The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-01-07
THOUGHTS OF A TEACHER DURING HIS
RAMBLE THROUGH THE STREETS
OF PARIS.

Though late in November, the morn.
ing is bright and the atmosphere balmy.
An occasional white cloud floats in the
blue sky. The sun converts the dew.
drop isfo pearl, the Seine into silver,
and the city into light. Paris, like a
child who has dreamed Of angels, has
walked with joy in its heart and a
smile OIL ils face The busy maid in
wooden shoes, basket iu hand, burries
with quicker step to her days work;
the cab man cracks his long ~hip with
more energy; the gamin whistles the
Marsaillaise to u liVelier air than they
are wont. What has made these lively,
has made me thoughtful. The busy
throng follows the street, the Seine its
course and my thoughts their inclination.
In this mood I direct my steps down
Boulevard Saint German. Here in an
open space is-a statue recently erected to
the memory of Dauton, one of the cen.
tral l,gures of the French Revolution of
1893. On one face Of the pedestal Which
supports a group in bronze, of which
Danton is the principal figure, is in.
scribed sentence from his speech before
the National Convention of 1898. Prob
ably this is the most significant inscrip-
tion to be found in this city of monu.
ments. "Apres le pain peducation est le
premier besin du peuple." AFTER bread
education is the FIRST need of the people).
Nowhere is the truth of this been more
clearly demonstrated than here in Paris.
For government to be stable, it must
be the intelligent expression of an en-.
lightened people. Whatever wrongs
exist, the people have to correct. The
duration and extent of these wrongs, and
consequently the severity of the correc-
tion, varies inversely as the Intelligence
of the people. Thus the great revolution
of 1793-that great wave of popular op
preston, suffering and ignorance, swept
everything before it with no discrimina-
ton. It was impossible to resist it, and
almost fatal to follow it. Such strong
men as Robespiere and Dauton went
down here. 1t made correction, but
with what havoc! The people estab.
lished the fact that they have right to
be considered, but they established it by
blind force.
So in the terrible commune of 1871,
that great mob of illiterate and dissatis-
fed men, having no idea of govern.
ment, were willing to perpetrate any
brutality to gain their ends. Trying to
destroy the city when they saw their de-
feat certain, they have left ruin on the
banks of the river as monument to
their brutal power. Surely the people is
the reservoir of all national force and in
telligeuce. In a Republican form of
government, like that which exists here
to-day, at every election ne see these
the esprit de corps-expressed. This
leads us to think of the teacher Of to-day
as law maker of tomorrow.
We continue our promenade down the
Boulevard until NE como to q statue of
Dolet, which stands on the spot where he
was buried in the sixteenth century, be-
cause he dared to oppose the teachings
of the Catholic Church. This abuse was
committed when the intelligence of the
people was 80 limited, and consequently
their superstition so great that there was
no general sentiment against this bru'
tality on the part of the Church. The
great abuses that have been perpetrated
10 particular by the Catholic Church, aud
the very little progress made by civiliza'
ton for long period, are due to the fact
that education was generally confined to
the priesthood during that period. The
reason that no such abuses are perpe.
trated now ia not so much that this
Church is any different now from what it
was four centuries -go, but more because
external popular sentiment is at variance
with such procedure. The only assur'
snce of individual freedom is popular
education-an education that teaches the
duties of citizen as a unit iu the sum
OF society. Happy is country that
knows its great men," The Columbuses
can add no new worlds unless they have
support. O Dolet, your great crime was
that you lived among narrow minded
people
Our fancy next leads Us to the great
| Cathedral. Notre Dame. Over this mas.