CATHOLIC EDUCATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 35, 27 December 1873, Page 8

CATHOLIC EDUCATION.

THI HOK. SB. GBACE's SPEECH OIT CATHOLIC EDUCATION QT7E3XION.— XHB HON.DB. POLLEK A»D XHB BKCOLABISTB. _ ... Auckland, 6th Nov. Ir must be highly gratifying to the Catholic people of this Colony to lea*n from the Hon. Dr. Grace's speech, as published in the If. Z. Tablet, that the Catholic schools in Otago are in such a highly efficient and flourishing state. It would appear that all the wealth and the powtr at the command of Government faU materially to injure the Catholic schools in your Province, at the present time, though they are so obviously strained to ruin them. Ifc would even seem that in the Province of Otago the Catholic schools, established and supported entirely by the private funds of Catholics—a class by no means wealthy—not only can keep abreast of the Government schools, but actually in some instances are decidedly ahead of them, and beat them h allow. This statement is so strange as almost to be incredible. I h ypt that by tome means the attention of Sir James Fergusson may 1 c c .lied to it. What says your contemporary the Otago 'Times' to it ? Will ke admit it to be exact, or will he dispute it, and try to dispro\ j it* accuracy? A ftw days ago it was atattd by our 'Daily Souitora

Cross," the uncompromising opponent of denominational ichools, that the majority oi pupils in the Catholic school at Nelson were the children of Protestant parents. Here in Auckland, if Catholic schools be not superior to Government schools, they are at least qfuite equal to them in point of efficiency, and happily very few Catholic children in* deed attend Government schools. I need not say that we are support* ing our own schools entirely with our own funds, while we are forced to pay for the support of Government schools as well — a piece of in* justice of which at present it would seem vain to complain, and which we must submit to with patience and resignation, till the opportune time arrive when we may seek for redress with some reasonable hope of success. We are at present the victims of a tyrant majority, actuated by motives and principles which I will not venture to describe in detail, but which I think are utterly incompatible with the golden rule of doing as they wouid be done by " in like circumstances. Dr Pollen knows well, and Sir James Fergusson also knows well, that in peace or in war, the Catholic subjects of the Queen in this colony, as in other parts of the Empire, are never backward in performing their duty to the State. Why, then, should we be subjected to such a galling injustice as to have offered to us a Government system of education, which we cannot in conscience accept, and which we must pay for whether we fcvail ourselves of it or not ? It is no good answer to say that our scruples axe unreasonable in rejecting such a system of education, and they cannot be attended to j or to allege that such a system is for the benefit of the majority, and conformable to their ideas of what' is right, however much it may bo repugnant to Catholic principles and practices, and that Catholics, therefore, must either accept it or pay for their contumacy. They must be punished — if not by imprisonment, by the gibbet, and the halter — at all events by a money payment to go towards the support of the Government schools which their consciences condemn. But what is this if not persecution, and that of the worst, because the most insidious and plausible kind. This is but a modification of one part of the cruel Elizabethan system of persecution, which had for its object to repress and destroy the Catholic Church. The purse is very sensitive, and to punish a man through his purse is often the tnost effectual way of punishing him. But persecutors generally defeat their own purpose in the end, and give an additional impetus to the very cause they mean to destroy. The Catholic people in this colony would probably have been far leas zealous in the support of Catholic schools than they now are had Government not shewn so unmistakeable a desire to destroy them root and branch, and to substitute secular, or, as some call them, Godless schools in their room. I impute no unworthy motives to the secularist party, or to Dx Pollen, one of its most able leaders in this colony ; but the tendency of their policy is to destroy Catholic schools by Government money and patronage, and in part, of course, by Catholic money — by faods wrung cruelly from reluctant Catholic* themselves. Have they succeeded, or are they likely to succeed iv accomplishing their injustice ? No. On the contrary, they have succeeded, as we see, in arousing a new and additional zeal in the entire Catholio community on behalf of Catholic schools, and which is daily adding to the number, efficiency, and reputation of such institutions. They have without intending it done our schools, and therefore the Catholic Church, an immense service. To me it now seems that the greatest misfortune which could befall us would be that Government would aid our schools. True, it would only be a bare act of justice if they did so : still it would in some sense be a misfortune to us. We know now what can be done by self-help — we know*the benefit of selfreliance and of freedom -from Government meddling or interference in our schools. Let us once become dependent, even partially, on the Government for pecuniary aid, and our zeal would soon grow cool. The independence of our schools would be impaired, if not destroyed, and we should not then be able to say that by ourselves, unaided, we secured their efficiency. If I do not mistake, the Christian Brothers in Ireland, whose schools are by far the most efficient and popular in the country, voluntarily renounced any Government aid which they once enjoyed rather than have (their independence interfered with. Catholic schools ought to stand on the same footing aa the Catholio Church, to which they form an essential appendage. They should both be free and independent of the State. No pecuniary advantage can compensate for even a partial loss of freedom. The Catholic Church flourishes beat when unembarrassed with any State aid, either in i patronage or money. She nourishes best in a free country, and when she depends solely upon the voluntary and pious bounty of her faithful children. So long as she has faithful and zealous children, she will nerer long lack funds sufficient for all her necessary wants, or for her schools — no matter what may be the policy of her enemies. We ask no special favor of the State as Catholics — we ask bare justice, and above all thiogs that the State would not intermeddle with the education of our children, in one way ox the other — for they cannot possibly do bo in any way without interfering with our religion. We see the Catholic Church, and Catholic schools by her side, striking their roots vigorously into the free soil of this infant colony. We see that a glorious future awaits her here. Her enemies cannot fail to see the same thing ; and can we blame them if by such means as recent Educational Bills they strive to avert -a consummation which to them must seem so devoutly to be deplored. By aiming a blow at Catholic schools they aim a blow at the Catholic Church— not openly, but covertly. There is much public property in this colony set apart by tha paternal care and liberality of Government for educational purposes. Catholics must be debarred from any participation in the advantages of such property so long as the Government educational policy remains what it is. The tyrant majority may perhaps say, " Serves them right.', I believe the Government of this colony will not alter its educational policy, so as to do the Catholics justice, till England sets them the example. The vital question of " concurrent endowment " m ist be settled iv the Imperial Parliament ere our .New Zeaand legis ators will venture on doing the same. The Catholics of Ireland must first obtain justice ere the Catholic* of 2ft w Zealand can hope to ge; it-for their educational establishments. One thing feums plain ; Uw? Catholioi htrv wiU never obtaja juptict » that or any ouhtv

