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Date: 1867-03-15
By: True Witness
Citation: “No title”, True Witness (15 March, 1867)
Other formats: TBA

The Canadien of Quebec seems to be offended at the silence of the Catholic journals on the provisions of the Union Act with reference to the School Question:—”They should at least have the courage,” says the Canadien, “to approve openly the policy of their masters, or should have the conscience to re-assure Catholics of good faith.”

We would suggest to our Quebec contemporary that he himself assigns a satisfactory reason for the silence of Catholic journalists upon the matter; for he says, “Le Clerge parait satisfait,”—the Clergy appear to be satisfied.” If so, why should the laity complain? The former are the guardians of faith and morals; and if they see no reason to apprehend any dangers to the laity from the new dispositions of the law, surely the laity have no cause to be frightened.

At the same time we do not pretend to attribute to the Clergy sentiments either of satisfaction, or of dissatisfaction with the measure.—We have no right to speak in their name; and they, if they see cause to make their sentiments known, well know when, and how, to do so, without our interference. What satisfies them, will we hope always satisfy the laity.

But we would also venture to hint, that: acquiescence in the inevitable, does not always imply satisfaction; and that a transaction, or bargain may honorably be accepted, not as a good bargain, but as the best bargain possible under the circumstances. For ourselves, the law as it stands is not all that we would wish it to be.—We think that the “right of appeal,” though it secures to the Protestant minority of L. Canada, all that they can desire—since it transfers the question of their schools from a legislature in which they will be in a minority, to one in which Protestants will be in an overwhelming majority—offers but little advantage to the Catholic minority of Upper Canada—since it can merely transfer the question from a Legislature in which they will scarce be represented at all, to one in which they will still be in a minority. Practically, then, the proviso on the School Question giving the “right of appeal” does not put the Catholic minority of Upper Canada on a footing of equality with the Protestant minority of the Lower Province. The bargain, we say, may not be a good bargain; but could we have got considering the circumstances, can we get, a better? That after all in the question.

It seems to us that the best policy for Catholics, is, frankly to accept the situation, and try to make the best of it; abstaining from useless repining, from factious opposition, and from factious approbation of the measure. Theoretically the Constitution may be very imperfect; but before either condemning it, or praising it, let us see how it works, and let us all do our best to make it work well. For the rest, we may be sure that the Clergy will be, in the future, as they have been in the past, the vigilant guardians of the spiritual interests of their flocks; and should these—the faith and morals of the Catholic laity—be put in danger, our faithful and vigilant guardians will sound the note of alarm and arouse us to action. At that moment we hope that we shall all be found ready for action; till it arrives, prudence and respect for their ecclesiastical superiors should suggest to the Catholic laity the policy of patience. Untimely action, and factious action, would in our circumstances be alike impolitic, and injurious to the cause which we, no less than the Canadien, have at heart.