Emma Goldman's Anarchism and Other Essays. Second Revised Edition.

New York & London: Mother Earth

Pulishin! "ssociation# $%$$. &&. $'$($)*.
FRANCISCO FERRER AND THE MODERN
SCHOOL
E+PER,EN-E has come to e considered the est school o. li.e. /he man or woman who does not
learn some vital lesson in that school is looked u&on as a dunce indeed. Yet stran!e to sa0# that
thou!h or!ani1ed institutions continue &er&etuatin! errors# thou!h the0 learn nothin! .rom
e2&erience# we ac3uiesce# as a matter o. course.
/here lived and worked in 4arcelona a man 0 the name o. 5rancisco 5errer. " teacher o. children
he was# known and loved 0 his &eo&le. 6utside o. S&ain onl0 the cultured .ew knew o. 5rancisco
5errer's work. /o the world at lar!e this teacher was non(e2istent.
6n the .irst o. Se&temer# $%7%# the S&anish !overnment((at the ehest o. the -atholic -hurch((
arrested 5rancisco 5errer. 6n the thirteenth o. 6ctoer# a.ter a mock trial# he was &laced in the ditch
at Mont8uich &rison# a!ainst the hideous wall o. man0 si!hs# and shot dead. ,nstantl0 5errer# the
oscure teacher# ecame a universal .i!ure# la1in! .orth the indi!nation and wrath o. the whole
civili1ed world a!ainst the wanton murder.
/he killin! o. 5rancisco 5errer was not the .irst crime committed 0 the S&anish !overnment and
the -atholic -hurch. /he histor0 o. these institutions is one lon! stream o. .ire and lood. Still the0
have not learned throu!h e2&erience# nor 0et come to reali1e that ever0 .rail ein! slain 0 -hurch
and State !rows and !rows into a mi!ht0 !iant# who will some da0 .ree humanit0 .rom their
&erilous hold.
5rancisco 5errer was orn in $9'%# o. humle &arents. /he0 were -atholics# and there.ore ho&ed to
raise their son in the same .aith. /he0 did not know that the o0 was to ecome the harin!er o. a
!reat truth# that his mind would re.use to travel in the old &ath. "t an earl0 a!e 5errer e!an to
3uestion the .aith o. his .athers. :e demanded to know how it is that the God who s&oke to him o.
!oodness and love would mar the slee& o. the innocent child with dread and awe o. tortures# o.
su..erin!# o. hell. "lert and o. a vivid and investi!atin! mind# it did not take him lon! to discover
the hideousness o. that lack monster# the -atholic -hurch. :e would have none o. it.
5rancisco 5errer was not onl0 a douter# a searcher .or truth; he was also a reel. :is s&irit would
rise in 8ust indi!nation a!ainst the iron r<!ime o. his countr0# and when a and o. reels# led 0 the
rave &atriot General =illacam&a# under the anner o. the Re&ulican ideal# made an onslau!ht on
that re!ime# none was more ardent a .i!hter than 0oun! 5rancisco 5errer. /he Re&ulican ideal#((,
ho&e no one will con.ound it with the Re&ulicanism o. this countr0. >hatever o8ection ,# as an
"narchist# have to the Re&ulicans o. Latin countries# , know the0 tower hi!h aove that corru&t
and reactionar0 &art0 which# in "merica# is destro0in! ever0 vesti!e o. liert0 and 8ustice. 6ne has
ut to think o. the Ma11inis# the Garialdis# the scores o. others# to reali1e that their e..orts were
directed# not merel0 a!ainst the overthrow o. des&otism# ut &articularl0 a!ainst the -atholic
-hurch# which .rom its ver0 ince&tion has een the enem0 o. all &ro!ress and lieralism.
,n "merica it is 8ust the reverse. Re&ulicanism stands .or vested ri!hts# .or im&erialism# .or !ra.t#
.or the annihilation o. ever0 semlance o. liert0. ,ts ideal is the oil0# cree&0 res&ectailit0 o. a
Mc?inle0# and the rutal arro!ance o. a Roosevelt.
/he S&anish re&ulican reels were sudued. ,t takes more than one rave e..ort to s&lit the rock o.
a!es# to cut o.. the head o. that h0dra monster# the -atholic -hurch and the S&anish throne. "rrest#
&ersecution# and &unishment .ollowed the heroic attem&t o. the little and. /hose who could esca&e
the loodhounds had to .lee .or sa.et0 to .orei!n shores. 5rancisco 5errer was amon! the latter. :e
went to 5rance.
