of our religion are taught too superficially;
that the principles which underlie the dogmas are not sufficiently
explained, inculcated, and impressed upon the minds of the young men,
and that their educators fail in giving them a correct idea of the
spirit and essence of our religion, which is based on divine revelation,
and invested in a Body divinely commissioned to teach all men,
authoritatively and infallibly, all its sacred and immutable
truths--truths which we are consequently bound in conscience to receive
without hesitation.

"Now what I have said of certain colleges applies also, unhappily, to
many of our female academies; they are by no means what they should be,
according to the spirit of the Church; they conform too much to the
spirit of the world; they have too many human considerations; they make
too many allowances for Protestant pupils at the expense of the Catholic
spirit and training of our young Catholic ladies; they yield too much to
the spirit of the age; in a word, they attend more to the intellectual
than to the spiritual culture of their pupils.

"But what is even more surprising than all this is, that some of our
Catholic clergy, and among them some even of those who should be first
and foremost in fighting for sound religious principles, and seeing that
our youth are carefully brought up in them, are too much inclined to
yield to the godless spirit of the age--to the so-called liberal views
on Catholic education, which have been clearly and solemnly condemned by
the Holy See. They tell us poor people in the world, that, if we are
careless in bringing up our children as good Catholics, we are worse
than heathens, and have denied our faith! that, if our children are lost
through our neglect, we also shall be lost. I would like to know whether
God will show Himself more merciful to those of our clergy who take so
little interest in the religious instruction of our youth; who make
little or no exertions to establish Catholic schools, where we could
have our children properly educated; who, when they condescend to
instruct them, do so in bombastic language, in scholastic terms which
the poor children cannot understand, taking no pains to give their
instructions in plain words, and in a manner attractive for children.

"As the pastor is, so is the flock. We enjoy full religious liberty in
our country. All we need is good, courageous pastors--standard-bearers
in the cause of God and the people. We