tant schools are simply
" the result of differen-
" tiation as to adminis-
" tration, while forming
" part of one organic
" whole. The writer of
" the pamphlet, by the
" use of generalities very
" smoothly slips over this
" question."

" The Government
" grant is divided accord-
ing l o the population

of children-
rights are

no special

to

124

" think prejudicial to the
" best interests of the

" State

" Protestants think it is
" an injustice to pay for
" them — Catholic schools
" with public funds."

" The schools of the
" Catholic section are
" Roman Catholic schools
" maintained to teach
" the principles of Ro-
"man Catholic religion.

" either Catholics or
" Protestants — all mon-
" eys are equitably dis-
" tributed — even thetax-
"esof corporate bodies
li being divided accord-
ing to school population.
Schools in Manitoba
" are in no sense sepa-
rate schools." They are
" called for convenience
" Roman Catholic and
"Protestant"because"the
" limits of language cor-
" respond almost entire-
" ly with those of
| " religion in this Pro-
j " vince."
I am at a loss to reconcile the above contradic-
tory statements of my two opponents ; but between
them both I find enough to corroborate some of my
own assertions.

" Libertas" forgets that in the Province of Que-
bec, some of the Disentient Schoolls are Roman Ca-
tholic, and his whole theory to prove what does not
exist, is necessarily defective. The word seperate
is perfectly adapted to express the distinction which
exists between Protestant and Catholic schools in
our Province. They are, undeniably separate and
distinct in a religious point of view, and " Libertas"
fails in his endeavor to prove that they are not so,
and that the distinction is made merely on account
of difference of language. The Catholic section of
the Board of Education is not exclusively French';
it counts, and has always counted, members who
do not speak French. Some of our Catholic schools
teach more English than French, and in all the
localities where there are a few English-speaking
Catholic families, the English language is taught in
Catholic schools.

The most important part of " Libertas' " pam-
phlet is his attempt to prove thai the Catholics
have no rights with regard to education in this
Province ; and that the Legislature of Manitoba
has, consequently, "carte blanche" to do as it

125

chooses. I studied that part of the pamphlet at-
tentively. I have read it over again and again, and
I do not know why I can find it neither clear nor
strong. Fearing that it might be due to obtuse-
ness on my part, I consulted others- — some of whom
will surely not claim to be French or Catholics,
and, in all cases, their opinion agreed with mine.
Far, then, from modifying my views on the legal
aspect of the question, I remain convinced, more
than ever, of what follows.

1st. The B. N. A. Act, 1867, gives a right of
appeal, etc., to the minority of any Province in which
a system of Separate Schools exists by law at the
union, or is thereafter established by the Legislature
of the Province. Well, the Legislature of the Pro-
vince oj Manitoba, since the union, has established a
system of Separate Schools. Therefore, the Catholic
minority of the Province of Manitoba has the right
of appeal, etc., and is safeguarded, by the Imperial
Act of 1867, against any attempt of the Provincial
Legislature to deprive it of its rights.

2nd. The Act of Manitoba, 1870, gives to the
minority of this Province right of appeal from any
act or decision of the Legislature of the Province af-
fecting any right or privilege of the minority in re-
lation to education. Now, it is undeniable that
the Catholic minority of the Province of Manitoba
enjoys certain rights or privileges which would be
affected by a radical change in our system of edu-
cation. Therefore, the Catholic minority of Mani-
toba has a right of appeal, in virtue of the Manitoba
Act, 1870, against any action of the Provincial
Legislature affecting such rights and privileges.

3rd. The Imperial Act of B. N. A , 1871, gives
to the Manitoba Act the value of an Imperial Sta-
tute ; and the Act of Manitoba itself extended to
the Province it constitutes, the provisions of the
B. N. A. Act, 1867, which I invoke

" Libertas" camioi be serious when he pretends
that, " by my own reasoning," the claims of the
Catholics of Manitoba are assimilated to those of
the minority of Prince Edward's Island. There is
an essential difference, which prevents the decision
in one case from being considered as a " precedent"
in the other. Prince Edward's Island, as well as

126

British Columbia and New Brunswick, had no
system of Separate Schools established by law after
the union, while Manitoba had such a system thus
established, and the difference is perfectly apparent.

Before agitating the whole Province, I am sure
that all well-meaning men will weigh the danger
and uselessness of such agitation.

" One of the ' Five,' " in advice to Protestants,
says : M Listen not to the siren song from across
" the river." No, sir, my letter has none of the
dangerously fascinating powers of damsels sirens ;
because, when "the French idiom is not quite
eliminated," it is not likely that English people
will be charmei to fascination; and when a writer
acts on a1 strong conscientious conviction, and with
the desire to be useful, his endeavors should not
be qualified an attempt to deceive an inteiligent
population.

t A. of St. B.
St. Boniface, April 13, 1877.

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