MR R. W. HAMMOND AND THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1052, 22 March 1879, Page 3

MR R. W. HAMMOND AND THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Sir, — Having weighed your correspondent Mr O'Neill, in the balance, and found him wanting, Mr R. W. Hammond, unceremoniously bowls him off the ground, because he did not enter " into the merits of the question at issue." Here, now, is a fresh champion, self-confident, and impatient for the fray. Allow me, at the outset, to make an interchange of kindly feelings with Mr R. W. Hammond, whose sincerity I do not question, and whose friendship I value. Disclaiming every such feeling as Mr R. W. Hammond disclaims, at the close of his letter, I now write against him, as an opponent of Catholics and other denorainationalists in the grave question of Education. 1. Then, so enamoured is your correspondent with tho excellencies of tho Secular system, that he dismisses as worthless, every agument against it, and in favor of justice to denomipationalist-j. Well, then, be has bowled out another, to bat against the wind himself. Yet, he exhibits a real earnestness in the endeavour to disprove the argument, that secularism is hostile to religion, He avows his inability to see how it could be. Mid-Heaven's Sun will not enable a man to see, if he be blind. The secularists programme destroys by negatives, if not by other means. It is a denial of God and of revealed religion, for it openly avows that God and revelation are not within its province. Infidelity is the natural outcome. This age, so vauntf ul of free-thought and secularism, is, possibly, the most materialistic and infidel s-ince paganism fell before the Cross. Logical and just, indeed, -was that inspector, who, a few years since, severely censured a teacher who brought up the pupils to sing the National Anthem. Why ? For the simple reason that the Education Act was violated by the name of God, ond blessing "our gracious Queen," which occurred in it. What are the Inspectors of New_ Zealand about, whilst hymns, tracts, religious questions, &c, aro too frequently introduced, to the great annoyance of Catholics ? A fig for your sense of justice, while such practices are allowed by Central and ex- Centric Boards, and by Inspectors too ! Thus, while the Act bars religion, its violation is an injustice to a sectipn of the community.' But, suppose the Act to be honestly carried put, what, in the world, Jiave Catholics and folks like them to murmur about ? Why, Materialism, &c. "If you consult the poetry and prose which has a place in the reading books sanctioned by the Education Board, you will come to know that the teaching of natural religion ia a part of the system of education, of New Zealand." Tha underlining is not mine, and I assure Mr Hammond that he has, by no means, such facility as tho author of that sentence, of intimate acquaintance with the books in ou£ common schools. There is a nut with afefu'dshell. Polytheism, or an unlimited supply of gods, rided in Greece, and Rome, and Egypt, and Arabia. Yet, all these angienj; na{;ipns arrived at wonderful perfection in the arts ahd sciences. Egypt read the stars, and adored the crocodile. Greepe was pre-eminent for her paintings and statuary, and literature and forensic eloquence ; a\id yefc Grecian gods aye a disgrace to humanity. Most distinguished, too, was Koine, but Rqine, like all other pagan nations, was polytheistic, and her ideal gods were often of a lower moral type than those who adored them. A knowledge of secular things, while it expands the intellect, leaves the heart and emotions untouched. This was tbp ppsition of pagan nations, who never arrived at a knowledge of the true God. Christianity removed the darkness of infidelity; but the yotaries of natural religion, materialists, &c, qre jiow-a-days, some nptspplng thpir fpily, rp-intrpduping the same darkless- Great, indeed, js the vaunt of this new system, yet some of ita mobt zealous supporters prefer the Convent schools for their daughters, and in many places you will find their boys in Catholic boys schools. Moreover, there are denomi- | national schools in other churches, and •jibpse, top, pre frequented by tbe children of Secularists. An avowed admiration for a certain system, yet a distrust of it in practice, there is an inconsistency which, lias an ugly significance, 'g. i)r Moorhoiise, the Anglican Bishop pi Melbourne, js a gentleman of ripe scholarship and experience. His utterances will not fail to cany weight, if not bring home conviction, when he tells us that the recent rapid growth of larrikinism in Victoria, is traceable to the State system of education As I find np Moorhouse in Sydney, I will not trouble fty adducing Cathulic authority on the matter, 3. The frozen quarries and dungeons of Siberia are living -witnesses of the cruel persecutions the Catholics of Poland and Russia proper are suffering, under the tyrant Czar of Russia. Prince Von Bismarck's Cultturkampf has cause*} I}oo clerical vacancies: in the twelve fjioceses of Prussia, 1100 pripsts driven put by persecution ! The Catholio Church is sorely persecuted in Italy and Switzerland, and the Supreme Pontiff is virtually u State priponer, England is not a Cathclic country. The Revolution has obtained a firm footing in Spain. Russia, Gei many, England, Ilaly and Spain are the couutries that have produced the would-be asssaasius of royalty*. -The,

Secular system obtains in them all. The Revolution, with its materialistic teachings and fell designs, has its ramifications throughout Europe, and outside it too. The attempts at assassination aro all directly traced to Nihilists and others of a similar complexion ; all branches of one gigantic tree, which threatens society with utter chaos. Mr Hammond makes an unpardonable mistake when ho says that, "in the majority of cases, these fell designs were hatched in countries where anything approaching to secularism could not gain a footing, when the iron heel of the Church would stamp out the slightest attempt upon its sacred laws." That quotation has in it more puffiness than solid truth, as I have already demonstrated. In his allusion to the " iron heel,' ' Mr Hammond lets loose the proverbial cat, and violates good taste thereby. _ As an aggressor, he cannot complain, if I fence off his blows. While the Catholic Church is suffering under " iron heels " in almost every region, your correspondent had better left untouched a chord which has, for her, but melancholy sounds. There is an English Protestant historian to whose memory his grateful country is about to erect a statue, the great commoner, the gallant liberal, Cobbett by name. In his history of the Reformation in England, Cobbett supplies us with heros, and heroines too, who were shod well enough all round for all persecuting purposes. A casual perusal of that book will render it quite needless for your correspondent to look for " iron heels " outside his own Church. His key does not produce sweet melody for him who has tacked it on. 4. The feasibility of a denominational system of education, Mr Whitaker, senr., admitted in a political speech, a few weeks ago, at Cambridge. Of course, he limited the feasibility to centres of population ; so do we. In 1877, there were, in Scotland, 112 Catholio schools reciving Government grants, and the inspector " spoke highly of the thoroughness of the education imparted in these schools." In England, the number of Catholic schools similarly situated is far greater, as the Catholics are there quadruple, or more, the number in Scotland. Why, then, do we hear ourselves called enemies of education, while we ask but equal justice as obtains in England and Scotland. The State Inspector is satisfied, and the Catholio Ohuroh is satisfied, under the Hame Government. Colonists wiU not like it said, that more justice is done us in the matter of education in the Home Countries, than in the Colonies. Yet, so it is, and secularists are to blame. My letter of March 6th, lays down principles which your correspondent has not touched. — I am, &c, J. Golded. March 19, 1879.