Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-02-07

or ought not to be any indissolnble cOnnex-
between sin and punishment Several in
cidents we're cited, which had occurred
during the lecturers own experience as a
teacher of district schools, showing that
much of the necessity Of corporeal punish
ment grew out of an entire rant Of gOUerR-
ncnt at h0mc.
| To the practice of giving rewards, as
means Of securing good order and attention
to study, he found no objection, either in
theory or practice. To certain theorizing
minds il might appear fraught with alarm
ing dangers. In their view, the only mo-
lives which should be brought to bear on
The pupils mind, were sense of duty and
love for knowledge With them, the love
Of distinction and the spirit of rivalry are
highly dangerous incentives But these
views receive but little couuienance either
from facts or analogy The Author Of our
being, both in his Word aud by his Provi-
dence, every where sets before us the hope
Of reward his Son, Jesus Christine good
and the vlrtuous everywhere, are models,
which are urged cuer to initiate. IL this be
wrong, then we must charge God with the
sin of exciting unhallowed passions Many
of the most able instructors, who have long
and faithfully tried the experiment, give it as
the result of their experience, and the re-
ward system presents tangible motive
affecting minds which could be reached by
no other means that its influence is almost
uniformly favorable, and that il seldom or
never leads TO those terrible consequences
which have been Theoretically apprehended.
True, evil might result from its iniudicious
use, i'm sedulously intoxicating the idea that
The hope Of reward is the only motive which
should incite to effort. But if other and
higher motives be combined and kept con-
stantIy before the mind, the former will
7 prove powerful aud valuable auxiliary, and
from it no evil need be feared 1t is the
tendency OF the times, especially in all So
cial aud moral questions, to run into ex-
tremes, and he thought this disposition 10
abolish all old truths, however wholesome,
these isms of every kind, these transcenden-
tai and exquisiiely drawn theories, all tended
10 place the wisdom of man above the wis
dom of the bible.
We have space TO give but single re-
mark on the bible. He thought il should
be in every school As specimen of pure,
old, Saxon English, It's equal could no
where be found. Its simple and beautiful
variations, couched in language which is
readily understood, even by very Young
minds, would often shed halowing in.
nuence and leave an impression never 10 be
efiaced In reference 10 the schools Of the
, state, he said there had never before beei
manifested an interest so deep and general
As consequence, never before had the
schools appeared SO prosperous-never tc
, the same degree had been aroused and di
5 rected TO this subject the energies Of minds
so capable of shedding light and communi
e eating their own impulse TO public sentiment
There was then cheering prospect tina
A the progress of the system would still be on
4 ward--that it would yet rise a stately edi6ce
4 embracing under IFS ample roof the who'll
e juvenile population Of the state, and becom
a model for the architecis,of other states an,
| nations.
D L have not given you the views of the lee
turer on rewards aud punishment, in detail
: yet enough TO show you what theysa are
i He neither proceeds on the snpposiion tina
o human nature is perfect, nor that the high
! est motives can be successfully appealed 10
a without hindrance from the waywardrress O
r temper or passions. On the other hand, Ia
e supposes, that these motives can and shou
# have controlling influence on the mind
g while other means are resorted to for tn
Y discipline of The temper and passions.
b That rewards and punishment are prope
II incentives, we are taught both by facts an
= analogy. They are interviewer with OH
i very existence, and must be, SO long as mora
h beings are controlled by moral governor
i But they should be used with wisdom an
If prudence; if otherwise, they become a
!, abuse. The disposition and the temperi
c ment Of the pupil, should be closely studied
e and still more, the relations of its mind t
d the physiology and the development OF tn
e physical system in infancy, childhood an
l. youth and the method and degree OF cul,uf
1t which nature indicates in each Of these pc
:, RODS. Taylor" author Of Natural IIistor
Y of Enthusiasm, has discussed this latter sui
d ject somewhat at length in his work o
d Home Education" Every parent, as we
J. as teacher, would profit by reading it,
IS These are the three eras to which educatio
e particularly applies. The first terminate
h with the sixth year; the second with III
eleventh or twelfth; the third, wnh til
y seventeenth. This is the general rule
: But sometimes the characteristics Of infanc
J. disappear with the fourth, and at other time
n with the tenth, making difference Of fv
e years in the commencement and close {
IS childhood. In infancy the brain reache
IT very nearly its organic perfection, and every
d thing should then be made subserylcnt to il
d healthy growth and consolidation. In child
is hood, the muscular and osseons systems an
r the digestive functions expand and consol
@ date. The mind has now an overplus c