The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-05-31


colleges in the House. and rendered ef
icient aid in maturing the present com
mon school system. A son of one 0fthe
humble aud poor pioneets, he had expe-
rienced, and hence fully apprec ated, the
difficulties Of acquiring even a common
English education in the early history of
our State. knowing the trials and ob
stacles with which humble merit had then,
and at later period, to contend. Judge
Johnston's heart and patriotism prompt
ed him to use his talents and improve his
position to accomplish their removal
During the session an educational Con-
vention was held at Columbus, of which
Judge Mclean was President. Mr.
Johnston was called, and addressed the
Convention ou the subject, at length, aud
with great ability. The address has
since been printed and read by thousands
in the State aud out, with advantage
In the course of his remarks. he thus
spoke Of the necessity of system Of d
free common school education, as a mat
ter Of safety to the Republic as means
of perpeIuatIng free Republican inslitu,
lions; aud alluded. by way Of illustration,
to himself, and the schools he attended,
as boy in the woods:
He urged, ,.hat, "as a matter of safety to
the Republic, education should be free To
the pupil; so that the chances of iguor,
ance or wisdom, vice Or virtue should not
depend on the pecuniary means Ut the
parent. II hoy has genius and merit,
the fact that his fathcrs poor, dissipalod,
or niggardly, is no reason why the boy
should not be- educated; or why the pub
lie should not have the advantage of his
genius; unless some countervailing dam.
age should result To the public, and to
Those whose property is to be taxed for
the support of schools. maintain that
no such damage would arise Property
holders are deeply interested in the bet
ter education of the public mind. Their
property is taxed for the erection of jails.
penilentiaries, and poor housesj the sal,
aries of criminal judges, Jurors and wit.
nesses, whose business it is to punish of
Tenders, who might have been reclaimed
by tducaiion; aud would il not he better
To expend lew dollars Ia keep a boy
out Of the penileuiiary, than to put him
iuI But there is another consideration
which wish To present To the wealthy
tax payer, if it will not wound his sensi
bililies These barefooted, ragged it,
tie urchins, whom you drive from your
doors as if they were savage beasts. aud
to promote whose education you are un
willing to have your property taxed. will
in few years, intermarry with your
grand children, in spite of your parenta
forecast; and in your old age you may bt
forced to acknowledge them to be the
most creditable members Of your family
Better then they should be educated be
forchand for fear of the worst. This
riew may be sneered at by the proud
but there is no use shutting ones eyes Il
the truth Such il the result of ever,
ones observation, who takes the pains Il
observe.
I'll have had both observation aud eA
perience in the difficulties which besrI
} tho way to education in new country
with thin popula,io under badly or
6 dered system. Usually in the back
woods, when was boy. we had bu
three months school out Of twelve, ant
, that in the depth Of winter The teach
8 er, some cripple. who was unable to worI
at any thing else, in this inclement sea
son. The nine months of vacation wer,
spent picking and burning brush, ant
. hoeing corn, barefooted and barehoaded
: so that during the summer children usu
. ally forgot all they had learned in tn
winter, But can speak 6est of my ow
experience. For more than ten years
my boyhood, | waded in snow above m
D little knees from one to three miles, I
8 such school....Our school house was
log cabin, with the bark on. Puncheo
, floor. puncheon ceiling, clapboard roo
= clapbuard door, aud paper Windows
0 creased to let in the light. At one en
stood tho huge wide wooden chimney
!. spreading its jambs from corner to corne
ofthe house. This in cold winters da,
gave employment to two boys .one ca
rying in wood to keep up the fire, anotl
~ er carrying IN water to drown it out. 8
ever and anon it seized upon the chin
). ney. In this house we commenced Ut
session annually on the first Monday
December-..at 'B0O6y'iu the spelEn
% book. By the first Monday in March. W
J. had progressed as far as the fox in tn
/, bramble.' Here the session closed w
Q went home, and after some nine mmtl
toll among the brambes, returned
school. aud found ourselves again
" BOBBY
Our teacher was such as might be Q,
}! pected in those days; and as he was II
man from whom | learned my A B c, an
:. with whom flushed my course at schoc
speak H him with reverence. No ma
, ever devoted his time and talents to h
" calling with more zeal and fidelity lha
70 he. In spelling, reading and writing b
d. was an efficient instructor; grammar an
r. geography we're not known tO the schoo
b. ofhis days, and he lived and died in II
belief that the surface Of the earh W,
. as fiat as the plate on which he ale h
" breakfast. He was expert in the fir
y four rules Of Arithmetic. and could leas
the singleruIe ofthree.' But the wore
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