McCabe's "The Martyrdom of Ferrer."

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 33, 20 October 1911, Page 4

McCabe's "The Martyrdom of Ferrer."

EVERY LITTLE WHILE BOOK STUDY,

Tills book is more than a book: it is .0 --service. ■ If ever a work needed to bo M^r--tfe«ttiettied^-JL_c v *r- - J* - history liwdwl to be widely known, "The Martyrdom of Ferrer" is that work and toit" .history*. Mr. Joseph McCabe jivas added to his many excellent and Juseful deeds the waiting of a book as kuprom-e in its importance as m its smth. We may feel thankful that swoks of the kind can find writers and publishers. "The Martyrdom of lerW: A True Account of His Life and Work/ is a "sixpenny" no thoughttul nor trufch-soekine;, nor honest man can afford to miss. In it is set out the fconson for the perpetration of the World's most damnable twentieth-cen-tury crime, in it is presented the eyijflenoD. which demonstrates Ferrer's infooceuoe and the guilt of his murderers, ffhoiudi much has been written of FerVer, McCabe's book is the first connect■ed account of the life of a reform-co , fruido a world's figure by his execu)bipu.

Fr.'jm Dreyfus to Ferrer. ''The Martyrdom of Ferrer" consists r>f An. introduction and seven chapters, in tho fivt-t-named the author says: — .Since tho Dreyfus ease set France qv.ivoii'ig -\\itJi agitation and drew th 3 earnest attention of the whole tjiviliscvi werlJ, no judicial procedure has stirred the fools of men sand women so profoundly as the execution -of Francisco Ferrer y jGriiardia . . . I must ask the incredulous, shuddering reader to oxntnino carefully the evidence I liave .."gathered aivl the counter evidence, which. I analyse, before ho allows his feeling to submerge his judgment. The number of English readers who lindens'tamd Spaitu' is exceedingly small. I trust that this plain and fully documented story of the real situation will prevent that fine and ■promising people from having its anlials again stained, by _ those who hold power over it, with another ■•iffii'ch. oitim-e (igiai.net humanity 'as the. murder of Francisco Ferrer. In passing, it may be noted that IJForrer, by a pretty Spanish custom, took the name of Guardia from his Wife. Chapter I. is devoted to the fifo and aims of Ferrer. Wo learn that lie was born in a quiet valley of 'Oatal'oma, on January 9, 1859. At the ft'ge of 13 ho was sent to serve in a Sr-aper's shop in Barcelona. He beloamc an Anti-clerical and a Republican.,-: and i v 1885 took part in Villatoampa's unsuccessful insurrection. jJForr-er fled to Paris. Here ho worked, jfcliought and studied, and as a- conse-Queiii-oe ended by repudiating his early Evolutionary views. His ideas evolved 'and in the course of time he matured lis plans for covering Spam with enlightenment through education, finally perfecting the basis and structure of the much-talked-of Modern School. Ferrer on Violent Revolution. Mr. McC'abo is oar-oi'ul to show very "fully how .and why Ferrer changed from violent revolutionist to pacific Educationalist, and he really presents !U&' with a man the dii-ect antithesis *>f the monster of the October cables. STerrer himself wrote in 1907 : — When Zoriila died I lost all ray Confidence, which had been already much weakened in the results of a Revolution effected by superficial reVolution -aiiios, who were themselves tho victims of much the same judices as the monarchists whom they. would deprive of power. From that time forward I devoted all my (activity to tho task of establishing & school which, in my humble opinion, might serve as p, model for all tho schools which α-dwmocrl bodies were endeavouring to found, in order to preserve the child from tho mendacious teaching of tho official schools. That was the origin of the ■ Modern School. Mr. McCabo .also quotes from an α-r----'ticle in the November "Ninetcentli Cenhiry," by M. Kaqucb, a high Parisian authority, and which makes Forrer'say: — Time respects only -thop'O institutions wliicli Time itso.Jf has played its .part iv building up. That which ■.violence wins for us to-clay α-aother act of violerifo may wrcrsb from us ■io-morrow. Tlloise 81.0.0;v.s o.f pro-gro'-is alone arc dai-nljlc-"" which licvo foatocl thonselves in the i\nhd and of mankind before receiving the final sanction of legisla-tbu. The only iii-er.ns of ro:;lisivig wliat is good is to teach it by education and propagate it by example. Byo-and-bye, in im>i:aor i.n.tores':ing|y told, Ferrer obtained tho means to p?j'4v his chorish<:d pi'ojcot into cii'oct. lit: returned to Barcelona ion years B'fiJO; n;:d found a Spain iv w])ir:h twutiiirds of his cou;;tryii!«M.i cfn : .ld neither oroad .nor writ-! ' $&j i'cvnnaod hi:.-: polio:>i ; and \' - i'-i;i)i fhu v/-:f; ')!■;):,'•> I.Dg for his li.i'o. <• x '\~\r<x<'.:l with coir:.i:i- ;- ■pity in r---U astd alicr 18 n.o-;itlts' iinr»:'iv.o!ir-ir-"!- o:~Ay to on|oj T a fow years' furiher i<. c-edoi'i. aiid |jheii to go to his do:<'h, hew to Train the Ch'M. To the seeker after kc-.ov-.'ledgo i>h<j Siest three chapters of Mr. McCabc's yohxnio &re admirable in their exposition of "The Church in Spain" (which fioithor Protcsta-ut nor Calholic can igll'Ore and be up-to-date o-r wcll-inforni-ipd), '-Tho Political Systtun of Spain," tod "Tho Modern Schools." I do not Ibhln-k the impeachment of Church and State can be answered., and though :[t is hard to z'calise that tho things and fche corruptions unfolded are here u« in the year of our Lord on©