:ow his soul must have e2&anded in the new land@ 5rance# the cradle o. liert0# o. ideas# o. action.
Paris# the ever 0oun!# intense Paris# with her &ulsatin! li.e# a.ter the !loom o. his own elated
countr0#((how she must have ins&ired him. >hat o&&ortunities# what a !lorious chance .or a 0oun!
idealist.
5rancisco 5errer lost no time. Like one .amished he threw himsel. into the various lieral
movements# met all kinds o. &eo&le# learned# asored# and !rew. >hile there# he also saw in
o&eration the Modern School# which was to &la0 such an im&ortant and .atal &art in his li.e.
/he Modern School in 5rance was .ounded lon! e.ore 5errer's time. ,ts ori!inator# thou!h on a
small scale# was that sweet s&irit Louise Michel. >hether consciousl0 or unconsciousl0# our own
!reat Louise .elt lon! a!o that the .uture elon!s to the 0oun! !eneration; that unless the 0oun! e
rescued .rom that mind and soul(destro0in! institution# the our!eois school# social evils will
continue to e2ist. Perha&s she thou!ht# with ,sen# that the atmos&here is saturated with !hosts# that
the adult man and woman have so man0 su&erstitions to overcome. No sooner do the0 out!row the
deathlike !ri& o. one s&ook# lo@ the0 .ind themselves in the thraldom o. ninet0(nine other s&ooks.
/hus ut a .ew reach the mountain &eak o. com&lete re!eneration.
/he child# however# has no traditions to overcome. ,ts mind is not urdened with set ideas# its heart
has not !rown cold with class and caste distinctions. /he child is to the teacher what cla0 is to the
scul&tor. >hether the world will receive a work o. art or a wretched imitation# de&ends to a lar!e
e2tent on the creative &ower o. the teacher.
Louise Michel was &re(eminentl0 3uali.ied to meet the child's soul cravin!s. >as she not hersel. o.
a childlike nature# so sweet and tender# unso&histicated and !enerousA /he soul o. Louise urned
alwa0s at white heat over ever0 social in8ustice. She was invarial0 in the .ront ranks whenever the
&eo&le o. Paris reelled a!ainst some wron!. "nd as she was made to su..er im&risonment .or her
!reat devotion to the o&&ressed# the little school on Montmartre was soon no more. 4ut the seed
was &lanted and has since orne .ruit in man0 cities o. 5rance.
/he most im&ortant venture o. a Modern School was that o. the !reat 0oun! old man Paul Roin.
/o!ether with a .ew .riends he estalished a lar!e school at -em&uis# a eauti.ul &lace near Paris.
Paul Roin aimed at a hi!her ideal than merel0 modern ideas in education. :e wanted to
demonstrate 0 actual .acts that the ur!eois conce&tion o. heredit0 is ut a mere &rete2t to e2em&t
societ0 .rom its terrile crimes a!ainst the 0oun!. /he contention that the child must su..er .or the
sins o. the .athers# that it must continue in &overt0 and .ilth# that it must !row u& a drunkard or
criminal# 8ust ecause its &arents le.t it no other le!ac0# was too &re&osterous to the eauti.ul s&irit
o. Paul Roin. :e elieved that whatever &art heredit0 ma0 &la0# there are other .actors e3uall0
!reat# i. not !reater# that ma0 and will eradicate or minimi1e the so(called .irst cause. Pro&er
economic and social environment# the reath and .reedom o. nature# health0 e2ercise# love and
s0m&ath0# and# aove all# a dee& understandin! .or the needs o. the child((these would destro0 the
cruel# un8ust# and criminal sti!ma im&osed on the innocent 0oun!.
Paul Roin did not select his children; he did not !o to the so(called est &arents: he took his
material wherever he could .ind it. 5rom the street# the hovels# the or&han and .oundlin! as0lums#
the re.ormatories# .rom all those !ra0 and hideous &laces where a enevolent societ0 hides its
victims in order to &aci.0 its !uilt0 conscience. :e !athered all the dirt0# .ilth0# shiverin! little wai.s
his &lace would hold# and rou!ht them to -em&uis. /here# surrounded 0 nature's own !lor0# .ree
and unrestrained# well .ed# clean ke&t# dee&l0 loved and understood# the little human &lants e!an to
!row# to lossom# to develo& e0ond even the e2&ectations o. their .riend and teacher# Paul Roin.
