State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-08-02
WHAT WE WANT.

Schools? What is learned that assists the
labors of manhood? In word, what do
our Common Schools noU teach that makes
THE MAN? Does the young farmer in his
District School, and while he is receiving
the only education he is ever TO get, learn
any thing of agriculture-of the nature of
soils and manures? Any thing that teach
es him to distinguish the different earths,
and their peculiar adaptation to the differ
ent grains and grasses? Does he learn any
thing Of the best breeds of stock-of the
best manner of raising, keeping and fatten-
ing his cattle, sheep and swine? Is he
taught that which makes his profession
useful, profitable, or honorable? Is not
farming, in too mony instances, blind inita-
ton -thoughtless, unproductive toil--the
slavish delving of the hands, without the
delights, or the aid of the intellect? This
must be so, when there is no science to
observe, or experiments; when in their only
education, the children learn nothing of
their profession.
There should he an elementary work on
farming, making known the nature of the
soils, the best methods of recovering, in
MIGRATING, and preparing them for the
grains, the different kinds Of manures and
their treatment; and also the best construc-
ton and architecture of farm houses, and
the most approved implements of agricul-
ulral husbandry. The children may read
this in the schools, instead of the thought
less, unintelligble rOte reading Of the Eng
lsh Reader, Columbian Orator, and SINH
lar works now read, and entirely useless to
children, or the purposes of after life. Why
cannot the pupils i'll the school, have their
minds imbucd with what they can put in
practice in after life?
DO the Common Schools teach the chill
lren any thing concerning their SOCIAL
RELATIONS? their duties to their neigh
bors, to their social institutions? Is the
nature and constitution oftheir government
taight? Or, its form Of administration
Are the children taught of the duties of
public officers? Such as the duties of
Scnool Commissioners, Inspectors, and
Trustees; the duties of County Commits
sioners, Collectors, Clerks and Supervisors I;
the duties of Town Inspectors; the duties
of Sheriffs, Path Masters? Is there any
thing taught of the duties of Referees--o
Justices of the peace or of Jurors? Do the
Schools teach any thing of the duties of
Legislators and Judges ?-These offices are
all open TO the children, and they must one
day fill them. Should not the peoples
Schools then, teach some or all of these
important duties? Should not the chill
dren learn something of the momentous re-
lations they will sustain to these free insti
tuions, to the peace Of society, and to the
prosperity of their fellow citizens? How
ever wise a government may be, its bes-
sings depend in great measure upon the
fidelity and intelligence of those who ad-
minister it. But is these as much care taken
TO have the laws we'll administered, as
there is to make good laws? Are our
Common Schools such that they are
preparing the people for their government?
Are we taking proper care OF the tounda-
ton OF our civil superstructure? Are not
the most of our efforts, our talking, our
writing, our reading and our scrutiny, con-
corning ,cao shall make and administer the
laws, when we should exert our energies
in preparing euery citizen TOR the duties
which await him !? There should be a text
book for Common Schools ON the duties of
Public officers, and the children in every
school should read it.
There also should be text book on the
first simple truths of "Political economy"
Now, the pupils are not taught the use of
circulating medium,-money nor the
advantages of exchange and commerce.
The benefits Of the merchant, the mechan-
IL, and the professional man are not taught,
or seen distinctly by many. The relation
of rich and poor; the nature of the mere
earth without labor what labor is produce
tive and what unproductve; what consti-
= tutes value and price; what makes things
high or low priced; or the causes of wealth
and happiness and safety, are not taught
No, none of these things are yet even
=. al IN IN oil Nnt
these simple attractive truths might be
taught in very short time pere there right
books and teachers. The children iOdSte
time enough to learn more than we here
require.
The children should, as a part of their
education, also, learn something of their
own nature, physical, moral and intellectual
natures and something of their relations
man, his relations to the natural laws, and
and the causes of health and disease the
children should grow up familiar with.
The moral and intellectual natures, and the
laws which the Creator has given them,
should be known to all, that every man may
foresee and avoid the misery arising from
their Infringement. And the children should
early and impressively see the requirements
of their Creator and the duties they owe
TO him as their prescrver and beneiactor
But are any of these things taught in our
elementary schools? Yet should they not
all I've taught? taught clearly, understand
ingly, aud practically? They may be
and we trust there will be such books and
teachers in our Common Schools as ia
prove the truth Of our assertions. There
is no necessity of keeping a child eight OF
ten years to learn to read his primer, write
his name, cypher to the rule of three, and
haze books aud learning for the rest Of his
life.