Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1845-05-22
TO THE CLERGY OF THEsTATr
or VERMONT.
R,r,rt.d a.i Dear BrtiLr,s,

ton h1s ever exehtd wnktiul ibitttu In
,hs fsR S,ss~s of,As sousafy, and .,pccial,r
in Nv. Eng ssd The clergy ha,,
ways stood on the Isoa biwsrd rsnl A.,
ptomo,ine this gres, esoss. and on ,h,,
rcalous eadcsvors and agency, II, sdvane,
meui must con,in ur, materially, 10 d,pnl
I, cannot, we think be denied tina, ",
mcaI w,lhs,snd,ng her ,nionnshl.
spih, Of enterprise, Is pursuing lss .ib,rp,
means to improve Common School Elm,
lion, than The other States Of New Ene.s,I
or the adjacent State Of New York H.
view Of this fact, many who anaiou,ly am
a, the moral elevation and honor of on,
State, are gri-ved, and not q few deeply
mortified Tho result has been var,ou,
conventions tn devise n remedy. At one of
these, recently held at Mlddcbury, m,0,.
ufe. were taken 10 awaken attention IN IN.
CON muni,y 10 this important subject, and
to direct IL zeal to an suspicious result
Arrangements were made TO secure. for ,
few months, the services oil our Distinguish.
ed ow-eniz.n. Thomas II Palmer, rs,
OF Piusford This gentleman hes been long
lsboring to improve tho common school
system OF Education, and is, We beher,
sm,nently qualified to advance this cause IN
our State Al the meeting. nbov, me nllon.
3D. the subsc Tibers wcro appointed Commit.
tee TO address The clergy Of the different Dc,
nominations in Vermont, and 10 request them
by effective notices md, bv such mod,, Of
communication TO their respective concrf.
cations A. they may think most proper to
employ, to prepare the way for Mr. Pa liner,
visns and addresses Whea notified Tint he
will visit your respective towns you NAV
render essential aid, by efforts 10 secure HIM
audiences, and by your countenance and en-.
coura3emcnt you may, perhaps, give ten.
fold influence TO his addresses
There are special reasons why the cler.
gy arc to be relied on, in all endcavos to
elevate the character ofour District Schools
What more important and effective check.
under God can bs imposed on the baltlul
Influences Of The sccpic and the ian,,ic,
than a welleducaiel community , There
is one circumstance OF fearful moment, of
which many, who DEP ore the impeIitctons
Of our Dislric, Schools, are not probably q.
ware. Our children md youth are not
laugh, 10 read, IN these institutions, with
concentrated attention. Thence they read
tho Bible, as well as other valuable books,
with comp arativsly l,uls profit And often,
inter having attained the meridian Of life,
their minds are 90 accustomed, by long hab-
il to wander, and they are SO incapable of
giving an undivided attention TO any subjcc,
Of reflect ion, that they rrcollect very little
Of what they read. and Of course turn bu,
small portion Of II 10 any account Thu
evil II 10 most important 10 correct in the
early stages Of education, and we think,
Mr. Palmer will satisfy you, il you hear
him, tina, very much can be accomplished,
in regard to this. ms we'll as many other de.
feet, in early education by improved rseu,
la,iun Of our District Schools. The same
observation which has been made in respeo,
to leading, is also applicable 10 hearing
The cons qucnce il, that our sermons and
addresses too generally fail Of eTecting tho
results they are calculated TO produce. and
Otherwise might produce, because 80 many oi
our hearers have never been trained 10 tho
habit Of concentrated attention. Wo men.
tiol these poluts, as mote particularly per
tanning to the great object, which our proies,-
ION Is. With God's blessing, enJesv0Ilng 10
secure.
Permit US, also. to call your attention to
other imperecilons In our common school
system, as il practically operates among Us
There are often grsa, defects in the location,
construction. warming, and ventilation OF
school. houses. Teachers, too frequently,
have not the requisite qua ATOMS, and gen
orally there il not the supsrviaon, which IS
necessary to encourage and invi4orale them
in their arduous labors. is moreover 10
be lamenled that many. even among the in
,ellgen, and wealthy finding as they do, tho
district schools in . neglected and low con
diton, instead OF taking measures TO elevate
them to What they ouRh, to he, aud thus give
them character and auIaciion, and the power
Of being more generally beneficial, resort TO
private schools, which though parhaps, moro
select as regards the rank OF those who com
pose them, are often ofquite as humble claims.
BY thus Withdrawing their patronage from
the Districts schools, those institutions are
thrown up,n the less wealthy classes Of the
community for lheIr support, and are suffered
10 languish, and sometimes siHk into contempt
You know. however. and so do the lhiellI-
gent part OF the community Ia general, lh"t
whliea large sum is annually raised IN yer
mont, nv taxation and otherwise, our com
mon schools como vastly short OF what they
might ensure, even under the existing legal
provisions, II teachers were selected Win
more care, aud were encouraged and lncllsd
and perhaps we may say guided, by TIVE SUI
pervision which should be systematically OK
sIcised by those who sustain the schools
We commend Mr.. p TO your courteous and
Christian regards, and hope that his lAbon m
come I ion with your owl efforts. and those Of
others who dsplove the Deficiencies Of our CON
mon &C hoois, will ~ less, secure. as has beef
done in other States, legislative provision
for The examination oi eschers, and reason
able supervision OF our dlstiirl schools. III
psrience has proved that nothing Of this sor,
can he anticipated as a general result, with,
oot tia aid OF public enacin,sni.
This is a subject on which. whatever may
be the diysTslty of our 10 Iigiou. on,n,ons IA,