/he children !rew and develo&ed into sel.(reliant# liert0(lovin! men and women. >hat !reater
dan!er to the institutions that make the &oor in order to &er&etuate the &oorA -em&uis was closed 0
the 5rench !overnment on the char!e o. co(education# which is &rohiited in 5rance. :owever#
-em&uis had een in o&eration lon! enou!h to &rove to all advanced educators its tremendous
&ossiilities# and to serve as an im&etus .or modern methods o. education# that are slowl0 ut
inevital0 underminin! the &resent s0stem.
-em&uis was .ollowed 0 a !reat numer o. other educational attem&ts#((amon! them# 0
Madelaine =ernet# a !i.ted writer and &oet# author o. l'Amour Libre, and Seastian 5aure# with his
La Ruche,
$
which , visited while in Paris# in ,%7).
Several 0ears a!o -omrade 5aure ou!ht the land on which he uilt his La Ruche. ,n a
com&arativel0 short time he succeeded in trans.ormin! the .ormer wild# uncultivated countr0 into a
loomin! s&ot# havin! all the a&&earance o. a well(ke&t .arm. " lar!e# s3uare court# enclosed 0
three uildin!s# and a road &ath leadin! to the !arden and orchards# !reet the e0e o. the visitor.
/he !arden# ke&t as onl0 a 5renchman knows how# .urnishes a lar!e variet0 o. ve!etales .or La
Ruche.
Seastian 5aure is o. the o&inion that i. the child is su8ected to contradictor0 in.luences# its
develo&ment su..ers in conse3uence. 6nl0 when the material needs# the h0!iene o. the home# and
intellectual environment are harmonious# can the child !row into a health0# .ree ein!.
Re.errin! to his school# Seastian 5aure has this to sa0:
B, have taken twent0(.our children o. oth se2es# mostl0 or&hans# or those whose &arents are too
&oor to &a0. /he0 are clothed# housed# and educated at m0 e2&ense. /ill their twel.th 0ear the0 will
receive a sound elementar0 education. 4etween the a!e o. twelve and .i.teen((their studies still
continuin!((the0 are to e tau!ht some trade# in kee&in! with their individual dis&osition and
ailities. ".ter that the0 are at liert0 to leave La Ruche to e!in li.e in the outside world# with the
assurance that the0 ma0 at an0 time return to La Ruche, where the0 will e received with o&en arms
and welcomed as &arents do their eloved children. /hen# i. the0 wish to work at our &lace# the0
ma0 do so under the .ollowin! conditions: 6ne third o. the &roduct to cover his or her e2&enses o.
maintenance# another third to !o towards the !eneral .und set aside .or accommodatin! new
children# and the last third to e devoted to the &ersonal use o. the child# as he or she ma0 see .it.
B/he health o. the children who are now in m0 care is &er.ect. Pure air# nutritious .ood# &h0sical
e2ercise in the o&en# lon! walks# oservation o. h0!ienic rules# the short and interestin! method o.
instruction# and# aove all# our a..ectionate understandin! and care o. the children# have &roduced
admirale &h0sical and mental results.
B,t would e un8ust to claim that our &u&ils have accom&lished wonders; 0et# considerin! that the0
elon! to the avera!e# havin! had no &revious o&&ortunities# the results are ver0 !rati.0in! indeed.
/he most im&ortant thin! the0 have ac3uired((a rare trait with ordinar0 school children((is the love
o. stud0# the desire to know# to e in.ormed. /he0 have learned a new method o. work# one that
3uickens the memor0 and stimulates the ima!ination. >e make a &articular e..ort to awaken the
child's interest in his surroundin!s# to make him reali1e the im&ortance o. oservation#
investi!ation# and re.lection# so that when the children reach maturit0# the0 would not e dea. and
lind to the thin!s aout them. 6ur children never acce&t an0thin! in lind .aith# without in3uir0 as
to wh0 and where.ore; nor do the0 .eel satis.ied until their 3uestions are thorou!hl0 answered. /hus
their minds are .ree .rom douts and .ear resultant .rom incom&lete or untruth.ul re&lies; it is the
latter which war& the !rowth o. the child# and create a lack o. con.idence in himsel. and those aout
him.
B,t is sur&risin! how .rank and kind and a..ectionate our little ones are to each other. /he harmon0
etween themselves and the adults at La Ruche is hi!hl0 encoura!in!. >e should .eel at .ault i. the
children were to .ear or honor us merel0 ecause we are their elders. >e leave nothin! undone to
!ain their con.idence and love; that accom&lished# understandin! will re&lace dut0; con.idence#
.ear; and a..ection# severit0.
