New-York tribune., 1871-12-01
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE
EDUCATIONAL system or rp.Nc,,

| EMPIRE-OPpOsITfON or TIE CIiUi,fu %. -, -, y y
! --DI%UssION IN THE COCNCILs-CINuKA, ~.
THE COMMON SCHOOL QUESTION.
| fFR0M THE REGULAR ORREsTOEDEYr OF TIa r,I3Uyy,
| PARIS, nov. B.-Of all pIcstnt signs o: the
times, none Is more noteworthy or Of hope ths.
| the revived and ev"I.aOwi09 iDicrcst taasn In
| the subject Of popular ediraiion Though hoo.
| ful. 1t is not sign Of pgce-iafher of mm,.
| ncnt stormy d''""a"n. for Of all the III .o,a
| that seprate FrnrhnrD, the essential one u. la.
dvsioh "t"""h h''hoI'y 'nd rcnion, tie Churc.f md
philosophy, the Oid acquired stock ot Opinions e,isk
lishcd dogI.as principles ana liberty q; tlnu t rs.
Is division from which thoa Of poi;ci oagr. ,cor,.
and lchOns deryJti.c-, ana Yhr,o wi,h VIM.
depths thG ARE stDriicid, with who" r,f.r.i.ry n.
ture they ac' dcnta. fresh rycl ,o;. Of the q
rential drcp, rlfDrntary quality Uf Iii, sill ioine.
| DO furnished by the debates on .ha,nv.r nrs ais
educational reform arc proposed to he As,r.nDy tbi,
WnterthCugh like AL men who glide iron. 81 los:,s,
to office Minister Jufa SIMON lar led - iho Wy unA
Of his showy, loud rt,ornng Nal. ~ vsc serent. do
| their skin and raith-. Meantime, hrici note or u,
what is passing, with brf.r re:, rc'r u ,ae r4x
| will be In place here.
| Among the crimes FOR whi,h France Ia. uald "a n.,
Ing ;Id haS yet to pay heavy penalty non, o The s
Napol'on vas gr.,cr faan lis G,lrving iarsc.n.
ton or it, pccpe Of their right rca,-!s scepin,
them ont of their due Inheritance as universal L..
Of tho int lI'ciua treasures cnnus;.d from oil tlms
| and l.it common patrnony to m3nElnd by ri-hly%u
| dOwcd poets. orators, bold dscove and invcntys
fraDsIn,icrs to s'lelc value of natures wcal,s NJ
searches. lighted By the philo.opLlc lamp. i..o ~
deeper mincs OF thought. For twenty year., whis,
whole generation was growing up in gtoIante, in w
nearly allpOwcrfu Power, at least, hc never fsiedh
apply for tho repression of such Intellectual a.iiyy
was iii agreeable to him. II needed tho dAssd
eye OF Gen. DIX SIR. Fctrdgc not to havs pr
ccived pTiOr the general decadence IN France Of
ana literature, which other spectators coa!dna
miss seeing. II the necessary Consequence Of th
Imperial roprc.svc VI freedom Of Prcrn and oil th
prcss-a,Dd permiss.vr, to use the mdes term 0
popular ignorance. II the rational word VI 900
whose words are always ripe with r"a"on that 'i!sm
want rich cream, you should have blodi pans iul i
milk"
TIE prctcnsc constantly opposed by N9po'e"ut
finance Minister ,ic Inands FOR uoLe-t appropa'.M
in the interest of common schools, was tf money W.
wanting Tuat Plea never stopped The means for avA
outlay where il In the direction OF his will neTa
stopped idle changes in military uniforms from whitag
were under Louis Philippe TO those worn ragged in Ger
man prisons by the late Napoeoic armies The gifts Nd
pensions sllIandared members OF his put.Ne ianu
rot one OF whom rendered apprcciable good or
vice t. France-thc marriage present gi'cl TO PHs
Anna Mrat exceeded any Of t" refused approprs
tios Jules Simon presumed to vote ior IN paraa
ahl Of [kcpt school, and worse kept, starving Shod
isresses. The expense of that notwithstanding
petiOn to MrXcO wOiild nave t"lcc co'reh Hc co'sW
refttng foul schOOl-rComs in all French com
n,uncs ard Of dcccntly paying teachers, let aioN
prevented the consequence Of such expeditions and ref
dered the Imperial regime impossible or tie fGtarc.
