ARCHBISHOP MORAN ON STATE EDUCATION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 30, 14 November 1884, Page 25

ARCHBISHOP MORAN ON STATE EDUCATION

™ 3£5£ g V^l 6^? at Wa , verle y b y the Franciscan Fathers on October 26, the Archbishop spoke thus, as reported by the Sydney SSSi; ?* a l 9 l ha PP ened *> the New ZbAand Tablet, a very excellent contemporary from Danedia-(hear, hear) —and the State system of education, »s oppose! to the Catholic svstern, was therein characterised in a very few words as robbery, oppression, and tyranny, and it seems to me that those few words embody the whole description i of the State system of education inasmuch as it is opposed to our Catholic principles. It is robbery when it puts its hand into our pockets and makes us pay for something which we should not be obliged to pay for (hear, hear, and applause). It is an act of oppression when it imposes burthens upon us which should not be imposed, and it is an act of tyranny when it uses its mi^ht to trample on our right. And so in these few words it seems to me that the whole State system- of education, as it is opposed to Catholic principles, is very perfectly described as an act of robbery, oppresBion, and of tyranny (applause). What should be our Catholic positron m regard to this delirmm of the State in the matter of educalion ? Our portion should be one of calmness and of calm endurance, kT'fT? W 0 endeavour to enlighten those who guide the helm of State. If Catholics suffer at present in the matter of education, a great deal of that suffering has come through the misrepresentation of Catholic views. I have h.ard myself a great deal said about Catholic claims in the matter of education, and certainly •• t W6 i^ °s\i? * * ne stetesraeu enacting an educational code, and if I believed that Catholics do anything at alllike what ia imputed £J2i c wT^ 1 V E lace along with these educationalists (hear, hear, and applause) . The Catholic opinion has been travestied ma thousand ways; false principles have been assigned to us; and wheu statesmen are gmded by su 2 h a travesty of Catholic opinion, and such false principles utterly repugnant to Catholic view*, it is no wonder they may for the moment be lei astray, and enact laws which might be hostile to us. I think our position ehould be to pursue the path we h&ve hitherto pursued in educating oar people, and show that we are in earnest in the work we bave beftia, and that we are determined to persevere in it (applause). We onfy claim from the State that when we have done a good day's work— work which the State has a right to enjoin upon us-and done it welL we are justified in claiming a day * wages for the work we have don« (applause), Those wages may be delayed for a day or two. A few months or years may pass by, but months and years area very short t ime indeed in the life of a great nation, and sooner or later the cause of justice which we represent must triumph (applause*. Som 3 one may, perhaps, ask what would we wish the State to do for in. Thai is a practical question, and it would take, perhaps, a greu deal more time to answer it than would suit jour couve.iience, or perhaps even suit mine; but in a few words I would say to you I do not want rfpythmg tave what the State has as a duty 'to grant to us. and if 1 take the Ulustiauwi I would refer to the educational struggles of Ireland, a laud which is dear both to you and to me (applause), l'he educational struggle in Ireland may be said to have gone on for 600 years, and at the present day after unparalleled sacrifices the cause ot justice triumphed. The National system of education in Ireland v not perhaps one that Catholics weald themselves adopt, if they were told to draw up the lines of a scheme such as they would bu anxwua for, but it i« a system in harmony with our prin. cipies. It has nothing repugnant to Catholic principles, and hence we are able to make use of it conscientiously, and educate our people in harmony with the present system of National education Ihe preflsut resident Commissioner of National Education iv Ireland, fair r ntrick Keenan, who has spent all his lifd iv promoting ihe ptinctplt* of National education, bason more than one occasion been sant to various colonies to reorganise their educational systems lv Trinidad great difficulties had arisen. The Catholics protested agaiust the scheme of eaucation imposed upon them by the British Government, and not in any friendliness to Catholic education, but to promote peace in that distant colony, was that commissioner 6eut there with ample poweis to re-arrange matters. The result of Jus visit was that at preseut they have a most perfect system oi education iv that remote colony. Again, iv Malta, when difficulties arose, the same commissioner was sent, ant] in a very few weeks all ihese difficulties were removed, and they have at present an admirable tfttom of education in conformity with the principles

of the people. If wme such commissioner were appointed to New Bouth Wales to examine into what Catholics want, what our claims are, and how those claims can be met; in any way without encroaching upon the demands of others, I am of opinion that a very few days would suffice to set everything to rights (Applau-e). But having said so much to you upon this general matter of education, and npon our Catholic views, I would wish to read to you a few words which were used a few days ago by the Protestant Bishop of Sydney— one who, when he first came to this colony, presented himself on the platform as a champion of denominational education, but who in these later days has thought well to change his views and to rank himself rather amon<? the champions of the State schools. In order that it may not be said that lam misrepresenting his lordship, 1 will read his on words, and at full length. These are the words of Dr. Barry, Protestant Bishop of Sydney :— « The Roman