Catholic matter till they show that they possess power, constitutionally speaking, and that they know how to use power. For that end they must be united and vote together at the poll. By doing so, on many occasions they may turn the scale when parties are pretty evenly balanced, as was probably the case at the late election for our Superintendent. Above all, they must be true to their religion practically, without which they do not desarve justice ; nor can they expect to secure the good will and the respect of their opponents. I am not surprised that all politicians of despotic proclivities whether Protestants or nominally Catholics— should have an instinctive hatred and terror of the Catholic Church. She is the enemy of all tyrants and impostors ; sh« is the real " people's friend." Power she will have, and power she will vs 3 wherever she is free. The enemies of the people are her enemies, aad the true friends of the people ore her friends. Despotic and crafty liberals and movers of resolutions would fain push her on one side and silence her, but they cannot. In very free countries her power is always fche greatest. England becomes Catholic in proportion as her people become free — free from antiquated prejudices ; and more especially popular ignorance is her worst enemy. If she had her will she would cover this Colony with splendid schools and colleges to supply the highest and the humblest in the land with education — as she did in days of yore for England and all the other states in Europe when she had the power. But her chief object always is to educate the people in the principles of holiness, honesty, purity of life, Belf-denial, and charity — principles which have gone much out of fashion in modern times, both among Catholics and Protestants. lam persuaded that the Catholic laymen of this as of other countries will never take their proper place in the social scale will never possess the political power as Catholics, which of right belong to them, until they take all the destitute and neglected members of the community under their special cave by some special organization. Look at the Sisters of Mercy in this place. If the Catholic laity generally had only a very very email portion of their public spirit and charity, the work I have indicated would not remain long undone. J. Wood.