schools resi 2d. That the s authorized agent visit the same and the course and sys any matter conne The undersign every specified rec of the State, or abuse in the and exacter They b mean witho of an and th they l which tained cussio As should School same in PROPOSITION ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL SOCIETY. 321 But the books to be used for exercises in learning to read or spell, in history, geography, and all such elementary knowledge as could have a tendency to operate on their hearts and minds in reference to their religior, must be, so far as Catholic children are concerned, and no farther, such as they shall judge proper to put in their hands. But nothing of their dogmas, nothing against the creed of any other denomination, shall be introduced. HUGH SWEENY, (Signed) NEW YORK, December 19, 1840. JAMES W. MCKEON. PROPOSITION ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL SOCIETY. In compliance with the request of the committee of the Board of Aldermen, the undersigned committee of the New York Public School Society submit the following propositions as a basis of a compromise with their Roman Catholic fellow-citizens on the subject of the public schools; which propositions they are willing to support before the trustees of the Society, and which they believe will be sanctioned by that board. The Trustees of the New York Public School Society will remove from the class-books in the schools all matters which may be pointed out as offensive to their Roman Catholic fellow-citizens, should any thing objectionable yet remain in them. They will also exclude from the school libraries (the use of which is permitted to the pupils, but not required of them) every work written with a view to prejudice the mind of the reader against the tenets or practices of the Roman Catholic Church, or the general tendency of which is to produce the same effect. They will receive and examine any books which may be recommended for the use of the schools; and should such books be adapted to their system of instruction, and void of any matter offensive to other denominations, they shall be introduced so soon as opportunity may be afforded by a call for new books. Any suggestions in reference to alterations in the plan of instruction or course of studies, which may be offered, shall receive prompt consideration; and, if not inconsistent with the general system of instruction now prevailing in the schools, nor with the conscientious rights of other denominations, they shall be adopted. The building situated in Mulberry street, now occupied by Roman Catholic schools, shall, if required for the use of the Public School Society, be purchased or hired, on equitable terms, by the trustees, should such an arrangement be desired. Every effort will be made by the Trustees of the Public School Society to prevent any occurrence in the schools which might be calculated to wound the feelings of Roman Catholic children, or to impair their confidence in, or diminish their respect for, the religion of their parents. Anxious to keep open every avenue to such an arrangement as will lead to a general attendance of the Roman Catholic children at the public schools, and fully aware that some things may have escaped their observation which might be modified without violation of the conscientious rights of others, the undersigned wish it to be distinctly understood that, in offering the foregoing propositions as the basis of an arrangement, it is not intended to exclude other propositions which the Roman Catholics may make, provided they do not interfere with the principles by which the trustees feel themselves bound. (Signed) NEW YORK, December 19, 1940. SAMUEL F. MOTT, Committee. Your committee deem it proper to remark, in vindication of the School Society, that they were only one of the numerous remonstrants against the prayer of the petitioners. Their views were represented in the late discussion before the board only by their legal advisers, Messrs. Sedgewick and Ketchum. The other gentlemen who participated in the discussion represented other bodies which are not in any manner connected with them. Sentiments were uttered by some of them which the School Society do not entertain, and for which they are not justly accountable. This explanation is deemed proper, in consequence of a remark in the above proposition of the petitioners which appears to be founded on an erroneous impression. The unwillingness of the petitioners to agree to any terms which did not recognize the distinctive character of their schools as Catholic schools, or which would exclude sectarian supervision from them entirely, was the obstacle to a compromise, which could not be overcome. However much we may lament the consequences, we are not disposed to question the right of our Catholic fellow-citizens to keep their children separated from intercourse with other children; but we do not believe the Common Council would be justified in facilitating such an object. They have an unquestionable right to pursue such a course, if the dictates of conscience demand it of them; and they have a just claim to be sustained by the Common Council in the exercise of that right; but they cannot justly claim public aid to carry out such intentions, unless they can show that the public good would be promoted by it, and that such public aid can be extended to them without trespassing upon the conscientious rights of others. But if any religious society or sect should be allowed the exclusive right to select the books, appoint or nominate the teachers, or introduce sectarian peculiarities of any kind into a public school, the exercise of such a right, in any one particular, would very clearly constitute such school a sectarian school, and its support at the public expense would, in the opinion of the committee, be a trespass upon the conscientious rights of every taxpayer who disapproved of the religion inculcated by the sect to which such school might be attached; because they would be paying taxes for the support of a religion which they disapproved. Your committee are, therefore, fully of the opinion that the granting of the prayer of the petitioners, or conforming to the terms of the proposals submitted by the committee who represented them, would render |