Part 6 (1/2)

Indeed, this error, this diverging point in constitutional interpretation, has been the real cause--the ”causa causaruro,” or ”cotton,” or the ”spirit of doht serve as the ”_proximate cause_,” but the real cause lay far back of the to admit that political events do not always proceed on a strictly logical order, but nevertheless there is a sequence, indeed an inevitable chain of cause and effect in the progress of public affairs, such as we see in individual conduct, but only on a broader scale

Nohat is the _civil power_, or _State_; what its origin, its authority, its legitihts and duties? Here I inated frooods, such as peace, security of life and property, of personal rights and privileges, etc, etc These are goods which neither individuals, nor families, nor private corporations can procure for themselves satisfactorily People therefore unite to establish a State, in order to attain, through the State, what they cannot do by their own private exertions The State, then, is overnency Its duty is to see that justice is adhts and property protected It holds the sword of justice not for _itself_, but for _others_; it is the _servant_, and not the _iven to the State, but the State is posterior to the people; it was, as I said before, established by the people and for the people In thenty and ultiht of the State is to discharge the duties assigned it within the sphere of its delegated authority--that is all

That sphere of action of the State in this country is clearly defined in the written Constitution The State, then, hts it was organized to protect

There never has been, and never will be, but two fore, the liberties of the people To the forovernments of the past and present; to the latter, the limited and representative ones

Russia, without doubt, is the highest type of that despotisan nations The Czar is the successor of the Gentile Caesar; he unites in himself the civil and spiritual power; the inevitable result is social oppression, denial of the rights of conscience, of the faovernantic steps in the same direction Many of the political minds of this country have been draithin the circle of _monarchial_ ideas They are unconsciously, as it were, adopting their forovernatives and supre to the feudal institutions of Asia and Europe Our si ashae and pretensions of its foro, in the discussions ”for the removal of the United States Capitol” In a two-hours' discussion, the word ”Republic,” or ”Federal Government,” or ”United States,” was not once mentioned!! It was ”_Nation_,” ”E to end To a reflecting nificance

It sly of monarchy

But some one will perhaps say, ”Sir, what has all this dissertation to do with your subject? You coainst the _Public School Systerave lecture on the nation relapsing into ireat deal to do; it is an atteovernrowing a itself up as e of all tyrants: ”_Sic volo, sic jubeo_,” etc, etc It claims, after the example of Prussia or Russia, or some other despotism, _to direct the education of the children_ of the people It even claireat feudalinstruction for the sons and daughters of its dependents It takes upon itself the discharge of duties imposed on parents by Divine Law, just as if fathers and mothers had lost their natural instincts as well as sense of duty; just as if the State had all the intelligence, virtue, and forethought of the public in her keeping It dispenses parents from a duty from which God will never dispense them It has usurped the office of teacher; it will, if not checked, set itself up as preacher It e on the footing of simple contracts, facilitates divorce; it is constantly, in all these things andof France: ”_L'etat c'est moi_” In fine, it makes, as it has been aptly, but not very reverently, said, God a little man, and itself and the State a little God, not in love and charity, indeed, but in power and authority

Here is where the danger coainst this that the people must provide The people ed with its authority, keep within their proper place The people can never be too vigilant or jealous of their constituted authority, never permit themselves to be the victims of misplaced confidence The State is not seldoiance is not to it, but froilance is the price of liberty”

The people have been greatly deceived and wronged by the State on the establishment of the Public School systeain, in a feords, what are the _principles_ on which the establishment of public schools is based How did men arrive at the idea that the State should be a school-master? If we consult history, we shall find that this idea rests upon rounds In Europe--in Protestant countries--the education of youth was held to belong to the church But as the Protestant prince was also the chief bishop of his church, he had the care of schools, as well as the ad to this principle of the _State-church_, all the schools were _State-schools_ At the present day, Protestant princes and princesses are not looked upon as chief bishops, but the consequence of this objectionable systeained a foothold even in this free country

The French Revolution, as, diffused communistic and socialistic theories Nay, communism and socialism seemed to have, for a s It is from such socialistic revolutionists that came the idea, or rather principle, which was made a law, that the State should educate the children of its subjects Accordingly the school-systehly welcomed and retained, as he saw in it a welco pleases State-absolutism or despotish the system of State-schools As the result of impartial history, then, we see that the foundation of the State-school syste else than the objectionable Protestant State-church, and especially revolutionary socialism

But most absurd did the State-school system appear after it had been transplanted into free America Here this ”State system of education”

was at first applied to the poor, and other unprovided-for ”waifs of society” But not long after, the State claimed to have a paramount interest in the children of all classes; it made no distinction, it knew not the rich from the poor, but opened its scholastic treasures alike, and it was thought to be all right

What an absurdity! The State, as I have re any of those rights which it was organized to protect It must not paralyze or take away the industry of the individual, fa for it its own industry The State should rather protect and prohts and liberties Let me speak more plainly: the State, for instance, should protect trade, but it should not be itself a tradesriculture, but it should not be itself a farmer; the State should sustain honest handicraft, but it should not work at shoe- So, in the same manner, the State should promote and protect education, but it should not be itself a school-ive instruction

