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to deliver before thousands of people of this country I said:--" What I have learned of your great system of the education of the masses which I admit cannot be very great or particular for the reason that my observations have been neoessarily limited, is to me an encouragement beyond words to express if my impressions are just and true.”
Since delivering that lecture I have observed much controversy among the people of this country in relation to the character-I may say-the religious character of the common school. A large class of citizens, believers in certain form of religion oppose and even go so far as to denounce the school system, because of its “Godless character", while the majority sustain this great system of education, because of its secular of neutral character as to religion; and this fact, namely the secular character of the common school system is in the estimation of the wisest people of all religions its chief glory. If you should undertake to teach in your common schools the distinctive dogmatic doctrines of Christianity, would not you put in jeopardy the system itself by inaugurating a revolution ? But now, in my counry your missionaries insist upon doing that for us as necessary to our civilization and education which you do not dare advocate or defend at home, I must repeat that we Hindus hail with unfeigned satisfaction any movement looking toward the real advancement and education of the masses but we
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