ey shall be deprived of the means necessary for its maintenance_--in
this country, I say, we Catholics are entitled to equal rights, and to a
fair share, to a just apportionment of the annual amount raised by
taxation for the support of our charitable and educational institutions.
We ask only what is fair, what is just, what is right; and we base our
demand upon principle, and not upon the ground of favors granted or
received.

If the State taxes us, as a religious and Christian people, for the
education of our children, it must give us a Christian education. If it
cannot, or will not do that, it must cease to tax us, and leave the
education of our children to ourselves. If the Christian gives to Caesar
what belongs to Caesar, he has a right to demand of Caesar that he allow
him to give to God what belongs to God.

Again, the Constitution says, "That no person shall be compelled to
erect, support, or attend any place of public worship, nor support any
minister of the gospel, or teacher of religion," etc.; and it says,
"That no private property ought to be taken or applied to public use
without just compensation." Now let us apply these constitutional
principles to State-schools, and see if our compulsory support of them
is not violative of our constitution as well as common law. Why is it
"that no person shall be compelled to erect, support, or attend any
place of public worship, nor support any minister of religion"? Simply
because he "don't want to"; and he don't want to, "because it is against
his conscience"; and "no human authority," says the Constitution, "can
control or interfere with the rights of conscience"; that is all the
reason, and no other. The State believes that all places of worship, and
ministers of the gospel, are good; but, knowing that there is a
difference of opinion among the people on that subject, wisely leaves
such matters to their choice, and will not take private property for
public use without compensation. Why, then, is private property taken
for Public Schools without compensation? We cannot use them in
conscience, and we have seen there is no lawful power or authority to
"control or interfere with conscience." I ask, then, if I am not right
in stating that our compulsory support of an odious and infidel system
of Public Schools, against our conscience and against our consent, is
not far worse than the support of any form of church establishment?

Moreover, according to the Constitution