BNo one has 0et .ull0 reali1ed the wealth o. s0m&ath0# kindness# and !enerosit0 hidden in the soul
o. the child. /he e..ort o. ever0 true educator should e to unlock that treasure to stimulate the
child's im&ulses# and call .orth the est and nolest tendencies. >hat !reater reward can there e .or
one whose li.e(work is to watch over the !rowth o. the human &lant# than to see its nature un.old its
&etals# and to oserve it develo& into a true individualit0. M0 comrades at La Ruche look .or no
!reater reward# and it is due to them and their e..orts# even more than to m0 own# that our human
!arden &romises to ear eauti.ul .ruit.B
*

Re!ardin! the su8ect o. histor0 and the &revailin! old methods o. instruction# Seastian 5aure said:
B>e e2&lain to our children that true histor0 is 0et to e written#((the stor0 o. those who have died#
unknown# in the e..ort to aid humanit0 to !reater achievement.B
C

5rancisco 5errer could not esca&e this !reat wave o. Modern School attem&ts. :e saw its
&ossiilities# not merel0 in theoretic .orm# ut in their &ractical a&&lication to ever0(da0 needs. :e
must have reali1ed that S&ain# more than an0 other countr0# stands in need o. 8ust such schools# i. it
is ever to throw o.. the doule 0oke o. &riest and soldier.
>hen we consider that the entire s0stem o. education in S&ain is in the hands o. the -atholic
-hurch# and when we .urther rememer the -atholic .ormula# B/o inculcate -atholicism in the
mind o. the child until it is nine 0ears o. a!e is to ruin it .orever .or an0 other idea#B we will
understand the tremendous task o. 5errer in rin!in! the new li!ht to his &eo&le. 5ate soon assisted
him in reali1in! his !reat dream.
Mlle. Meunier# a &u&il o. 5rancisco 5errer# and a lad0 o. wealth# ecame interested in the Modern
School &ro8ect. >hen she died# she le.t 5errer some valuale &ro&ert0 and twelve thousand .rancs
0earl0 income .or the School.
,t is said that mean souls can conceive o. nau!ht ut mean ideas. ,. so# the contem&tile methods o.
the -atholic -hurch to lack!uard 5errer's character# in order to 8usti.0 her own lack crime# can
readil0 e e2&lained. /hus the lie was s&read in "merican -atholic &a&ers that 5errer used his
intimac0 with Mlle. Meunier to !et &assession o. her mone0.
Personall0# , hold that the intimac0# o. whatever nature# etween a man and a woman# is their own
a..air# their sacred own. , would there.ore not lose a word in re.errin! to the matter# i. it were not
one o. the man0 dastardl0 lies circulated aout 5errer. 6. course# those who know the &urit0 o. the
-atholic cler!0 will understand the insinuation. :ave the -atholic &riests ever looked u&on woman
as an0thin! ut a se2 commodit0A /he historical data re!ardin! the discoveries in the cloisters and
monasteries will ear me out in that. :ow# then# are the0 to understand the co(o&eration o. a man
and a woman# e2ce&t on a se2 asisA
"s a matter o. .act# Mlle. Meunier was consideral0 5errer's senior. :avin! s&ent her childhood and
!irlhood with a miserl0 .ather and a sumissive mother# she could easil0 a&&reciate the necessit0 o.
love and 8o0 in child li.e. She must have seen that 5rancisco 5errer was a teacher# not colle!e#
machine# or di&loma(made# ut one endowed with !enius .or that callin!.
E3ui&&ed with knowled!e# with e2&erience# and with the necessar0 means; aove all# imued with
the divine .ire o. his mission# our -omrade came ack to S&ain# and there e!an his li.e's work. 6n
the ninth o. Se&temer# $%7$# the .irst Modern School was o&ened. ,t was enthusiasticall0 received
0 the &eo&le o. 4arcelona# who &led!ed their su&&ort. ,n a short address at the o&enin! o. the
School# 5errer sumitted his &ro!ram to his .riends. :e said: B, am not a s&eaker# not a
&ro&a!andist# not a .i!hter. , am a teacher; , love children aove ever0thin!. , think , understand
them. , want m0 contriution to the cause o. liert0 to e a 0oun! !eneration read0 to meet a new
era.B :e was cautioned 0 his .riends to e care.ul in his o&&osition to the -atholic -hurch. /he0
knew to what len!ths she would !o to dis&ose o. an enem0. 5errer# too# knew. 4ut# like 4rand# he
elieved in all or nothin!. :e would not erect the Modern School on the same old lie. :e would e
.rank and honest and o&en with the children.
