The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-10-13
FOR THE MAssAcHusrrrs CIV

| E"h THE MASSACHUSETTS, spy.
mr.. EditoT,-An article recently appeared il
your paper, purporting to be the first number of
| Man." 'n' ny a ran
me productions OF this writer, although con
IIalning some Just remarks, seem not to have beer
uictated by that spirit of candour which oupbt r.
. al efforts Tor the promotion of an OBJ
JeGI SO general as that of popular education
Inc gentleman, while professedly attemnt;nc ~
hold up TO view the subject of common school ed.
ucdtloh with all Its superlative Importance has Inv
various lnsnuatons and illusions endeavored ~
peJuulce the public mind against our colleges and
academies He who POUNDS n colInge and on
dows an academy, does well !" yes exceod mr. yoiI
ana the standard of cmmon SC hool education
ever has been, and ever will be raised NOT nv nov
ices, out through the nstrumentalty of the found
CTS ana patrons OF our colleges and academies Nor
ldte eoucation confined to any particular
Grass OF the community but the high and the low
the ricn ana the poor, are alike admitted To tho
same Glass;. And it is fact that greater mart of
ly poor. i'A'''i We
The gentlcman's vivid Imagination seems to per.
celve tendency to aristocracy to the monopoIv Of
earning and to the exclusive cultivation of fl oso
branches, winch are of the least use Such arou
ments and ideas as these advanced against a God
education, have long ago been proved to the satis
iocioI Oh our enlightened community to be mere
SPIDERS webs. And those who have innhihod s,IS
errors, retain them either through Iqnorance or h
closing their eyes against the clearest loht That
lfee and common schools are very important. ia
universally acknowledged; and the individual who
VIII not coincide with this principle, must be con-
our free and national liberties.
And the fact that our common scbaol co,n,n;t,oo
agents, ana teachers, in some instances have been
and are still deficient, is not denied. And we re-
Jolce that this error has been discovered and that
great NUMBER OF literary gentlemen (who once
were students in pnlleuol ho,ra
efforts done much already, are now doipp. and no
doubt Will continue to do, until an entire reyoIu
ton shall be effected in our common schools. So
tar as the Plain Man has accorded with these eff
lortS, we nan ms success. But we sincerely re-
greet that the talents of author seem to he com
blned with disposition, to degrade and under
NINE the highly approved and all-important insti
tutlons OF our country-institution which are do.
signed to give the youth of our country an intel
lectual ana moral elevation, and to foster those
genluses winch are the guardians of our civil ipst
tutlons, and the protectors of our free liberties
Inc Plaln Man seems to have aimed his field
piece directly towards Amherst COLLEGE; expect-
ing no doubt, through the medium of this to cause
partial shock upon all our colleges and acade-
mics, from Maine to Missouri. Wbv Amberst
College must stand in the front of fhe hqttIe
know not. That this college has produced both
good and bad instructors is admitted So have
other colleges. But must all our medical faculty
on account OF noisy quack be totally desniseiq
DoSs one CouhterIelt Dill condemn the whole bank
And must Amherst College be condemned he
cause it produces an unsuccessful school-teacber
And must all our colleges suffer. through the mo-
dunn of Plain Man., who, himself appreciated
the individual? FF
Whether the student was in his second or third
year, and whether he was armed with COLLEGE Gre
dentials' or not, it seems obvious from the manner
IN which ne answered the proposed questions that
ne was not armed with common sense and for this
very reason blame the Plain Man for recon-
mendlng him as qualified for a school-teacher
Tins attack upon our colleges and seminaries.
probably, will prove about as successful as if an
ignorant fellow should undertake to bring into dis
repute the learning and respectability Of all our
American clergy, because some few, passing under
TINS name, attempt to expound the Sacred Word
and comment upon wrong TRANSACTIONS (as in fact
they do) who are totally ignorant of the languages
IN which the Scriptures were originally written
and who would find as much difficulty in coniu-
eating the Latin and Greek verbs, as did the cole
glan, IN numbering the lenses in the infnitive
modes or liking upon the location of the city of
Washington. And think the faculty and students
OF our colleges have to fear that on this
account " an hair of their heads shall perish"
The writer complains much of the gross ignor-
ance of teachers, without Ialluding to any means
whereby they may be properly qualified. Perhaps
he anticipates establishing nunnery upon his own
wonderful system if SO, probably he will raise up
teachers after his own heart who shall welcome
this mighty AcrG which must prove an igntnts fat
tttts to all who pursue it. But as he has made no
such provision we feel at loss on the subject and
will therefore submit it to school agents. to de-
eide whether they will go into the fields and me.
chanics shops for their school teachers or into our
colleges and academies And it is sincerely hon
ed that our colleges hereafter will not be condemn.
ed by any one who has never enjoyed their priv.
| leges. AN ACADEMIC STUDENT.