Catholics, as a body, bave on this subject pursued from the beginning one distinct policy, supporting it by liberal sacrifices, which do them infinite honour. They confine all their efforts to their own schools ; they utterly despair of any religious education under the Public school system ; they accordingly denounce it as an oppression and an injustice, aad claim such recognition of their own schools as they would obtaiu in airland. So far I tiuderatand and respect their position ; nor can I doubt that they will reap the fruit of the. sacrifice which they are now making in an increasing power over the minds of the rising generation. But I cannot see that they have a right to shape the future of a system which they absolutely denounce in defiance of the plain enactments of the existing laws ; exaggerating the claims of the Roman Catholic children in the Public schools, whom tha authorities of their Church refuse to recognise at all, and of the Roman Catholic teicaera, who (with what appears some inconsistency) are allowed to take part in carrying out • a godless system.' "So long as the law is what it is, they have the right of a minority— the right of abstention ; but while they may properly "strain every nerve to alter (he law, they ought not to claim to reduce its positive enactments to a dead letter." These are the words of the Protestant Bishop of Sydney, and I will make a few brief remarks upon them. In the first place, he gives us the merit of a spirit o£ sacrifice. We thank him for the compliment he pays us. Thanks be to God, a spirit of sacrifice is nothing new in Ireland, or among the sons of Ireiand~(loud applause)— and when I speak of Ireland ,. and of the sons of Ireland, I speak of you who are here assembled before me, and I must say that I have known no Irishmen more animated with the Catholic spirit and with the spirit of sacrifice than the sons of Ireland who are born in Australia. (Applause.) And I am delighted to find that all natives of Australia sDeak. of Ireland as their home, and that they are proud of that spirit'of disinterestedness and that spirit of heroism which characterised their fathers. (Applanse.) It was only by the spirit of sacrifice that during the past hundred years we have overcome those enemies who endeavoured to keep our people aad our Church in bondage, and it was by the very same spirit of sicrifica that w<j h*ve averted our rights in the matter of education. There is a maxim oE one of the old fathers of the Church. He tells us that when we praise the saints we ought to emulate the virtues of the saints ; aud I would say to the worthy Protestant Bishop of Sydney that if he praises us for our spiritof sacrifice he ought himself and his co-religiouisis, to show a little of the same spirit of sacrifice. (Load applause,) Wheo, he came to this country, as I have said, he wished to place himself on the platform in union with the Catholics of this Colony in asserting our rights to denominational education. At that time, if I interpret rightly the speeches I have read, the State system was advanced as a sort of godless monster that was spitting fire at every religion : but his lordship has since discovered that by feeding it well and fostering it he might change it by degrees into a very pious and religious Protestant. (Laughter and applause.) And, for our part, we wish him joy in his experiment. We never ask to trespass on the domaiu of those who are not associated with us in the bonds of Holy Church. We only ask for ourselves those measures which the principles of justice and honour and honesty justify us in demanding. But his 1 jrdship, while he gives us this feeble praise for self-sacrifice, will, I think, very soon withdraw it. I am reminded of an incident that happened mmy o.d cathedral city a few mouths ago. Taere was an old Protestant who had received help and cheering words from time to time from some Catholic clergy, while his own Protestant ministers never extended any sympathy to him, and this old mau m*de it a rule that whennver he met a Catholic bishop or priest he always saluted them, but would never, on any account, salute his own bishop or his own ministers. One day a Puseyite minister, dressed very much like a Catholic priest, passed him by, and he saluted him, buc wnen he had gone on the poor man discovered his mistake, and he ran after the minister crying out, " Sir, I withdraw that salute." (Laughter and applause.) I think thit some fine day his Lordshi p the Protestant Biabop o f Sydney will withdraw the salute he has given us, nnd cancel those few words of flattery with which he prefaced his attack upon us. (Hear, hear. ) There are three things that Dr. Barry censures us for. He censures us for tryin<r to model the present State system and make it conformable with our views : he censures us because we permit Catholic teachers to coatiuue in State schools ; and he censures us in tue third place because we are not satisfied with tne rights of a minority— thet of attention. In all of these three points I join issue with him. He blamea us because we try to model the present State system. How do we endeavour to model the present State system f It is not by applying dynamite to the State schools. It is only by asserting clearly and in definite terms the principles of justice and equity in the m uter of education. (Hear, hsar.) It is not by interfering in any way with the schools of other denominations, but it is by straightforwardly and^ honestly advancing our claim that when we have done a good day s work we should receive the wages that are due to us. (Applause.) We ask for nothing more, and we cannot be content with anything less. (Applause.) If the principles of justice and honour suffice t* elevate the whole State syacem, so mnch the better for the future of