5rancisco 5errer ecame a marked man. 5rom the ver0 .irst da0 o. the o&enin! o. the School# he
was shadowed. /he school uildin! was watched his little home in Man!at was watched. :e was
.ollowed ever0 ste&# even when he went to 5rance or En!land to con.er with his collea!ues. :e was
a marked man# and it was onl0 a 3uestion o. time when the lurkin! enem0 would ti!hten the noose.
,t succeeded# almost# in $%7D# when 5errer was im&licated in the attem&t on the li.e o. "l.onso. /he
evidence e2oneratin! him was too stron! even .or the lack crows;
E
the0 had to let him !o((not .or
!ood# however. /he0 waited. 6h# the0 can wait# when the0 have set themselves to tra& a victim.
/he moment came at last# durin! the anti(militar0 u&risin! in S&ain# in Ful0# $%7%. 6ne will have to
search in vain the annals o. revolutionar0 histor0 to .ind a more remarkale &rotest a!ainst
militarism. :avin! een soldier(ridden .or centuries# the &eo&le o. S&ain could stand the 0oke no
lon!er. /he0 would re.use to &artici&ate in useless slau!hter. /he0 saw no reason .or aidin! a
des&otic !overnment in suduin! and o&&ressin! a small &eo&le .i!htin! .or their inde&endence# as
did the rave Ri..s. No# the0 would not ear arms a!ainst them.
5or ei!hteen hundred 0ears the -atholic -hurch has &reached the !os&el o. &eace. Yet# when the
&eo&le actuall0 wanted to make this !os&el a livin! realit0# she ur!ed the authorities to .orce them
to ear arms. /hus the d0nast0 o. S&ain .ollowed the murderous methods o. the Russian d0nast0#((
the &eo&le were .orced to the attle.ield.
/hen# and not until then# was their &ower o. endurance at an end. /hen# and not until then# did the
workers o. S&ain turn a!ainst their masters# a!ainst those who# like leeches# had drained their
stren!th# their ver0 li.e((lood. Yes# the0 attacked the churches and the &riests# ut i. the latter had a
thousand lives# the0 could not &ossil0 &a0 .or the terrile outra!es and crimes &er&etrated u&on the
S&anish &eo&le.
5rancisco 5errer was arrested on the .irst o. Se&temer# $%7%. Gntil 6ctoer .irst his .riends and
comrades did not even know what had ecome o. him. 6n that da0 a letter was received 0
L'Humanit .rom which can e learned the whole mocker0 o. the trial. "nd the ne2t da0 his
com&anion# Soledad =illa.ranca# received the .ollowin! letter:
BNo reason to worr0; 0ou know , am asolutel0 innocent. /oda0 , am &articularl0 ho&e.ul and
8o0ous. ,t is the .irst time , can write to 0ou# and the .irst time since m0 arrest that , can athe in the
ra0s o. the sun# streamin! !enerousl0 throu!h m0 cell window. You# too# must e 8o0ous.B
:ow &athetic that 5errer should have elieved# as late as 6ctoer .ourth# that he would not e
condemned to death. Even more &athetic that his .riends and comrades should once more have
made the lunder in creditin! the enem0 with a sense o. 8ustice. /ime and a!ain the0 had &laced
.aith in the 8udicial &owers# onl0 to see their rothers killed e.ore their ver0 e0es. /he0 made no
&re&aration to rescue 5errer# not even a &rotest o. an0 e2tent; nothin!. B>h0# it is im&ossile to
condemn 5errer; he is innocent.B 4ut ever0thin! is &ossile with the -atholic -hurch. ,s she not a
&racticed henchman# whose trials o. her enemies are the worst mocker0 o. 8ustice A
6n 6ctoer .ourth 5errer sent the .ollowin! letter to L'Humanite:
B/he Prison -ell# 6ct. E# $%7%.
BM0 dear 5riends((Notwithstandin! most asolute innocence# the &rosecutor demands the death
&enalt0# ased on denunciations o. the &olice# re&resentin! me as the chie. o. the world's
"narchists# directin! the laor s0ndicates o. 5rance# and !uilt0 o. cons&iracies and insurrections
ever0where# and declarin! that m0 vo0a!es to London and Paris were undertaken with no other
o8ect.
