The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-09
MECHANISM.--No. XVIII.
BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.


The grand pivot ON which must turn the
whole machinery for effecting the purposes of
science, wealth, and morals, is "SELF-INsTRuc-
TON" The motto, Mature before books and
drawing before writing constantly acted upon,
would do much to secure such instruction, to
fix such pivot. The sentiment has been that
books were the first the principal, and almost
the only instrsAments TO ft young beings for
their future vacations 1t is not SO now. Other
sentiments, which will bear the test of common
sense and Of universal experience, have taken
the place of that, equally preposterous and mis-
chieyous-ruining thousands upon thousands
of the very best minds ever created.
In German schools, Rotations on most sub.
jeets are conducted without any use of book
either by the pupil or teacher That is as il
should be. In some, perhaps all, of the normal
schools in this country it is now fundamental
principle, that, before the pupils are qualified
to teach, they must be able to conduct recita-
tons without the use of books In an address
by Daniel Webster given some months since,
at an Agricultural Fair, he remarked. "All the
knowledge we get from books is very little. and
that little not worth much" As aids of knowl-
edge, books are good as the principal sources
or dependence, they are false. and sadly dis,ss-
trotis.' ~ - '''~ - We 1"} - '+'' go
The moment the eye the hand and the heart
generally take the place of books as the prin.
cipal agents of instruction, truants will never
be heard of; rowdes who are only truants hay
ing taken several degrees in advance, will soon
be out of market on houses of refuge for iuve-
nile delinquents may be written @To LET"
and the place upon our court dockets for
Michigan conspirators" will be left blank.
No subjects for placing upon this grand
pivot" for securing the agency of the eye hand,
and heart, are more appropriate then the first
principles" of farming and mechanism. To
collect and arrange specimens of geology, show
ing the elements Of soils; to prepare and perform
chemical experiments, showing the nature Of
those elements; to make and combine the
elementary figures, or forms of mechanism
showing the endless varieties of beauty and
utility, furnish to active, sprightly, generous
young spirits the objects Of their eager pursuit
sources Of rich and greatly varied instruction,
employment for their active minds objects for
their lofty aspirings They bring into action
in aid of each other the eye hand, and heart
muscle, mind, and soul.
The process is as simple, direct easy and
certain, as the operations are delightful, and the
fruits rich and abundant. 1t can be commenc.
ed any day or moment in any school or family
in the whole world, when the parent or teacher
wishes to have it so. Let any teacher say t.
his pupils, "Children, you may go out and SET
how many different kinds of stone you can find
and bring in one of each kind,D and CABI
NET OF AGRICULTURAL Geology will be wei
commenced. The names, properties, and use
of these beginnings with others coming in thei
train, VIII to cesta;e soon D. f6ilow--not certai
how, but certain to come in some way
Let the same teacher, or any teacher or pt
rent say to the young spirits under his guidance
you may draw upon your states or cut frol
paper, a figure with three equal sides, bein
careful that the sides are all exactly equal this
done, the most important element in the mecl
anism of the universe--rich, beautiful, and glt
rious--is actually formed by the hands of
company of animated "sELF INSTRUCTORS.
The next step, and all steps which may follow
in endless progression, in the delightful employ
ment, in the rich instruction, under the inspirn
motive of unfolding the glorious works of Goo
80 gloriously and wonderfully exhibited in tn
mechanism of the heavens and Of the eartf
will be equally simple with the first A bette
suggestion on this great and interesting subject
perhaps, cannot be made than for all school,
on their next opening to try the experiment il
the first lessons as proposed on Agriculture an,
Mechanism.
EXPERIMENT teacher in New York ha.
a pupil who defed the authority both Of the pa
rent and himself in requiring the various ordina
nv lessons from books. At the suggestion AM
persuasion of the teacher, the parent encourage
his son in collecting for their home "Cabine
of CurroatieS." Almost Immediately the rebe
son and pupil became the delight of the family
and the ornament Of the school
The BIBLE IN TuRKEY-The following inter
esting particulars respecting the circulation Of
the Sacred Scriptures and the growing demand
for them in various parts of the Turkish empire
are taken from q letter read at the last month
ly meeting of the managers of the American
Bible Society Il was written by two American
missionaries and dated Constantinople, June
23.-Christian Adpocate.
In the great district of the Erzeroom Station,
there have been more Scriptures sold during
the year past than during the two or three
years previous put together There is not only
an increasing desire there for the Armenian
Scriptures but the desire for the Bible, especial
ly, is growing faster than that for other good
books At Arabkir, on a visit made there forty
copies of the Bible might have been disposed Of
at once, had they been on the spot The very
enemies Of the missionaries seek to obtain copies
secretly, by means Of native Professionals. Inter-
esting incidents are not wanting. A youth
who had never come near the missionaries, nor
ever attended any Of their meetings, left the
city of Ezeroom, taking with him New Tesla
ment and reading by the way. After arriving
at the place of his destination he taught four
families to read the Scriptures, and these have
since sent TO the missionaries for more books
and for teacher. Four laborers in pottery
procured New Testament for themselves read
IL together, and soon began TO speak loudly Of
whatAtfsy had read They were called before
the bishop, charged with Professionalism, and
threatened with the bastnado and imprison-
ment But they declared they had never seen
or heard missionary confessed however, very
freely, that they were reading the Word of
God and expressed tlaeir full determination
that tlnn~Npuld read u, come what may.
Aey nd bad the missionaries service, and
listen to preached word a.
E1ntinople the sale Of books, and
- n Bibles and New Testainents, is
the increase, Notwithstanding that
ke(1toff the case, these parts might
erSd best supplied with them
lsaaxy last over 1900. copies Of Old
npts IN Hebrew pure, and Hebrew with
ths sh translation, have been disposed o.
How Many copies the Scotch missionaries have
scattered in the mean time, besides these, we
have not been able 10 ascertain. Their colpor-
teur is still absent A very encouraging cir.
cumstance is the unprecedented sale Of the New
Testament among the Spanish Jews Seventy
copies have been Disposed Of by sale within the
abort period of few months, while formerly
tho Jews would hardly accept ten or twelve
copies a. presents within q year. Many copies
Of the Old Testament in Armenian, finished in
q mall edition last autumn, at Smyrna have
gone from this port into Russia also many
HEBREW Bibles, The new edition Of the Old
Testament in Armenian y snxiousy expested
here end without doubt many Of the Old