Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-14
LETTER FROM PARIS.

TIoN-PoPULAR EDUCATION IN FRANcB-THK
sALoH-AARRIAGE AND OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
ETC.
Especial Correspondents OF The Evening Star.l
PARIS. Mays.
Much mirth is being INDUCED In at the ex-
pense OF the pact OF silence solemnly imposed
On the special correspondents following the
French army Of invasion OF Tunis. 1t Is Col.
the Prince Polignac-a name not happily aSso-
ciated with the preSs-that has instituted this
''ordinance." The utility of Journalist con-
sists in freedom to see and to write for his
readers; his country naturally desires TO know
what Is going On, and how matters are being
conducted. But the Gordon 7,.ilttaire thrown
round the press exacts that all letters and dis
patches must first receive the visa of staff
officer before being sent off, under pain OF
bringing ''our own" before drum-head court
martial.
THE PLAN OF GEN. ROBERTS
was superior to this: he told of captains to
act as special correspondents, and the Taci-
fuses duly filled the role OF Hamlet without
Hamlet. England, since the Boer war, seems
to have taken new departure in the matter Of
dispatches. She will tell henceforth the truth
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
leaving to others to still perpetrate the errors
tated his own bulletins. that which made
many conclude he must have descended from
those Cretons. as described by St Paul.
The French character has two weaknesses:
love for curiosity and an itch Tor secrecy. Now
In the case OF the Tunisian war, both might be
satisfied without danger: Neither the Bey of
upon newspaper letters or kilograms to ascer-
tain the movements Of the French. They have
horsemen whose knowledge OF the mountain
by ways enable them to even OutStrip the in
telligence by telegraph. The preventive CEN
sure applied to journalists is but q humiliation
for the press and q vexatlon for the public.
mi "a o,IlnI or Idvin
maps OF the seat OF war, and the lines OF
march, than deciding If the letters OF
specials" sufficiently adulate the n,utsares,
and assert not button is wanting on SOL
dier's gaiter. Opening campaign with closed
doors Is not without originality, and espe-
cially in campaign where the last thing, I'm:
happily, feasible, Is to strike grand coup, and
so necessltating Conrad silence beforehand
THE CAMPAIGN
may still be considered In its honeymoon stage,
though the soldiers have experienced the ex-
tremes Of the sirroco and deluge. There Is no
sickness, and each days march makes the
braUeS more indurated. The Tunisian army
has splendid tents, recalling a field of cloth OF
gold magnifcence; but the soldiers have no
SHOES. AS the French penetrate into the un-
known territory of the Krouuirs they find
themselves IN the midst OF land flowing with
merous marshes, whose borders are covered
with rank herbs: numerous nOcks OF birds
abound, many OF which already divine their
good time coming. Footpaths are the only
available roads, and admit OF but one person
passing at time. EveryW where is stiffness and
immooility. The women encountered so far
are barelegged; their dress Is a kind OF blue
calico toga; their face Is OF mulatress and
Florent1ne bronze color, with blue TATTOO marks.
Around the camp the jackals indulge In their
strange new and bark cries. The neighbor-
mood, too. must be well stocked with kindred
game, as 1t was there the famous lion killer
Jules Gerard, obtained many find The
plan OF singing; that, and the alienation OF
the band, constitute an excellent s,rsu,n corda.
Like the Romans of old, the modern Gauls do
not d1Sdain to borrow what Is good from an
enemy. The sirroco is the great foe for the
moment; 1t cOmpeIs the soldier to experience a
thousand deaths; he advances slowly and trlste;
the hot southern wind seems to have come out
Of Nebuchadnezzar fiery furnace: 1t burns all
1t touches, and even when in bvOuac, after
paltaklng OF good coffee and brandy, the tongue
cleaves to the roof of the mouth. But the men
90 not murmur; they so far differ from the
opening scenes Of the war Of 1870. The gen.
erals and officers are very sympathetic towards
their men, and relations On both sides are OF q
cordial, even OF parental nature; but the want
OF hon commissioned officers Is severely felt.
TIE SITUATION.
Here, the 1mpatience, very natural Is general
to finish quickly with TuniS. 1t must be
avoWed, the government is In a Singular posi-
ton. The Bey declining to join his forces to
aid France in stamping out the Kroumlr5 and
protesting against the invasion of his domin-
ions, may create some difficulties; he cannot
obviate though he may prolong, the bitter end
IN store for him. Italy remains In a Silent
MOOD, suggestive rather OF su,lenness than
friendliness; she leaves her Consul Macclo,
stu at Tunis, and VINO is accused OF conul-
Italy would hardly regret the killing OF few
OF her subjects resident at Tunis, Ia
order TO have pTetext to send some tronclad5
and exercise an Interference In the maj settle
difficulty I'D
also send ships. II massacre OF Europe ans
taxes place in Tunis. is Is on France the re.
4 ope n III i as the keep aaH
cecte letter from GariDaldi. certifying his ap-
probation OF France eloowlpg his countrymen
snt Ct Tnnis' Is coming after the fashion Of
not markedly patriotic. 1t INDUCES daily la
Cassandra predict onS. that TuniS Is the begin
hing Of the end Of the republic; bu5 propne-
cies OF similar nature nave so often beea
made and turning out fallaclOus, that little
lncre0ul1ty may be excused. More important
perhaps, would be the constitutional question:
Can the CABINET declare war against TunlS, aud
to engage France, without calling the legiSla.
ture together and obtaining It's sanction?
POPULAR EDUCATION IN FRANCE
After maintaining peace the next most I'm.
portant subject for the republic is that of pro-
noting popular education. Plant the school,
master everywhere, Is the order OF the day and
the great plank In the republican platform.
IttCcAtI! rams las uAU SeFSTal pSQaSO2lC re-
unions; the last was the most important, being
in a sense the States Genera,tI of the national
teachers. The body at large elected twenty
I'VE representatives, females included, who
net In Paris under official auspices, but where
the fullest liberty of discussion was permitted
Each delegate had been presented With sum-
mary OF the views OF all the local reunions on the
leading educational questions Of the day. The
Congress displayed remarkable voluntary dis
ciplile, much practical sense, and professional
competence. The position OF the national
schoolmaster In France hitherto has been very
painful, and be is only now on the high
road 10 be emancipated; he was to be
at once something OF q call boy for the local
mayor ard clergyman, and when these two
individuals were OF opposite politics his stu
alton was purgatory. For the future, he Will
be the employe OF the educational department
OF the state; he is no longer dependent on the
minister or the mayor; ne is still an agent OF
the prefecture-a connection that Will also soon
be sundered In word the national teachers
must be employed to make electors and not
elections, and 1t Is only by neutrality In politics
and religion that they can maintain their indie
pendence. IL was the unanimous opinion of
the delegates that no legal measures could
compel regular attendance at school, but the
merits OF the master, his professional aptitude
his character, in word, his tact and devotion
TO make the pupils ''love school," 1t was also
decided that there was room to make diatinc.
ton between "infants" and '.children" attend
ing infant schools and that females ought to be
employed In teaching boys between & and 10
years OF age AS for the religious instruction
hQt q ms for q ~