B>ith such in.amous lies the0 are tr0in! to kill me.
B/he messen!er is aout to de&art and , have not time .or more. "ll the evidence &resented to the
investi!atin! 8ud!e 0 the &olice is nothin! ut a tissue o. lies and calumnious insinuations. 4ut no
&roo.s a!ainst me# havin! done nothin! at all.
B5ERRER.B
6ctoer thirteenth# $%7%# 5errer's heart# so rave# so staunch# so lo0al# was stilled. Poor .ools@ /he
last a!oni1ed thro o. that heart had arel0 died awa0 when it e!an to eat a hundred.old in the
hearts o. the civili1ed world# until it !rew into terri.ic thunder# hurlin! .orth its malediction u&on
the insti!ators o. the lack crime. Murderers o. lack !ar and &ious mien# to the ar o. 8ustice@
Hid 5rancisco 5errer &artici&ate in the anti(militar0 u&risin!A "ccordin! to the .irst indictment#
which a&&eared in a -atholic &a&er in Madrid# si!ned 0 the 4isho& and all the &relates o.
4arcelona# he was not even accused o. &artici&ation. /he indictment was to the e..ect that 5rancisco
5errer was !uilt0 o. havin! or!ani1ed !odless schools# and havin! circulated !odless literature. 4ut
in the twentieth centur0 men can not e urned merel0 .or their !odless elie.s. Somethin! else had
to e devised; hence the char!e o. insti!atin! the u&risin!.
,n no authentic source so .ar investi!ated could a sin!le &roo. e .ound to connect 5errer with the
u&risin!. 4ut then# no &roo.s were wanted# or acce&ted# 0 the authorities. /here were sevent0(two
witnesses# to e sure# ut their testimon0 was taken on &a&er. /he0 never were con.ronted with
5errer# or he with them.
,s it &s0cholo!icall0 &ossile that 5errer should have &artici&atedA , do not elieve it is# and here are
m0 reasons. 5rancisco 5errer was not onl0 a !reat teacher# ut he was also undoutedl0 a marvelous
or!ani1er. ,n ei!ht 0ears# etween $%7$($%7%# he had or!ani1ed in S&ain one hundred and nine
schools# esides inducin! the lieral element o. his countr0 to or!ani1e three hundred and ei!ht
other schools. ,n connection with his own school work# 5errer had e3ui&&ed a modern &rintin!
&lant# or!ani1ed a sta.. o. translators# and s&read roadcast one hundred and .i.t0 thousand co&ies
o. modern scienti.ic and sociolo!ic works# not to .or!et the lar!e 3uantit0 o. rationalist te2t ooks.
Surel0 none ut the most methodical and e..icient or!ani1er could have accom&lished such a .eat.
6n the other hand# it was asolutel0 &roven that the anti(militar0 u&risin! was not at all or!ani1ed;
that it came as a sur&rise to the &eo&le themselves# like a !reat man0 revolutionar0 waves on
&revious occasions. /he &eo&le o. 4arcelona# .or instance# had the cit0 in their control .or .our da0s#
and# accordin! to the statement o. tourists# !reater order and &eace never &revailed. 6. course# the
&eo&le were so little &re&ared that when the time came# the0 did not know what to do. ,n this re!ard
the0 were like the &eo&le o. Paris durin! the -ommune o. $9)$. /he0# too# were un&re&ared. >hile
the0 were starvin!# the0 &rotected the warehouses .illed to the rim with &rovisions. /he0 &laced
sentinels to !uard the 4ank o. 5rance# where the our!eoisie ke&t the stolen mone0. /he workers o.
4arcelona# too# watched over the s&oils o. their masters.
:ow &athetic is the stu&idit0 o. the underdo!; how terril0 tra!ic@ 4ut# then# have not his .etters
een .or!ed so dee&l0 into his .lesh# that he would not# even i. he could# reak themA /he awe o.
authorit0# o. law# o. &rivate &ro&ert0# hundred.old urned into his soul#((how is he to throw it o..
un&re&ared# une2&ectedl0A
-an an0one assume .or a moment that a man like 5errer would a..iliate himsel. with such a
s&ontaneous# unor!ani1ed e..ortA >ould he not have known that it would result in a de.eat# a
disastrous de.eat .or the &eo&leA "nd is it not more likel0 that i. he would have taken &art# he# the
e2&erienced entre&reneur# would have thorou!hl0 or!ani1ed the attem&tA ,. all other &roo.s were
lackin!# that one .actor would e su..icient to e2onerate 5rancisco 5errer. 4ut there are others
e3uall0 convincin!.
