Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-04-25
For Me JeHersonian Republican.
EdUcaliOn.


and when, and how should small children be taught!
These are momentous inquiries,-though they may
at first seem tritling to some minds-because the
earliest guidance given 10 the mind commonly, II
not skilluly counteraced, gives bias and direction
to the mind in all its subsequent movements. 1t
u.s. therefore, of unmeasured consequence that the
tender mind which, during the first seven years of
its existence is anquistive, receptive, and so
dependent, should be trained and nurtured every
day by skillfu hands in an atmosphere of light
and love. Rousseau said give me the first seven
years of child's life for my principles, and you
may do what you please with it after that age
Education commences in the cradle. The mater
nal smile and kiss, at very early stage Of life,
assuage the grief, and illumine the primeval dark
ness that broods over infantile minds AS the soft
light falls upon the eye and affords pleasure, so
the light of knowledge falls upon the mental vision
with even greater delight How child's spirits
brighten, and eyes sparkle, when after working,
for instance, long time on difficult example, he
or she suddenly cries out I've got i'll have it
now. All agree that it is even so, bnt how is
such an end to be accomplished any better now
than it has been done in ages that have gone by 2
Doctors on this subject even, as on most others Of
great Importance disagree. Some say that all in-
struclon should be made delight, and that small
children should not be perpexed and disguised
with books and difficult studies, lest their minds
should be set against learning before they hav-
any just appreciation of its true value. The long
confinement on hard benches, in crowded rooms,
and the absolute enforcement of study do often be-
get repugnance. that rather retards than advances
the progress Of the young learner. Nothing preys
on the infant constitution and undermines its STAN
ina so much as the absurd retsraint which checks
the natural flow Of spirits, at the same time sub
jecting the delicate mind to continual weight of
apprehension. The heathfuI development Of the
physical person, is an object of primary consider
alton; and all those little precOcious exhibitions of
intellect and memory, which sometimes make Pa
rents proud-and justly proud, too, could their
children preserve sound minds in healthy bodies
and the uninitiated wonder are of questionable uH
ity, in the symmetrical training of children
Health of body is the basis upon which the Educa-
tor must build. In vain do we attempt to raise
snperstructure Of wisdom where healthy body is
wanting The duties and rational pleasures of
living depend as much on the condition of the bo-
dy as upon that of the mind. During the early
edsed authority should pleasantly guide.
Too much Of restraint and mental abstraction
operate injuriously upon health, without producing
any corresponding advantage to the mind. Juve-
nile Prodigies seldom make great men. The flow
sr that is made to bloom in the Green house in
February, is decayed and insipid before the gor-
,eous and fragrant blossoms of the open field, in
appear. Nature has given US mind
md body in combination. They are united in such
way that their laws of union may not be tran
cended or violated without penalty. tits CON-
non error that the capacity Of child is oyerrated
~ Parents and Teachers, and then they are over
asked, and they break down before they reach the
,oal to which they are Fastening. Dr. Combe
ays: The premature exertion ofntelect to which
is stimulated by the constant excitement of en-
llation and vanity, far from strengthening, tends
o impair the health and tone Of the brain, and OF
II the organs depending upon it; and hence we
arely perceive the genius Of the School manifest
racted attention in early life; but we find him on
he contrary, either sunk below mediocracy, or
ragging out painful existence, the victim Of in
gestion and melancholy Among the many who
i've great, extraordinary promise in early life, and
whose talents then forced by i'll judged culti
alton into precocious maturity how few live to
manhood to reap the reward of their exertons, and
ow few Of those who survive preserve their su-
eroriiy unimpaired. In illustration of this point
ew must suffice. Tasso was early distinguished
nd it is said he wrote his immortal epic at twen-
two years of age but his life miserable, and
as reason distracted. Pascal is another example |
t the same result, and H. K1ke White, and many
,hers might be named were it necessary. | cut
ne following from your paper, published a aweek
+ two ago. Il speaks volumes on this subject
The Boy T. H. SAFFoRD-This remarkable
genius, who has attracted SO much
ttention by the early development of his peculiar
overs, is made the subject of remark by Prof. |
ierce of Harverd College in his report to the
isitng Committee of the Lawrence Scientific
chool. Stafford attended the Professors Lee
lres on Analytical Mechanics, and showed him
ubject of research. Up to this time, he fully re-
Lies his early promise of extraordinary powers,
s geometer, but his friends notice with alarm
Ia! his body does not keep pace in growth with
is intellect and that he is not gaining that robust