doctrine of
Christianity which is not controverted by some party or other. The
whole series of Irish National Readers must be proscribed as
containing "controverted theological doctrines;" since, as the
Commissioners state, these books are pervaded by the principles and
spirit of Christianity, though free from any tincture of
sectarianism.

I think there is too little Christianity in our schools, instead of
too much; and that the united efforts of all Christian men should
be to introduce more, instead of excluding what little there is.

I have not assumed it to be the duty, or even constitutional right
of the Government, to compel any thing in respect either to
religious books or religious instruction, but to recommend the
local Trustees to do so, and to provide powers and facilities to
enable them to do so within the wise restriction imposed by law. I
have respected the rights and scruples of the Roman Catholic as
well as those of the Protestant.

By some I have been accused of having too friendly a feeling
towards the Roman Catholics; but while I would do nothing to
infringe the rights and feelings of Roman Catholics, I cannot be a
party to depriving Protestants of the Text-book of their faith--the
choicest patrimony bequeathed by their forefathers, and the noblest
birthright of their children. It affords me pleasure to record the
fact--and the circumstance shows the care and fairness with which I
have acted on this subject--that before adopting the Section in the
printed Forms and Regulations on the "Constitution and Government
of the Schools in respect to Religious Instruction," I submitted
it, among others, to the late lamented Roman Catholic Bishop Power,
who, after examining it, said, [he could not approve of it upon
principle, but] he would not object to it, as Roman Catholics were
fully protected in their rights and views, and as he did not wish
to interfere with Protestants in the fullest exercise of their
rights and views.

It will be seen that New England or Irish National School advocates
of a system of mixed schools did not maintain that the Scriptures
and all religious instruction should be excluded from the schools,
but that the peculiarities of sectarianism were no essential part
of religious instruction in the schoo