thesssand nine- hundred and eleven, Mr McOabe's arsenal of facts canned fee disturbed. As ior the chapter on Woltoola. a work is here de-

scribed ontitliiip; Ferrer" to D?T*Tegntmed a.s tho Herbert Spencer of Spain. In tho few years lie was allowed to act, iio---4id^.itaadjiiU3-i«^-^ste4Hi4in^ deeds for education. How deep his grasp of the subject tli/O following from his pen indicates : — As is notorious, the child is born without any preconceived idea, and in tho course of life it imbibes the ideas of those who first surround it, modifying them afterwards according to its culture, observations and relations to its environment. It clearly follows that, if the child be educated in true, positive ideas aboiit ■all things, and taught that to avoid errors it is indispensable that it should accept nothing on faith, but only what. r;cionce can demonstrate, the child will grow up with its power of observation sharpened .and with an aptitude for all kinds of study. To educate children with freedom fro:-n prejudice*, and publish the wojrkj necessary for that pnrpo:W, is tho work 'of the Modern School. . . The whole value of education consT?.f-3 in respect oi: the physical, intellectual and moral will of the . child. . . . The true teacher is ho who of n defend, the child against his owi! will and ideas, making his appeal in incroasiiiig measure to the c-nergioo of tho child himself. linexpeciod Bomb Factories. "The Koply of Curruption" is the ! caption of Chapter V. We gain an in- j sight into th.-> terrors and. tortures of the grim prison-fortress known as j Montjuicb, and nx-ct some astounding revelations in regard to the i"<eal bombthrowers.- sVv find that bomb factories I a,no in irnoxooe ted places, that two police agonts have hO'Cii caught redhanded and exposed in civil trial, that cvcii a convent lias .shielded a factory! Wo aro supplied with further information respcctii'g Ferrer's work, and got ■a glimpse of hi 1 -', publishing businesses and the dissemination of cheap literature. Then we I earn how Ferrer was in England in tho spring of 1909, o.nd how had he remained in London two months longer ho would have been living tg-day. The illness of. sister-in-law and niece recall::! him to Barcelona. Ris nieoo dies in his arms, and he is free to return to England. A friend sends for soilio information and lie delays to obtain it. Then the riots break out. Ferrer i.i arrested for complicity therein and hurried to hit! doom. Chapters VI. and VII. tell the rcmaimlor of the story. They are headed, "Tho Indictment of Ferrer" and "The Death of Ferrer —and tho Echo." Mr. Mcoabv3 is able to show conclusively that Ferrer had nothing to do with the riots, and that he was arrested roa-ly because he was a "Rationalist. Ho bnrcs in all its hideous injustice the court-martial which condemned Ferrer to his death, and \:iesants to Uβ tho methods of that i\n;v~ de-rous tribunal, substantiating his claims and charges with a wealth cf vnchalengeable detail and argument. Ferrer was the victim of a Llack find fiendish conspiracy. It is as clear as day. Net Justice, but Foul Murder. Yes, those who are interested in the remarkable man immortalised as I'laiiciseo Ferrer ought to read McCabe's book. To rer.d the recital of his trial and death is to realise the hold arid hatred of the Inquisition. Again, niany vague points are made plain. Ferrer's matrimonial venture, and tho association wi'ih tho gifted lady not his wife, arc quit."! dispassionately pourtrixyed. The truth about Anarchism is set forth by .i.?i author not an Anarchist. "The system" as it obtains in Spain —with pol'ce, witnesses, officers, and ministers tho creatures of a s.\stem —has iiorrr )iad »mo ruthless an analysis, bo complete an exposure as McUabo's vohuoe tuifoklt). Aftor telling Jiis readers that a lieutenant-colonel and five captains, utterly untrained to judge tho value of evidence, were Ferrer's judge and jury, that no witnesses for the defence ware admitted, that every paragraph in the indictment could have been torn to thver.ds, McCabo adds : — The most clfvrontary souse of justice demands 'c'lulc the defence should have had its opportunity, but it was refused. Not JVotioe, but doath, was tiio end in \ iov,- throiighout. Tho pr-osecutkm v."a c, . sustained with tho lull power of tl'.e corrupt of R]';r.,ni; tao dt , .fence was harapny-c-d }:y tho sarno the prccjcluro T .v;;,:: f.;:u'bnric.'' , c: Live iljc Sc*-'.-so'l " A:ul bo i.ho i.:i:i i:::iii falls : Yv'l'iC'ii 'tho o-f: :"J-j?gc rcatcaied Oho Governor, lv. :-■;■■•! I\:v:cr it he_ liad a la.'-.fc v.'iih V- ' ; I dosiro," : :i }■', ;■;-;>;• '■ c$ ')j(_» f:]-;t B L a!' :1i ii : >', Ai'tor a they ccli-.•■k«m["-_\i tliat !.■■:; }.::-:\l ui;'c hew, but •t I■ at his cvi-s }>c- IjMidai-'oa. 71"-, v;c.:i tul:o:. iiiio' ilio triM'.oh. Willi head erect t>.nil JVu.:fc iirmly planted, he faced tiu: row of riUt-s. "Ajook wol , ', ivy children," he cried to the soldiers; "it is not your fault. I tun innocent. Ltjiio; live the School —■—" The crack of the rifles at the officers' signal inU-rrupi-od hie last splendid oall for the ■ijducatJon of Spain, and ho fell dead. The authorities refused the body to hi 3 relatives, and ■burnt! it in the "common ground." , • . . That rifles volley has echoed th rough tho world.'