Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-15
FREEDOM OF EDUCATION
IN GREE" FRANCE.
WHEELING. May Is. 1879


In your issue of this morning under
the heading Of Personal and Political
appears the following item, viz.
''The French Clerical Journal stigma
ties VI. Jules Ferryas Julian the apOs-
tate because he prosecuted the Arch
bishop Of AK for ordering the clergy to
read from the pulpit attacks on the gov
eminent
How very unreasonable these med
dlesome Archbishops are, to be sure!
Simply because the French government
propose to abolish Catholic schools in a
Catholic country they get indignant and
even want to have some say in the mat
ter.
For the amusement OF your readers
will hand YOU with this an editorial
from that impudent Clerical Journal
the Brooklyn Catholic Rerisr-actually
defending the conduct of the treasona-
bic Archbishop of AK, and audaciously
cOmdemning that most christian aduca-
tional measure champiOned by NJ. Jules
Ferry in the young republic of France.
READER.
The agitation in France evoked by
Jules Ferry's anti Christian Education
Bill, continues 10 grow in intensity.
Indeed the country has not been so
profoundly moved since the outbreak
of the Commune. Whether it was the
part Of wise Government unneceS-
sarilv to provoke such a contest
almost Immediately after its accession
10 power, NAV be left TO the judgment
of sensible men. The latest news is
that the Councils General of the de-
partments of Pas de Calais, Orne, Char
ente, Lot. and Marne-et-LOire, have
passed resolutions cOndemning the Bill.
Jules Ferry, speaking at Epinal, said
that his measures expressed the policy
of the whole Cabinet, which is doubtless
true; and that ne was resolved to perse-
we're to the end in the path he had en-
tered. Meanwhile the Government
attempts to gag the public voice. The
pastoral OF the Archbishop OF AK, which
discusses the scope and character OF the
Bill, has been placed before the Council
of State as a breach of the law. fig
for your law and your pretence of re-
pubhcanism, if an honest man, arch
bishop or no archbishop, cannot freely
express his free opinion and freely cir
culate il in the form of pastoral, or
pamphlet, or any way he pleases, Yet
this Tree Government in France sis firm
lv resolved TO prevent the controversy
ON this subiCt being reproduced in the
form of pastorals, destined to be read in
the pulpit, thus introducing political
discussion into religious worship. The
tender ConScienCeS OF these dear Crea-
lures, The supreme regard they have
for the calm SanCtity of Christian wor-
ship. They prOmulgate an anti-Chris-
tian law and preachers may not expose
its character, because this would be
introducing political discussion into the
pulpit, What have they to fear from
the pulpit Ii their Bill is right surely
they can bear the scrutiny Of the pulpit.
But the towards hearts fail them.
Perhaps they miSCalcuiated their forces.
An habitually noisy faction is very apt
10 mistake its real strength, and 1t Is
only when it tramples on convictions
which are deeply rooted in the hearts
of honorable and courageous men that
IL finds 20 its amaZement II has forgotten
something: that there are lengths to
which manhood refuses to be pushed.
Jules Ferrv's Bill is Just one OF these
fatal mistakes.
We showed last week what journals
like the London Times and the New
York Nation thought OF this measure.
We might easily supplement their testl-
mOuv of condemnation by any number
ot others who are aS anti-CathOhc or UNI
I Catholic a. they, vet who have a sense
| LETT i'm them of what is due to human
rights.
The Pail Mall Gd.stis will not be ac-
ruscd Of leaning towards Cathohclty
I'm any sense. ID saws: "ln France the
| State has only one possible rival IN mat
tcrs of education, and a single clause in
VI. Frrrv's Billwill drive this one posi-
I bIr rival out of the field The rival, of
course. is the Catholic Church; and here
/ is how this journal writes OF the schools
under Catholic direction, and OF what
| jules Ferry proposes To do:
/ n is the excellence of the teaching, at
nm events I'm the ewes OF the parents who
I send their children 10 these schools,
l thut constitutes their attraction. There
| are said at this moment To be more boys
/ i'm the private secondary schools than IN
/ the Government schools; and, conSld-
pring how keen an eye 4 French middle
\ class father usually has to his son at
I yaucement i'm life, il Is very improbable
/ that ne would send the boy TO a
private school instead Of To a Govern
/ mcnt school ii he did not find that there
WAS some advantage in so doing. IL
/ will. perhaps. be objected that his pref
rrrucr is based not on the superiority
\ of the secular instruction given in the
I private schools, but on the fact that re-
\ iigiouS instruction Is given at the same
time. But SurelyIt iSa very odd notion
Of liberty which does not allow the par
emf to Judge for himself on this point.
In would be- lust rs reasonable Tor the
State i'm this country 10 say that nobody
shall send his son To Cambridge, on the
plea that mathematics ought not to form
/ part of university training Even II
\ n be objected that in the French case
I the action of the parent Is dictated by
/ lower motives, and that he sends his
bows 10 private school instead OF to
| the State school because of some sup
posed social advantage which he expects
To accrue from so doing, it is an extra
ordinary stretch of authority for the
State 10 forbid this. Are fathers to be
forbidden to place their sons in Catholic
mercantile houses though there happens
to bc an opening for them there and
none at all perhaps elsewhere? Such a
law as this would be quite in keeping
with the present Education bill.
: ! y - d u IL =.