Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-11-01
TFor the Herald ofthe Times.

[For the Herald ofthe Times.
should not have ycntured, Mr. Edi
tor, to call the attention Of the public, a
this time, to any thing that can say up.
on the all-imporant, ever hackncycd
and generally misunderstood subject oI
Education, were | not desirous OF max
ing a few brief remarks relative to one
Of the topics mentioned in the following
excellent article, published in late
number Of the Newburyport Herald, -
They are from the pen of Rev. Leonard
Wilmington. With the writer | have
no personal acquaintance; but, having
read with deep interest a discourse by
him, in which the jnSi claims of clergy
men upon TIE respect ard cooperation
Of the community are modcstly, firmly
and ably vindcated, ! wish now to cx-
press my satisfaction at finding him to
entertain such views as are here express
scd, concerning a class of men, whose
influence upon society is TO less power
ful and extensive than that OF the Clergy,
and, when ii is rightly cxcrtcd, no less
beneficial But let me direct you i'm
mediately to the article in question:
The writer treats Of important subjects,
and points to results which are extreme
ly desirable. The grand means by
which they may be secured he does not
forget, and Of this permit INC, when you
have heard him, to say few words.
From the Newburyport Herald.
REV. L. WITHINGTON,--ON COM
mon SCHOOLS.
'The form Of orr school houses has had
no inconsidcrable influence in sinking
the character of our schools. Whoever
has travelled through our country towns !
must have noticed certain ambiguous
huts, of which he has doubts, whether
they were pens erected for certain gree.
dy animals, whom we feed to eat, or
whether they arc scminaries Of learning
They seem TO be con,rivcd by certain
ingenious architects to be inconycncnt
as possible, and certainly Robert Fulton
never hit his object better. The seats
arc narrow, the children crowded, the
mir close, though the windows arc bro
ken, the desks uneasy, the floor ripped
up, the pIastoring falling, the funnel bro b
ken, the room smoky, in short, place 4
for nothing, and every thing out of lis
place. have heard a very respectable
man say, that he had known bad habits
of the body, such as stopping and d;stor-
ton contracted in these rooms Of torture,
fit for the PURPOSES Of the inquisition.--
Even in larger towns there is a miserable
in erecting these cdifces S.
You can see the ghost ola dollar sitting
on every Intel and door post. If any !
where we should consult comfort, it is in
these seminaries OF our children. How
can you cxIect a child TO SIT three hours,
without moving, ON hard oak BOARD four
inches wide? 1t is perfect torment, and
y ct in some school houses this is expect
cd. Besides, as sGualid poverty injuries
the morals, so miserable school house
Injuries thc mind The bestprintcd books
ana IllC DtsL UuIlt uOuStS suOuiu Dt ,
served for the young. Nor let any one
object that it is fanciful to attribute so
much to the make Of building. Some
of the most important results in politics,
have come from causes equally triilng in
appearance. IL was the size Of n house
that made two branches in the British
and has handed down TO us
and to all posteriy the important doc
irine Of check in Legislation; Of the
oftwo bodies being necessa-
ry to passing law. N
There has been also a great want Of 4
attention on the part OF parents to the in
structors; and on the part of the ins,ruc-
tors to the parents. There should be
close intimacy and perfect co-opera-
tion. i would advise. every parent to 4
get acquainted with the school-mnster,
and every school-master TO visit the pa
rents Of his pupils; il would prevent a
world Of difficulties. II is astonishing
what credulity there is, even in some
trong minds, (this strong mans weak 4,
'oint,) in believing the tales and misre-