The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1882. IN VAIN

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 491, 8 September 1882, Page 15

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1882. IN VAIN

fOR twelve years we have asked for justice, and asked for it in vain . For twelve years we have asked Government to save itself from the infamy of taking our money for the purposes of education, and misappropriating it to the injury of our children. But in vain. Government and Parliament after Parliament have refused our just request, derided our efforts to obtain fair play, and exulted in our defeat. The Press of the colony has howled defiance and clapped hands as time after time the doors of the Legislature have been slammed in our face, and we have been told to be gone, and that we should hsve no redress. Even the working man, as he loves to call himself, blind through bigotry and misrepresentation to the injury inflicted on himself by the astute leaders of the middle-classes, has joined the unholy alliance of bigots, atheists, and selfish politicians, and helped to the utmost to perpetuate the injustice of which we are the victims. During these twelve years, not only^ have we failed to obtain the least redress, but even new injuries have been heaped upon us. There was a time during these twelve years when, in some of the provinces, Catholic schools received some aid out of the monies paid by Catholics for the support of schools. But in Otago this never happened ; and now the intolerance and injustice that from the first have been the most striking characteristics of Otago are embodied in the legislation ot the colony, and are rampant in all the provinces. Everywhere Catholics are compelled to pay large sums for the maintenance of godless schools, and everywhere Catholic schools and Catholic pupils are shut out from all participation in the expenditure of this money. Throughout the colony Catholic money is forcibly spent, and spent against the will of Catholics in giving a free and godless education to the sons and daughters of well-to-do-people, and Catholic schools are refused the money contributed by Catholics. Everywhere our money is spent in maintaining schools taught by antiCatholics, non-Catholics and atheists — schools in which antiCatholic history is taught, in which contempt for Catholicity and Catholics is taught either directly or indirectly — schools in which the Catholic youth is not to be found, and from the pecuniary advantages of which they are excluded ; and if Catholics complain of these intolerable grievances they are treated as criminals in many quarters. It was thought and hoped that this system of free, godless, and compulsory education would long since have annihilated all Catholic schools and driven our children into the godless schools. But this calculation has not been justified by the result. On the contrary, the direct effect of the tyranny of the Government and their supporters in and out of Parliament has been to rouse Catholic faith and charity to unparalleled exertions, which have led to the establishment of additional schools of the highest class throughout the greater part of the colony. And, now, what is the spectacle presented to the view of the contemporary historian ? Whilst the rich and well-to-do majority are content to accept godless education for their children, because the Government gives it to them free and partly at the expense of the injured and plundered Catholics, thus abandoning Christian principles to save themselves the expenditure of wh t they ought to b« proud to spend on the education of their children, the poor Catholic minority, after paying under compulsion their share of monies spent against their will on the free and godless schools, provide at their own sole expense for the education ' of their own children, thus giving an example of adherence to principle, of love of Christianity, and of generosity, de-

serving of all praise and of imitation by their more favoured fellow-citizens. But it may be asked — What, under these circumstances, ought to be done ? Are we, afrer struggling for so many years and suffering so many defeats, to lay down our arms, accept in peace what seems to be the inevitable, and cower like slaves under the lash — the moral lash of the selfish, the ignoble, and the godless ? or are we to manfully struggle on, still demanding justice, denouncing tyranny, pointing the finger of scorn at the meanness that accepts free and godless education which is partly supported by the money unjustly wrung from men who abhor it, receive no benefit from it, and who in consequence of it are compelled to bear heavy burdens not borne by any other section of their fellow-citizens ? There is no difficulty in answering this question. Catholics have already made their choice, — they have nailed their colours to the mast, and they will never relax their efforts to obtain justice and perfect equality. Nor are they doomed to work alone in this righteous cause. There are many non-Catholics in this country whose sense of justice is outraged by the way in which legislation has plundered Catholics and tyranised over them. Our cause is just, and must prevail in the end. And it would have prevailed long ago had all who call themselves Catholic been unanimous in demanding justice. But, unhappily, our worst enemies have hitherto been found amongst ourselves. These are not in reality Catholics, and it is to be wished they would openly go over to the enemies' camp, which is their true home. It behoves all genuine Catholics to make it clear to the world, by repudiating these men, that they are Catholics in nothing but name : and that even this is usurped by them — that it is a name to which they have no real title.