e Protestant, the Catholic, nor the infidel, as such, but are for
the people, the whole people, without reference to religion.
It is an undisputed principle in political economy, that the State
may appropriate money raised by taxation to purposes which are
only of general necessity or of supreme utility, and which can be
attained by the State only, or by the State to a degree or in a way
very superior to those of private effort. It is on this principle that
the State refuses to require the teaching of religion in the public
school sup-ported by general taxation. The teaching of religion is
not an object to be attained by the State only, neither, can the
objects of religion be attained by the State to a degree or in a way
superior to those of private effort. All history proves that the State,
as a teacher of religion, is a disastrous