The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1848-03-04
For The Cecil Wig.
Sus1uehanna Teachers Association.


As the objects of this Association are not fall
ly understood by the public generally and as
we frequently nlcrrogated ON the subject in
regard to the design Of the Association and the
ends we hope to accomplish, it may not be i'm
proper to state briefly those objects here. In tho
first place then the grand and ultimate desrn
of the association is to advocate and promote
the cause Of education No nohlur cause we
are assured, well engage the attention Of
men Whatever the temperance advocate NAV
claim for his cause in pont Of beneficial results
10 man, affecting his temporal nad eternal well
fare; whatever the holy seer of religion may as
scrt III behalf of his cause in point of dignity
samctty and moral sublimity; whatever the pro-
found politician may claim to dignity his own
profession as the result of good and wholesome
laws, securing to man civil and religious liberty,
protecting all the individual rights Of man con-
fered upon him by nature and God, vet, after
all, we must be allowed to claim for the
cause Of education a proud pre-cminen:e
over all of these, promoting as they do the vel
fare of the whole human family. Education is
the foundation. upon which all these hrh moral
causes which agitate the public mind, reposc
their final hopes Disregard the claims of cdp-
| cation; remove general intelligence from among
men, or cheek its progress in its general diu-
sion among alt classes of society and the cause
Of religion, that mighty consoIing power Of the
heart, wrung and shattered by the storms oflitt.
stepped with the anguish ofmcntal desperation
even chat would speed itself to the rocks and
caves of the mountains, despairng OF amcliornt-
ing the condition of man. Government would
rear It's impotent arm to enforce its mandates,
until, at length the breath OF popular fury would
break over lis Entertainments and goadcd on by
ignorance, dissipation and internal commo,ion
good government would loose lis vitality cxtn-
gnislo bythn tramphny oftne rude feet Of worse
than barbarian fcrocity. When we consider the
| vital importance to the existence ofoar rrpubIic,
of "he elevation Of the masses higher on the scale
/ OF general intelligence, when we consider that
Inns is the only security for the peace, happiness
ANA prosperity Of the community, the remedy
Tor all national distcmpers, the ctIcctull anti
dote for election wranglng and party luminosity
whlrh strikes al The foundation Of civil aud re-
! lig;ous liberty, when we contemplate the mighty
/ interests both national and individual, which
I depend Tor their security upon the intelligence
| oil tli2 masses, we cannot suppress aStUnish-
,ncnt that we should all act, and especially po-
rents, with such cuIpabc Indifference in regard
to this all important cause 1t is for the promo
ton OF tins cause that we, portion of the school
Teachers Of Cecil county, have organized our
selves into an Association. We meet together
Tor the interchange Of experience in the business
OF teaching, and for mutual Improvement con-
sc ous that, as is the Teacher 50 will be the
school entrusted to his charge, and we'll aware
that the advancement Of the pupils will keen
pace with his own Improvement. Sad exper-
fence has taught us the want of uniformity in
books in the various schools of our county, AL
most every scholar is sent to school laden with
books Of he has any at all,) of miscellaneous
and ANTICIPATED character; some the work of one
author some OF another, scarcely any two alike
III school. In the midst of ST ch variety of
books, compiled by different authors, it is mn
possible tor a Teacher to arrange his pupils into
classes. which is essential to the advance
mcnt OF a school. We call upon the trustees of
the respective schools to assemble with us to
counsel with for the purpose of efIectIno
greater uniformity i'll tins department. 1t is not
our province, as Teachers, 10 prescribe books to
be used III school; we can only recommend. But
we desire that trustees and parents may cvnce
greater interest i'll this matter Do they not
know that 1t is as important that their children
should have as rood tools to work with at school
as the ihrncr, the mechanic or the mill wright
DO they not know that as good instruments arc
required to form and fashion the immortal mind.
10 enable Teachers ''to teach the young idea
how 10 shoot Alright as are necessary carve ont
machinery and to control and bind the elements
III the service of man. Must the skin and labor
of the best ofmechanics be expended upon the
ploughshare, the hoe, the scvthe and the axe
that they may suit the fancy and effect the pur-
pose OF the farmer while at the same time he
lceIs nU IcUlOTSe III senulnH ms children to
school to be educated for all the reasonable sta
tions Of life, provided either with no books at all
or else with those of a superannuatcd character
ON whose grave pages time has left his mitl-dew:
Must the farmer be so parlcu lar in selecting for
his use agricultural utensils of the most mprov-
ed kill and Of the most recent invention while
at the same time his children sent to school
with books which instructed himself his alher,
his grandfather, and his great great grandfather
and so on for generations back to the hero
glyphcs of Egypt Are we to be told that all
things except books are susceptible Of improve
mcnt but that these brought to a stand,
That the great progressive principles of the hu-
man mind may assert jurisdiction over althing
save books but in regard to these it must touch,
taste and handle not, because iorsooth it can
transfer to paper 10 new and improved impress
sons' We know that parents feel or are apt to
feel that the purchase of new books is heavy
tax, although subjected to this tax only when
absolutely necessary. But is it not better to
eXpend fifty cents dollar for book which
would advance Il student as far in three months
as the pursuit OF the old one would in six An
other object of the Association is to promote
uniformity ia the Teachers department. In the
present state of things schools incur manifest
Inconvenience from the great diversity of meth
DDS and plans adopted by the Teachers in con-
dnctng their schools. The art of teaching, the
rules and regulations adopted by them are so
disslmiIar, that when a change of Teachers is
effected the schools must suffer TO Il greater or
less extent. Our object is to have this subject
thoroughly Investigated by the members and
plaza digested which may receive the opproba
ton of all the Teachers of this county and be
universally adopted by them; so that when
Teacher leaves one school and enters another,
he may be so familiar with the plan of teaching
adopted by his predecessor as that the progress
of the school NAV not be retarded nv ihe oy-
change. But it is needless to enunerate here
III the objects which demand the attention of
the Association and which may be promoted by
it. We are confident that this Association has
the power TO effect great advancement of the
cause in which it is embarked, and will do so if
rightly conducted. 1t is after ALL an Association
organized for the benefit ofparents, to aid them