"SECTARIAN SCHOOLS."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 39, 24 January 1874, Page 12

"SECTARIAN SCHOOLS."

(' Boston Pilot.' Some of our Protestant contemporaries aro excited over the news that Archbishop McCloskey has begun a movement for the establishment of Catholic schools for all the Catholic children of New York. The ' Boston Globe ' says of this Catholic movement : — "It is premature to speculate on the result of the establisment of these purely sectarian schools. While there is no doubt of the light t~> establish them and carry them on, there is equally little doubt of the f ct that their existence will serve to propagate the spirit of sectariin hate wbich ran riot in New York during the last political campaign, and whatever the religious merit or necessity for such an action, the realization of the idea from which it started will be a dangerous leaven to introduce into the social and political loaf." The " spirit of sectarian hate which ran riot in New York during the last political campaign," was in no way traceable to Catholic schools or to Catholic teaching. In fact, it was all on the other side. The Catholics were the men who were proscribed, merely becauso they ; were Catholic*. Mr Kernan, the Catholic candidate for Governor, ■was "scratched" at every poliiug place because of his religion. We are of opinion that were there a number of good schools established wheie even Protestant Christianity was honestly taught, such bigotry ■would be considerably lessened. Instead of being "a dangerous leaven to introduce into the social and political loaf," religious schools will be the leaven of health. Religion inculcates no '* sectarian hate ;" but injustice does. It is not a good reason for the Catholics to give up their religion because Protestants dislike it. When Catholics are found voting against a g)od candidate sitrply because he is a Protestant, vre want to be told about it. "Whatever narrowness some New York Catholics may have shown hitherto, goes to show the want of schools where they will be taught their true relations to God and to their country. The 'Boston Globe,' doubtless, upholds the common school

syttem because it tends to destroy religious differences, to make men all of one way of th'nking. We condemn the system for the same reason. We believe it will make men believe in one way ; but w« don't believe that the way is good. We Catholics are convinced that our religion is the the true one. Surely we have a right to preserve it, and take all proper measures to teach it to our children. The ' Globe ' was not h»ppy in its allusion to the " sectarian hate" of the last campaign ; but perhaps it meant rather to allude to the Orange riot. But that was not sectarian, it was political hate... The Orangemen do not represent Protestantism, but English ascend* ancy. The Catholics and Protestants of Ireland live on terms that offer a good example to their brethren in other countries. We do wish and pray for the day when our Protestant friend* will get lid of this Catholic bugbear, and come to look on the love which a Papist has for his religion with the respect which such an un» selfish loyalty.deserves.