Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-10-04
The Congress mt Rarne.

The Congress of the International Associa-
| ton for the promotion of social science, which
counts among its six hundred members the
more eminent reformers and thinkers of
| Europe, was brought to a close on the I'd ult.
after attracting, during the five days of its sit
| ting. more public attention than any previous
gathering Of the kind, and filling the capital of
our sister republic with a galaxy of accom-
phshed men and brilliant women, such as
probably have never before congregated for
such high minded and noble purposes in any
metropolis. The Congress consisted of five
committees for legislative, educational and
pedagogical, artistic and literary, charitable,
sanitary, political and economical reforms.
Among the most momentous discussions
were those relating to the autonomy of PROV
lnceS or States, and the means of making local
administration possible and beneficial, without
detriment to the moral and political authority
OF the central Government. This question is
just now of paramount interest in France
where many enlightened statesmen and pub
lcists have recently organized regular cru
SADIE in favor Of decentralization. Desmarest
the eminent Paris barrister, made the most
dazzling, and Bluntschli the learned professor
of Heidelberg, the most convincing argument
on the subject.
The next topic in point of importance was
schools, religion from general education, in
volvmg the position to be assigned to the clergy
in educational institutions. This controversy
was the most protraced and excited Of the
Congress. Pascal Duprat and Jules Simon
electrified al! by the coqucnce and the Justice
OF their appeal i'll favor of the exclusion of
clerical influence from schools, and their views
were adopted by the Congress.
The decadence of the fine arts and of the
drama was also commented upon, as was the
necessity OF imparting more popular vitality
to these spheres of culture, and particularly to
the drama, as means of improving the NOR
ais and manners of the people,
In regard 10 the veXed question of prison
discipline, the preponderance of feeling in the
Congress was on the side of the solitary svs-
TEN during night, but opposed to it in day
time, when the prisoner is best reformed by
some congenial occupation.
The debate on military subjects derived
great interest from an able introductory dis
course, delivered by Mr.. Staempf, the late
President of the Swiss Republic. The militia
system of Switzerland, which is about to be
adopted by Greece, was recommended as the
best substitute for standing armies, which were
denounced unanimously as dangerous to the
people and ruinous to Governments.
Conspicuous among the many distinguished
peIsoHdSeS dI the congress was, DeSlue Jules
Simon, the great champion of humanitarian
and republican progress, and the most elo-
qqent advocate of American institutions in
France, GarnierPages, the ex-Minister of the
French Republic, and now membes of the
Chamber of Deputies, Count Montelambert,
the fascinating orator and brilliant publicist,
and the Count Of Paris, the heir to the throne
Of Louis Philippe, who has given noble evil
dence Of his sympathy with the cause of pro-
gress by his active cooperation in the Italian
and the Amesican wars. The count very m-
atfectcdly enhanced the political importance
of this Congress Of statesmen, philosophers,
reformers, and philanthropists by the prestige
Of his presence and that OF his younger bro
ther. The appearance of these princes at
Berne produced decided comm0ton, some
French members leaving the Congress, while
others looked upon the visit of the princes as
an evidence of their anxiety to identify them
selves with the cause Of liberalism. They, no
doubt, succeeded in making Orleans prose
lytes among the adherents Of the empire who
were present.