The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-21 00:00:00

considerably calmed down, so that there will no
longer be the excuse of the impassionate impulse of
the moment, or the bewilde,rment of sudden and
violent charges when the trial of the Southern Pre-
sident comes on. Let us hope, therefore, that it
may be conducted in a manner not altogether un-
worthy of the greatness of the interests involved
and the dignity of the American people.

A public meeting of some importance was held
yesterday at Willis's Rooms. lts object was the
discussion of the new scheme for middle-class edu-
*cation, which appears to be based upon sound and
practical principles. It-commends itself to the real
and substantial friend of public education, since it
does not depend on chance aid or eleemosynary con-
tributions, but is intended to stand upon a firm and
self-supporting basis. As Mr. GLADSTONE, who
made the speech of the occasion, justly observed,
*here has hitherto been a great want in our educa-
tional system. The great public schools, with al
their deficiencies, made a noble provision for the
upper classes, and within the last half century
the establishment of the national school system
has fully supplied the requirements of the lower
ranks. But there still remains a very large gap,
which the old grammar schools of the country can-
not attempt to fill. Many of these grammar schools
are well endowed, and some of them bear a very
high character, so that it has been said it would
be wiser to reform them and extend their sphere
rather than to begin laying new foundations.
But Mr. GLADSTONE showed his hearers that all
such plans were necessarily very tardy in their re-
sults, since they were necessarily hampered by local
feeling and private interest, and rapid progress
could not be hoped for. Under these circumstances
he urged upon the meeting the advisability of
supporting this scheme of self-supporting pub-
lic boarding-schools for the loiver middle classes.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer declared that
it was not his intention to follow the prevailing
fashion of the day and flatter the middle classes ;
but there could be no doubt of its social and poli-
tical importance, and consequently it was indis-
pensable to the welfare of the country that they
should have the means of self-culture. The right
hon. gentleman remarked that so good a provision
was now made for the culture of the working classes
that if the middle ranks hoped to keep their supe-
riority it must be by means of an improved and en-
lightened education. The knowledge imparted un-
der this system is to be sound and thorough, such
knowledge as will qualify the boys for their subse-
quent careers at the desk, the shop, or the office.
It is not entirely new, since its promoter, Mr.
WOODARD, explained to the meeting that there are
already in existence a cottage for training middle
class schoolmasters, a public boarding school in the
same building for the sons of tradesmen, farmers,
and clerks at a payment of £2O to £3O a-year, and
a cheaper school at Shoreham where board and edu-
cation are attainable for 14 guineas a-year. There
is a very wide circle of struggling men with large
families who would eagerly seize such an oppor-
tunity to give their boys a sound education, pro-
vided that the instruction is really thorough and
the board properly sufficient. A very little inquiry
will enable them to ascertain these facts, when the
new system will be accepted as a great boon, for the
lack of a good education in early life has too often
been a hindrance to genius and enterprise, while to
less gifted minds it has frequently proved a hope-
less stumbling block in their career.