, 1874-02-03
THE RIGHT TO IGNORANCE,

In = rooont article sotting forth the right OF
the State to require tho instruction Of children
III tho rudimsntary branches OF education, re
illustrated our position by citing tho higher ex-
erciao of power brought in forco in compelling
all citizenB Of suitable ago to render military
service. We showed that if the State may re-
quiro its citizens to bear arms and expose their
lives in battlo and in camp then, jortiori, it
may require thom to know something
before they arc called to perform mil
itary duty, since educated poraouH mike
bottor soldiera than clowns. a mora
ing newspaper, which stands up for tho
right to ignorance says TINT these are tho ideas,
though not tho exact language, Of L. Tamorlane,
az Alexander, Cmsar, Charles v, or Philip
H., Bonaparto, or Wilhelm Kasur."
1t has boen commonly understood that Tanner
lano, Alexander. Cnsar, Charlea y. Philip H.,
and Bonapaste loft their Impress not on tho
minds Of thoir generation but on their
bodies. Wo admit, however, that tho
ideas mentioned abovo arc the ideas
Of Wilhelm Kaiser, ind the world
aud powerful nation, somewhat dospotio 1t is
granted, but whose dcspotism Inns no connection
with ita compulsory education, while It's onlight-
onment and power most asauredly have. Tho
final result OF Its system OF education will be we
venture to predict, that Germany shall yet be o
free and liberal nation, Quo which, by its ol1-
lightonmont, will bo enabled to dispense with
the vast standing army it now maintains. There
was nothing in our argument on compulsory
education favorlng standing army. Wo do
not want large standing army. The people
OF this country arc opposed to its existence, aud
rightly opposed to it. Wo advocate education
for the very reason that it is tho best neans OF
dispensing with a standing army. We advocate
it in part as substitute for standing army.
We advocate 1t because wo cannot afford to bo
inferior, in point of enlightenment, to my peo-
pie on the globe. We do not want drilled man.
machines. We want intelligent beings for
soldiers as for every other purpose.
But, continues tho advocate of permisaiye bar
barism and OF the inalionab!o right Of froo peo-
pic to be ounces:
The State It ia asserted, has tho right to enforco
tho education Of ]" its su1jects" What the State
that is hero put III opposition to its sub1ccts?" II
tho people Of the State " Its subiccts" then by
tho Stato not 10 meant tho people: for such
meaning would require tho proposition to stand thus
"The subjects Tor people lnvo tho right to enforce
tho education Of tho subjects for peoplo)" which
would bs absurd. It III clear ut by the State these
| compusiouista mean The GoreTnmcn anl not in tho
broad sense that the people constitute tho Govern
but In tho mperalis nsonAscAca Of personal
rulers. They mean by 'tIo sato" exactly wllnt the
Bourbon King of France meant when he said, "Lt.t
c'ezt Mott" Thofr proposition admits of no othor
meaning for any attempt to conArne 1t IN any ohcr
meaning brngs it ut once TO AL abaurdty, Distinctly
rendered, their proposition ia tha: IHe rulers tot
tho paoplo} havo tho right In aelt-pscaervatosl, to
enforce tho education Of their saljecs Nhe peope"
This journalistic ranter is not very successful
In hia pathological excursion. Ho might have
dispolled tho mystilcation in which tho worda
"stato and "Hubjeot" involved him by con-
sulting aomo standar<. dictionary for
instnnce,-from which ho would lave learned
that ouo Of the meanings Of Estate" " Is tue
| whole body Of the people united uudor o1,o go1-
crn1n cut, whatever may be tho form OF govern
meut !" aud tlat ono Of tho meanings Of "Hub'
ject," aud the very flrut given by Webster, Il
"that which ia placed under the authority
dominion or inauenco OF something else." Now
eyeu IN tho United States, tho individual ii
placed under j" the whole body Of the pooplt
united under ono Government, ,"-that is, unde1
tho state,-anl thus iB constituted tht
relation OF State aud subject, which tht
writer sooma TO consider 10 very undemo
cratic. Tor the benefit Of the advocates Of III
eyitable ignorance and of the right to know moth
ing and DO nothing we mako this explanation
Our critic apparently coutcmplatea state Of 10
oloty In wh,oh there would DO no suoh rolatlo,
aa that OF estate and subject;" no people gov
erning and no people governed no law,-,
mob, IN other woraB,-as very desirable. I1o In,
bettor apply for a poHitlon In tbs "Intor
national" Wo can think OF no p!ace whoro h
would be more likely to fool At home.
We do not asssgt that education nsosaaarll