4. These rules are not intended to prevent the possession or use by
any Indian of the Bible published in the vernacular, but such
possession or use shall not interfere with the teaching of the English
language to the extent and in the manner hereinbefore directed.

The gravamen of the objections urged in all this controversy is that
the _Government has no right to interfere with these mission schools_;
in the first place, in excluding all use of the vernacular in contract
schools, even for religious instruction, and in the next place, in
controlling the studies of the mission schools _supported wholly by
missionary money_ and in excluding white teachers from vernacular
schools. The missionary societies have found by long experience that
these mission schools in which the vernacular is taught, especially in
remote places, are the most effective, and in many cases the only
modes by which the people can be reached by the Gospel. The pupils are
taught to read the Bible and it is carried by them to their homes. Now
we ask, is it the function of the Government of the United {121}
States to dictate in matters so purely religious and to override the
Christian churches in the choice of their most approved methods of
disseminating the Gospel?

PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S LETTER.

The President, under date of March 29, 1888, in response to some
resolutions adopted by the Philadelphia M.E. Conference, writes a
letter on this subject, which deserves careful and candid
consideration, both for what it concedes and for what it does not
concede. We present the portion of the letter bearing upon the points
at issue.