M. Jules Ferry, the French Minister of Education, made a
speech this day week, in distributing the prizes of the French learned societies, at the Sorbonne, in which he made an attempt at an apology for the illiberal Education Bill which the Repub- lican Government have set their hearts on passing. He said that he distrusted the pretended liberty which sought to split French youth into two parts, parts which, though of the same race and origin, would have different ideas both on the past and the future of France, and though speaking one language, would end by not understanding each other. He rejected this liberty, as the precursor of servitude and despotism; consequently, despite clamour and insults, sophisms and petitions, the Government would persist in asserting the rights of the State in regard to education. This means, we suppose, that liberty to French parents to educate their children in the faith they think truest and best, is a decree of servitude for French children, from which the State can only rescue them by restraining the liberty of all parents who do not agree with the ruling party. M. Ferry must think very badly of the freedom of England. All we can say is, that such a Bill as his, introduced into the House of Commons, would be contumeliously refused even a first reading, and that any British Government which ventured to propose it,. would then and there disappear from political history, amidst derisive laughter. M. Ferry's notion of educational liberty appears to be the undisputed sway of a temporary majority over the opinions of the whole nation.
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