A REPLY TO MR WARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XII, Issue 946, 18 August 1877, Page 7

A REPLY TO MR WARD.

Sib, — Allow me to congratulate the public of "Marlborough, and more especially those who advocate Secular Instruction, on the. foresight shown by Joseph Ward Esq. m publishing at such an opportune moment the extract from J. S._ Mill, bearing so closely on the question of Public Education now before the Assembly. Mill is entirely right, and Mr Ward d«serv«B

i- great credit for publishing the opinion of one so much respected by all thinking ineu. The l- State should not mould men's minds, nor is it \j» anticipated that it will ever attempt it, so far 1. as British Public institution? are concerned, but ill it should so educate them that it would be ira- , possible to divert their minds from the truth— m other words give them a sound secular edu--33 cation. But. if the State should not mould to. men's minds, neither should it assist other iniri^.stitutions' to do so? This will be clear by i- changing one word m the quotation, and al is probably; the . view Mr |Ward takes, l- and why he has quoted Mill, as he may ,^wish to point out the great danger to the ■** isiate, if mens minds are educated into passive obedience. "To possess such a control and actually exert it, is to be despotic. A Church which can mould the opinions and sentie ments of jthe people from their youth upwards * n can do [with them whatever it pleases." It is a c very serious matter indeed, this moulding pro--16 cess, for here lies the gist of the difference bev ' tween the Secular and Denominational parties e » — between progress of mind, and that state of l ® existence or vegetation m which it will dp what l j* ever it is told. The Secularist holds that the " State shall not assist orcountenance the "moulding," nay it is very concievable that the minds ?» of youths can be trained to become antagonistic re to any State or to the progress of civilisation itB > self; and that the moulding will gome day be 8 stopped by law. And this jlegal interference ca would be a mere deduction from Mill's arguP ment, for he like many other great men has not 10 always seen the ultimate result of his own con" l 8 elusions. As one of the public and deeply m 16 terested m the progres of mind untrammelled [' by. the moulding, I sincerely thank Mr Ward JC for his able advocacy of pure secular instruction ?' by having given prominence to the statements B of 'such a distinguished authority. ._ ■ ■ ' ■ SEOtTT J A'R.TST.