Under the monarchy of July the primary schools gdi1N
27OOCOO pupils and the proportion OF the absolutely
ieratc sank from 80 TO sc per cent; from 1850 to M
the additional gain was but l"DOo, aud the peTccnas
utterly uncttcrcd to the whole population sank frm
sc 25. While the rate Of improvement was rather -
fart flat tyycu following the Ike per,0
preceding 1880 1t relatively to tie general progress
In other CIVILIZED countries during the time, shan'e'uJ
less. The Educational Law Of 1853, which, Tor ITS umA
was excellent one has not only not been superseo
by bettr one, but was modified for the nonce ny ne
law of ls0 In the latter years Of the Empire slissn
crease Of teachers salaries was voted Dy Ne''SuaS
Lrislaturc but the increase was 30 slight a. 10 E'
more than equal the increased cost Of living and san
make it necessary teachers to exc out yeiaocdV
extra work out Of school hours In 1e55 the eXrnduz
primary instruction in ali France, with Its population
Of 81. 100000 amounted to &f0oo0o OF which sl,SV~
paid tno pupils S2.3OO.cO by thH "nnmnnes.
$0sOOO0 by the departments, ahd NlAos' Wy LUG o''
the balance made up from special resoulces In ao
budget Of 1869 the State figures for scVcW Oh "acn
100000 only to aid the communes In Duihhs ahd
repairing schOOlhOuscs Meantime the New Louvre Isa
been completed at a cost Of more than 5ooooo ana ms
New Opera begun estimates Of equal expenditure
Let us be just all the to tho man Of Clselhuns
who eats well and seeky fattens sleeps there with
quiet conscience, wrapped In his stolen oratian virtue
In this crime Of his he had the Church party In parcu
lar and the respectable wealthy classes quite too gene
rally for accompces. There Is some show, perhaSA
little grain Of truth in that Overworked phrase that hs
was "morc liberal than his minister's" To be hh
reign with liberal ministers impossible, and the llib
era members of his egieative body hts nom
ine,-. This made 1t the easier for him to pose foe
libc rasin. Aud this man, who rested for suppoton
tn ignorance of the masses to whom e more than once
frankly appealed against the opposition OF the moro ea
tvated classes himself appear to be friendly ne
doctrine OF gratuitOus obligatory primary education
and without officially accepting, still less enforcing ia
conclusions, he suffered his Ministry OF lnsructonb
publish in lie Moniur that once, funny Patonic rspot
recommending both gratulty aud c0mpuls;on. h%a
Napoleon been sincerely earnest In carrying these two
main points as he was for his Mexican eXpedton.nu
certain that he would not have found 80 large inaonV
dt doubtful whether be would have found any majority
at alD In the Legislature plant to his wish Even sup
posing that law embodying these principle, cond hA''
passed the House, is than probable that pro
sentaton to tho Senate would have developed Vigorous
resistance in that venerable body OF decayed zeh'eme
That the Church party, still pow erfu one IN nun
bcrs and discipline, should oppose such mcasic'
natural and logical. With them 1t Is hsht 'or no0'
and altar. They are yet more hostile to uny"r>hhc'
schools than to compulsory education. The rcasoa'S
that also is too patent to need explanation "l'a0e
erwse toleraby respectable even intelligent ahd s"'
pcople Of the Church party. the following are anoDs
objections strenuou-ly held for valid; khowieds' n"
good for the common mass, but only sets them 10 ~
ing and makes them dscoeu; with the state Proviao'
has placed them in. difficult to govern, &c I'm
a sort of Dame Quickly argument: "'li' 10; 600" A-
children should know any wrkcdness. ihe eAp.
of stocking all France with decent school rooh' S%
centIy.paid teachers would he too bnrden'ome' u" -
outlay would be large, and would wFlsn hea'''
state and departments, for refttini am "I'"'
or houses, sc, ,6Oo0Oo thereabout would "c r'am
according to NJ. Ch Roberts estimates NiIo >"
numerous large landed PROPRIETOR He''h'"
other wealthy persons who do not o's'H'se f!"
dinary insurance on their barns, aud msf'h"""' "a,
other dcstructiblc goods. are painfully impHs
the force OF this argum at. ComPu'ioh 10 ...n.
,,,,,r.i r,,bt of the parents arthofuy, "a iluiS