5or the ver0 date o. the outreak# Ful0 twent0(.i.th# 5errer had called a con.erence o. his teachers
and memers o. the Lea!ue o. Rational Education. ,t was to consider the autumn work# and
&articularl0 the &ulication o. Elis<e Reclus' !reat ook# L'Homme et la Terre, and Peter
?ro&otkin's Great French Revolution. ,s it at all likel0# is it at all &lausile that 5errer# knowin! o.
the u&risin!# ein! a &art0 to it# would in cold lood invite his .riends and collea!ues to 4arcelona
.or the da0 on which he reali1ed their lives would e endan!eredA Surel0# onl0 the criminal# vicious
mind o. a Fesuit could credit such delierate murder.
5rancisco 5errer had his li.e(work ma&&ed out; he had ever0thin! to lose and nothin! to !ain#
e2ce&t ruin and disaster# were he to lend assistance to the outreak. Not that he douted the 8ustice
o. the &eo&le's wrath; ut his work# his ho&e# his ver0 nature was directed toward another !oal.
,n vain are the .rantic e..orts o. the -atholic -hurch# her lies# .alsehoods# calumnies. She stands
condemned 0 the awakened human conscience o. havin! once more re&eated the .oul crimes o. the
&ast.
5rancisco 5errer is accused o. teachin! the children the most lood(curdlin! ideas#((to hate God# .or
instance. :orrors@ 5rancisco 5errer did not elieve in the e2istence o. a God. >h0 teach the child to
hate somethin! which does not e2istA ,s it not more likel0 that he took the children out into the
o&en# that he showed them the s&lendor o. the sunset# the rillianc0 o. the starr0 heavens# the awe(
ins&irin! wonder o. the mountains and seas; that he e2&lained to them in his sim&le# direct wa0 the
law o. !rowth# o. develo&ment# o. the interrelation o. all li.eA ,n so doin! he made it .orever
im&ossile .or the &oisonous weeds o. the -atholic -hurch to take root in the child's mind.
,t has een stated that 5errer &re&ared the children to destro0 the rich. Ghost stories o. old maids. ,s
it not more likel0 that he &re&ared them to succor the &oorA /hat he tau!ht them the humiliation# the
de!radation# the aw.ulness o. &overt0# which is a vice and not a virtue; that he tau!ht the di!nit0
and im&ortance o. all creative e..orts# which alone sustain li.e and uild character. ,s it not the est
and most e..ective wa0 o. rin!in! into the &ro&er li!ht the asolute uselessness and in8ur0 o.
&arasitismA
Last# ut not least# 5errer is char!ed with underminin! the arm0 0 inculcatin! anti(militar0 ideas.
,ndeedA :e must have elieved with /olsto0 that war is le!ali1ed slau!hter# that it &er&etuates
hatred and arro!ance# that it eats awa0 the heart o. nations# and turns them into ravin! maniacs.
:owever# we have 5errer's own word re!ardin! his ideas o. modern education:
B, would like to call the attention o. m0 readers to this idea: "ll the value o. education rests in the
res&ect .or the &h0sical# intellectual# and moral will o. the child. Fust as in science no demonstration
is &ossile save 0 .acts# 8ust so there is no real education save that which is e2em&t .rom all
do!matism# which leaves to the child itsel. the direction o. its e..ort# and con.ines itsel. to the
secondin! o. its e..ort. Now# there is nothin! easier than to alter this &ur&ose# and nothin! harder
than to res&ect it. Education is alwa0s im&osin!# violatin!# constrainin!; the real educator is he who
can est &rotect the child a!ainst his Ithe teacher'sJ own ideas# his &eculiar whims; he who can est
a&&eal to the child's own ener!ies.
B>e are convinced that the education o. the .uture will e o. an entirel0 s&ontaneous nature;
certainl0 we can not as 0et reali1e it# ut the evolution o. methods in the direction o. a wider
com&rehension o. the &henomena o. li.e# and the .act that all advances toward &er.ection mean the
overcomin! o. restraint#((all this indicates that we are in the ri!ht when we ho&e .or the deliverance
o. the child throu!h science.
