Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-04-05

Friday Morning, April 5, 1880.

operations the Common School system,i in th
state, as we'll as in the rest of New England
that L has failed fully TO accomplish, what III
founders intended il should. Either from som,
defect in the law ITSELF or from some neglect
of the people, il has failed to effec, the object o.
its originators, the giving of the means of q
good, thorough English education TO every
child in the community.
!" Government" says Mr.. Locke, is inst,
,uted for the benefit ofihe governed Ifthis pro
position be true, and its truth we think no one
will question, Il follows that il is the duty 81
the state, TO educate, or provide the means Of
education FOR every one of its children Fol-
what greater benefit can any government be-
stow on MS members, than the giving them a
thorough education. Education" said Dan
iel webster" education, moral and intel
lectusb is the great end Of human being."-
And Of this opinion were the founders of New
England. And to effect this great end of hu-
man existence, they founded common schools.
Has il accomplished the purpose for which
Il was designed2 We said at the beginning
of this article, that in our opinion, it had not
Not as we believe from any defect in the in
sttution itself, but from the neglect of the
community and the Encouragement Of the
legislature,
The legislature determines that so much
money shall be raised on the grand-list, and
what branches shall be taught in the schools.
The irst ought TO be left 10 each town to
determine for ITSELF save only, that i, should
be required by law, 10 maintain a school for SO
many months in each year. SThe last ought TO
be left to the discretion Of each district For
how can the two hundred and fifty representa-
tives, who yearly congregate at Montpelier
claim to be acquainted with the actual condi-
ton of every school district in the state. As
we'll might they legislate how many coats a
child shall wear in each year, as prescribed by
law, what he shall be taught.
The situation Of no two districts is alike,
and this dissmilarity requires, that different
branches should be taught and different studies
should be pursued in each. The children of
populous and wealthy village, with dense
population, require a far different course Of in
struction, from those who live in a strictly ag-
riculural town, where the population is scat
tered and sparse.
The boy, who in future life is to pursue the
mechanic arts requires that widely different
Scourse should be pursued with him, from the
onewho is destined to agricultural pursuits
The rudiments TO be sure are to be learned by
both, but after that, the one should be taught
the principles Of mechanism, and the other
those of agriculture. The one wants to know
the qualities and properties Of metals and min
erals,-the other, the matter and properties Of
soils,-the qualities Of stock.
Ii IL be said that these things are not and
ought not 10 be taught in our common schools:
we reply, to be sure. they are not; but this is
far from being reason, why they should not.
From the nature aud constitution of society,
the great mass of community must get all the
learning they have, in common schools. The
great majority Of parents cannot afford TO send
their children TO any other, and many who
can, have not the disposition TO do it-In the
common schools then, the great majority Of our
community must be educated. The advantages
Of no other means can they enjoy. And they
will be well Or i'll educated as the schools are Of
high or low order. And where else can the
mechanic learn the principles Of mechanism,
the nature and quality Of the materials he is 10
use for the acquisition of his livelihood to so
much advantage, as in the common school p
Where else can the farmer learn the elements
ofthat science by means Of which he is to get
his living, SO well as in the common school p
The fact is, such things should be taught there
And there, when his opening mind is receiving
the elements Of other sciences, should he learn
the principles Of that, BY which he is 10 get his
bread.
But our article has already expanded to
greater length than we proposed at the onset
We shall resume the subject in our next.
-o~e-
MAINE. The boundary question may be
considered as settled. An arrangement has
been made by Gen. Scott with Sir John Har-
vey, on the basis of the protocol agreed on be-
tween Mr.. Forsyth and Mr.. Fox, sometime
since,-to which the Governor of Maine has
assented, and dismissed the militia called out,
Gov. Fairfield and those who have acted with
hun, may be considered as having barked out
iD'this matter, and as leaving the question in
n worsestate than il was before. After all the
vaporing and clustering on the part Of Gov.
Fairfield andihis party, they have effected moth
ing; bur run The state in debt some S5O000O or
more
Their courage all evaporated, oozed out at
their FINGERS ends,nlike Bob-aeres, as soon as