dian young men, supported wholly
by mission funds, may be trained in the vernacular at any
missionary school supported in whole or in part by missionary
societies, the object being to prepare them for the ministry,
whose subsequent work shall be confined to preaching, unless they
are employed as teachers in remote settlements where English
schools are inaccessible.

"6th. These rules are not intended to prevent the possession or
use by any Indian of the Bible published in the vernacular; but
such possession or use shall not interfere with the teaching of
the English language to the extent and in the manner hereinbefore
directed."

COMMENT.

This order presents a great and gratifying modification of those
extreme rulings of the Department which occasioned so much
dissatisfaction among the churches. While we rejoice in these
modifications, we must not conceal from ourselves or our readers
the fact, that the main point against which objection has been so
strenuously urged--the right of the churches to be guided by their
own wisdom and experience in expending their own funds--is not
granted by this order, as will be seen in Article 3. "In purely
mission schools," "toward whose support the Government contributes
nothing," it dictates that "one-half of the school-hours shall be
employed in instruction in English." So far as the principle is
concerned, nothing is yielded. The Government still assumes to
control these schools, and to tell the missionaries how much of the
vernacular they may use, and how they must divide the hours between
the two languages.

The regulation, moreover, fixes upon "one-half of the school hours"
without any obvious reason for taking that number rather than
one-fourth or three-fourths, for it does not take into account the
different conditions of the pupils as to their knowledge of the
English language. It requires a double set of text-books if the
vernacular be taught at all. Whether the churches will acquiesce in
this regulation, will depend, we think, upon how rigidly it is
enforced. We regret that the Government, while attempting to meet
the wishes of the churches, could not have done it in a more broad
and generous method, by conceding their right to manage their own
missionary affairs without interference or dictation.

* * * * *

The numerous solicitors from the South for the benefactions of our
friends at the