BLet us not .ear to sa0 that we want men ca&ale o. evolvin! without sto&&in!# ca&ale o.
destro0in! and renewin! their environments without cessation# o. renewin! themselves also; men#
whose intellectual inde&endence will e their !reatest .orce# who will attach themselves to nothin!#
alwa0s read0 to acce&t what is est# ha&&0 in the trium&h o. new ideas# as&irin! to live multi&le
lives in one li.e. Societ0 .ears such men; we there.ore must not ho&e that it will ever want an
education ale to !ive them to us.
B>e shall .ollow the laors o. the scientists who stud0 the child with the !reatest attention# and we
shall ea!erl0 seek .or means o. a&&l0in! their e2&erience to the education which we want to uild
u&# in the direction o. an ever .uller lieration o. the individual. 4ut how can we attain our endA
Shall it not e 0 &uttin! ourselves directl0 to the work .avorin! the .oundation o. new schools#
which shall e ruled as much as &ossile 0 this s&irit o. liert0# which we .ore.eel will dominate
the entire work o. education in the .utureA
B" trial has een made# which# .or the &resent# has alread0 !iven e2cellent results. >e can destro0
all which in the &resent school answers to the or!ani1ation o. constraint# the arti.icial surroundin!s
0 which children are se&arated .rom nature and li.e# the intellectual and moral disci&line made use
o. to im&ose read0(made ideas u&on them# elie.s which de&rave and annihilate natural ent.
>ithout .ear o. deceivin! ourselves# we can restore the child to the environment which entices it#
the environment o. nature in which he will e in contact with all that he loves# and in which
im&ressions o. li.e will re&lace .astidious ook(learnin!. ,. we did no more than that# we should
alread0 have &re&ared in !reat &art the deliverance o. the child.
B,n such conditions we mi!ht alread0 .reel0 a&&l0 the data o. science and laor most .ruit.ull0.
B, know ver0 well we could not thus reali1e all our ho&es# that we should o.ten e .orced# .or lack
o. knowled!e# to em&lo0 undesirale methods; ut a certitude would sustain us in our e..orts((
namel0# that even without reachin! our aim com&letel0 we should do more and etter in our still
im&er.ect work than the &resent school accom&lishes. , like the .ree s&ontaneit0 o. a child who
knows nothin!# etter than the world(knowled!e and intellectual de.ormit0 o. a child who has een
su8ected to our &resent education.B
'

:ad 5errer actuall0 or!ani1ed the riots# had he .ou!ht on the arricades# had he hurled a hundred
oms# he could not have een so dan!erous to the -atholic -hurch and to des&otism# as with his
o&&osition to disci&line and restraint. Hisci&line and restraint((are the0 not ack o. all the evils in
the worldA Slaver0# sumission# &overt0# all miser0# all social ini3uities result .rom disci&line and
restraint. ,ndeed# 5errer was dan!erous. /here.ore he had to die# 6ctoer thirteenth# $%7%# in the
ditch o. Mont8uich. Yet who dare sa0 his death was in vainA ,n view o. the tem&estuous rise o.
universal indi!nation: ,tal0 namin! streets in memor0 o. 5rancisco 5errer# 4el!ium inau!uratin! a
movement to erect a memorial; 5rance callin! to the .ront her most illustrious men to resume the
herita!e o. the mart0r; En!land ein! the .irst to issue a io!ra&h0; all countries unitin! in
&er&etuatin! the !reat work o. 5rancisco 5errer; "merica# even# tard0 alwa0s in &ro!ressive ideas#
!ivin! irth to a 5rancisco 5errer "ssociation# its aim ein! to &ulish a com&lete li.e o. 5errer and
to or!ani1e Modern Schools all over the countr0#((in the .ace o. this international revolutionar0
wave# who is there to sa0 5errer died in vainA
/hat death at Mont8uich#((how wonder.ul# how dramatic it was# how it stirs the human soul. Proud
and erect# the inner e0e turned toward the li!ht# 5rancisco 5errer needed no l0in! &riests to !ive him
coura!e# nor did he u&raid a &hantom .or .orsakin! him. /he consciousness that his e2ecutioners
re&resented a d0in! a!e# and that his was the livin! truth# sustained him in the last heroic moments.
" d0in! a!e and a livin! truth#
/he livin! ur0in! the dead.
FOOTNOTES
$
The eehive
*
!other Earth, $%7).
C
"bid.
E
4lack crows: /he -atholic cler!0.
'
!other Earth, Hecemer# $%7%.