The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-12-20
Circular of the State Superintendent

Circular Of the State Superintendent.
The Hon HoRAcE EATON, State Superintendent
of Common Schools, has issued a Circular to tho
County Superintendent of schools and an Address to
Teachers Like every thing coming from the author
it is able, and cannot Gail Of eecng gren, good 10
closing his circular the County Superintendent he
says:
'Sufer then, once more, to urge it unon YOU
to address yourselves to your work with aacrity and
zeaI and to prosecute it with undated energy and
vigor. The enactment Of law has not COMPILE
TED the work Of improvement. 1t has merely nu-
thorized You 10 COMMENCE it. Almost everything
of success every hope Of good to be obtained, de-
ponds mainly upon the zeal and efficiency with which
You perform your duty. Others are TO co operate
with you in carrying the enterprise, but YOU
must ufuso into their bosoms the necessary energy
and spirit. Leave your impression you may-up-
on the character of the State OF Vermont Even
should your services be expended in this field Of
ton bur FOR n single year, You may leave bright i'm
preston that shall be traceabe for long years 70
come, in the improved condition OF our common
schools You may identify your names with the be-
nign results which shall flow from such improvement.
The cnterprising pioneer who first LAYS open 10 the
the painless Wilderness isnot soon forgotten in
the succeeding stages of aGvan cultivation; and
the successive improvements afterwards supcradded,
be regarded in history as but continuation or
the labor which his hand begun.
And finally, a last Indictment, Gf indeed
could be needed insure the exertion Of your hes,
encrgies,) ir you worlhily and efficiently bear your
part in those agencies under which the State Of Yer
shall gradually rise in the scale of virtue and in
tellgence, until she shall attain high eminence in
these ennnhling chaructestcs, you shn If your lives
spared, renp rich and living rewa I'd in Your own
bosoms You shall look abroad and her
they emerge from childhood, growing up in
TO intelligent, useful and honorable member daugh-
tiers becoming virtuous, well informed and accom-
plished women -''these-these jewels -"
And that pride and gndness shall have comp-ehen-
siveucss Of scope, and there will mnge with these
emotions n consciousness Of elevation md
expansion Of soul, unknown the bosom Of the Ro.
man matron; for while her "jeRels" but few,
yours shall be numbered by thousands and tens Of
thousands
From the address TO Teachers extract the fol-
! lowing paragraphs upon School discipline:
"Upon the subject of discipline in school would
say that obedience ard order indspensibly neces
sarv to successful instruction -disobedience aud
confusion incompatible with it, Regularity order and
submission to established rules then, be enforc
ed and maintained at all hazards. The good Of the
whole clearly demands it But how by what
means this important end is to be gained, is ques-
ton which may sometimes present some difficulty in
the solution. We are not prepared to say that
poreal punishment cam least in the present condi
tiousor our schools, be entirely dispensed with
Whenever 1t is resored TO however, it must not DO
with the expectation that it can be relied
means Of reformation And il is admissible in schools
in any case only the principle that the advance
men and interest Of the many must not be sacrificed
for an individual. While not ready therefore
TO pronounce il ga relic Of barbarism," ana to say
that the rare-in which resort TO is de-
mandcd and that even in those cases moral infuen
would more certainly and successfully accomplish
tine desirable end of reclaming and reforming We
firmly believe that governing by kindness Is ordinarily
ga more excellent way''-more excellent in the d.
rect which attends it, in its effects upon the
character of the individual, and in its influences upon
ALL Kindness is the very 'magiclans wand" IN its
effects upon the character Of the individual, aud in
its influences upon all Kindness is the very 'mdgi-
clans wand in its potent control over the rebeious
and angry ASSIGNS Of the soul There is scarce hu
man heart that so caseG and steeed but that
avenue to remains; and it is rare but that kindness
will find the wnv. 1t is but that patient perse-
vering kindness on your part will at length be recP
rocaed by docity the part of the pupil. Many a
waywad and unlucky boy who now seems fair can
didate for prison the gallows, and whom no Sc
verify could reclaim, might by such kindness be won
from his perverse and evil ways and become USE
fu member Of society. And such victory would
be glorious than gained mere
flesh and blood. II would be a moral triumph which
should fairly ente you higher honor than belongs
to him who conquers empires by violence and devas-
tation.
But whether good moral conduct be insured,
and yirtuous principles be instiIled into the heart by