this great State, so much the bettet for the paaee and happiness of the children that will be trained in the State schools ; but as for us we will be satisfied that this meagre and measured justice shall be extended to our own schools ; and that if emoluments be extended to within State walls, we claim in justice that those em>luraent* be extended to ourselves. But Dr. Barry says that we are inconsistent in. permitting Catholic teachers to hold positions in State schools. It is a good old rule that those who accuse others of being inconsistent, ought to be remarkable f >r their own consistency ; but in the present case the Protestant Bishop has veered round to every p3int of the compass. He comes and tails us that we are guilty of inconsistency in permitting Catholic teachers to remain in the State schools, but there is, in reality, no inconsistency in our doing so. If we do it it is because we believe that the Catholic teachers are better men and better scholars, and better suited ,in every way for the*e positions than any other men that can be fouid therein. (Applause.) Particularly in country districts, as a matter of necessity , a great many Catholic children must continue for a long time to attend the State schools ; there are no oth.ee schools within their reach, and there are no better men whom the State can find to teach in these schools than the Catholic teachers actually teaching in thorn — (hear, hear)— and hence the Catholic teachers are known never to interfere in the work of proselytism. I have never yet beard of a single case in which a Catholic teacher was accused of attempting to proselytise Protestant children attending his instruction ; but I have heard a thousand times of Protestant teachers attempting to set aside the faith of their Catholic children (applause). This is the reason, I presume, why the State gives the preference to Catholic teachers. They are better able to do the work wbich the State requires from them, and, for onr part, we rejoice to see Catholic masters receive this preference from the State. But there is the third complaint — that we are not satisfied with the right of a minority, the right of mere abstention. Well, Ido not understand what is meant by abstention, where there is a question of justice and truth. If this were a question of a railway passing through one district or another, or some question of individual convenience, or some measure of Parliamentary initiation, involving no principle of justice, it would be easy to recognise that the minority must be content with the decision of the majority, and it has no right to anything but abstention. Bat when there is a question of principle, when there are some questions of right and honour, and a principle of public peace and happiness, it is only too often that a majority seeks to trample on tne minority ; and it is not only the right of the miuoiity to protest iv every way it can against " robbery and oppression and tyranny " ; but it is their duty to do so (applause). Aud for my part I trust that the Catholics of New South Wales and the clergy will never relax their endeavours, aud they will continue to pursue the course they have hitherto pursued in clamouring for their just rights, aud iv demanding a change of the present oppressive enactments that deprive them of every emolument for their schools, and at the same time compel them to contribute their share towards the maintenance of teachers in the public schools, and that they will never relax those endeavours until this injustice is redressed (applause). I do not know if you have heard the story of Nelson, who was second in command at the famous battle of Copenhagen. The resistance that was made to the British navy was so fierce that the Admiral at lergth ran up the signal for them to withdraw from the port. The officers reported this to Nelson, who had the misfortune to have one blind eye ; and putting up his glass to the blind eye he said, — " For the life of me 1 can see no such signal," and so he fired away (laughter). Tne result of thac act of Nelson's was that the British navy was crowned with one of ihe most brilliant victories ever achieved by British arms (applause). Well, if ever in a moment of weakne-s I would tell the people or the clergy of New South Walea to be done with dissension iv the matter of education, aud to ceabe demaudiug their rights, I trust that Father Dunne and the rest of the clergy will put up the glass ta their blind eye (loud applause and laughter) and that they will continue to fire away, no matter what instructions they may receive (renewed laughter). There is auother story I heard nut long ago ab_>ut a poor man who was hawking nightcaps about and got" into a forest, where he fell asleep with cne of bis nightcaps on bis bead. While he was asleep a troop of monkeys canoe down from the trees, emptied his basket, aad retiied into the branches, each with a nightcap upon bis head. When he kwi ke he was very much distressed ac the loss of his property, %ipd after trying nil kinds of methods of getting it b-nck, heatleugut in despair took his nightcap from his uead and fluug it on the grouud ; the monkeys followed suit, and everyone of them threw down his nightcap. His lordship vie Protestant Bishop of Sidney has assumed the despairing course of flingiug down bis nightcap, and he thinks we will throw down our nightcaps too j but I thiuk he has made a mistake. We will hold fast to our own nightcaps : we will adhere to our own principles, and not follow his. We have adopted this coarse. These a c vie principles of truth — the oaly principles consistent with the duty we owe to ourselves, and wuicn we owe to Holy Church ; and we will continue true to the^e principles. I would ask you, dearly beloved people, to iemaiu united wuh your clergy in adherence to these principles, aud to send your children to these Oatholic schools, and at no distaut day you will be consult by witnessing the triumph of thuse principle! of justice and truth (loud applause).