What a cry would be raised if the State erected State workshops, and thereby ruined all other si, as far as possible, in regard to education What an absurdity! In our free country, State education has no ood sense than the old suth of a boot or the diht to educate our children, why does it not just as well claie them? Indeed these necessities are more indispensable, and must be supplied to a considerable extent before education can be given at all

Why should the State throw all these burdens on the parents, and assura It is even said that the tailor and barber havethe ain, how absurd is it not for the State to undertake to teach all alike, without regard to their circumstances or prospects in life, the same business This scholastic equality soon ends, if it ever had a reality They cannot all expect to be Newtons, Humboldts, or La Places

They cannot be all, nay, not one in ten thousand, ”professors,” or ”editors,” or what not We cannot, if ould, escape the sentence iarden: ”Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face” As well ht the State claie should sit at the same table, provided at public expense, and be served with the same food and the same nueneration to make citizens, which must be its reason, if any) thinks it necessary to prescribe a State education, it is equally i, should be of the approved State quality and pattern!!! All know that this was the old Lacaedemonian plan, and how it ended history tells;--in ferocity, avarice, dishonesty and disruption All ad a people into uniforion Now it is just as unreasonable, just as absurd, just as wicked to force the people into uniformity in the matter of education One species of tyranny as well as the other disregards the just claihts of individuals, and usurps the ht of the family

The State may, indeed, require that the children should be educated, in order that they may one day become worthy members of society, and fit subjects for the State; but claiive, and control their education, the State cannot There is in all this matter a feature not always clearly represented It is this: any provision made by the ”State” for education, must refer _to the poor and otherwise unprovided_, and be justified on the grounds of the State standing to these classes _in loco parentis_; beyond this, though the State, as to ”charitable uses,” e, _it has nothing to do with their education whatever_ If this sih undeniable fact were properly understood, it would save a world of trouble and confusion

I a of a ”_Christian State_,” and the State in Araves, if necessary, would open and give up their dead to bear testiin Its civilization is Christian, and is the product of the principles of the ”_Ne_” as taught and pro feature of this civilization is, that it has asserted the dignity of freedom of the _individual man_, while the ancient, or Gentile, civilization, _sunk_ the _individual man_ in the composite society called the State In that case it was but reasonable that the _State_ should, _as owner_, take upon itself the burden of providing, not only for his govern These, too, belonged to it, on the an law, that _partus sequitur ventrein of the Pagan doctrine, ”_the children of the State_”--a miserable relic of barbarism It is important to keep this fact in mind, e deny the _supremacy of the State_ in the matter of education

Our children, then, are not the _children of the State_ The State has no children, and never had, nor will The State does not own them, nor their fathers nor mothers, nor anybody else in this country, thank God!

We have not got that far yet on the road to civil slavery, and I hope we never shall We are not Pagans, nor Mahometans, nor Russians We have not sold out, and don't intend to! We are free, for with a great price our forefathers have bought this freedoh the mercy of our Divine Author, Christians, and heirs to a heavenly kingdo by the order of nature to their parents, and by the order of grace to our Lord Jesus Christ They are children of God and heirs to His heavenly kingdom It is not on the State, but on parents, that God imposed the duty to educate their children, a duty from which no State can dispense, nor can fathers and mothers relieve themselves of this duty by the vicarious assuive a severe account of their children on the Day of Judgment, and they cannot allow any power to disturb the free use of thehtfully over our children, than over a ht of conscience, and a right of the fa to the temporal order at all; and outside of this the State has no claiht, no authority When the State has children, it will be tihtened age to learn this si shows better the absurdity of the State in claiht of education, than its incompetency for the task The State is forbidden any interference with religion

I have shown that the whole systeion taught in the Public Schools, because, as we cannot teach you religion without inculcating some form or other professed by soive offence, ill teach you none Let the child believe anything or nothing, so as it is not some form of ”sectarianism” I worshi+p in the ”Pantheon;” all are alike to me, of course In all this the State is perfectly consistent, and cannot do otherwise It has undertaken a part _it is not competent to perform_ The State, as State, professes no form of belief Its Gods, its worshi+ps, its altars, its victims, its rewards, its punishion, because it don't profess any It was not born, it will not die, it has no soul, it was not created, it will not be judged in the world to come, likethat states, nations, or kingdoms are not moral persons, and are not responsible for their acts and conduct to Al more than an individual ”States” have their lives, their mission, their destiny; they have their sphere here below They represent the te to Caesar

The State, then, is a ious person, _for there can be no eneral sense, be recognized by the State, it has no authority to control or direct it It must respect the conscience of an individual This is his birthright, and cannot be voted ahether to support Public Schools or Public Churches

If there be areat or small, who deny the coreater power--God--does this But the State itself cannot profess or _play infidel_, or, under pretence of avoiding sectarian partiality, strike at the root of all Christianity I admit the State is of the ”temporal order,” and cannot discriminate between the various modes of belief; but not for that can it place itself _outside_ of theuishable_, but not _separable_, froreater end It is ato do with religion, and ations If by this it is meant that the State cannot establish or ion, or interfere with its profession, or even denial by others, I admit the proposition; but if, on the other hand, it is ards Christianity and infidelity, God or no God, truth and error, either as equal or unimportant, then I utterly deny and condemn it To bear with and tolerate error is its duty; to foster or provide for its support or propagation, or place it on the sa with revealed truth, is another and very different thing