North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-11-12
September LIST, 1851.
TFrom the Journal.1
.IuNEs CoEl

Mr.. EDITOR i have been reading with much
pleasure and profit, the articles contained in your pa
per, entitled g Education.''
The writer is evidently man who feels from his
heart sincere desire TO promote the cause of public
education and from the style Of his writing, and the
number of good ideas he advances, il is evident that
he is capable of doing the immense amount
of good. There is thing, however, in which 1
must differ from him and it, by stating to you, or
through your columns this difference, amicable dis
cussion should be brought about the subject there
will be no harm done, and, perhaps, some good may
arise. He observes in Education No. 6,' that,
in his opinion, knowledge of the elementary branch
can be best obtained by return to the slow and
good old fashioned methods, and the prefers those
good old authors-Murray, Webster, Dilworth and
Pike" By some authors" he admits s. their works
have been improved upon.''
Now say, if these authors have been improved,
how can return to them be beneficial l deplore
with him the fact, that country has been, and
continues to be inundated with new books. large
portion of which worse than useless, the authors
IN many Instances, simplifying and explaining things
that they never understood themselves; and In 9TH
ers, taking the contents Of some truly valuable work,
and by jumbing and confusing them, passing them
off their These things l deplore. They
hove been source of vexation to me in my capacity
of teacher; and 1 fear will long continue TO be So
But yet should be very unwilling to return Pike
Dabol and Murray-books in which educate d.,
and for which, in the early of my teach
er, had reverential love. Let any one take the
Arithn etcs of Pike and Davis, and make candid
comparison of them, and in my humble opinion, the
latter would be found mmeasura6ly above the for
mer,-nct only in being adapted to commercial or
mercantile business now conducted, but also SIM
plicty of rules and explanations. will canddy
knowledge that, though tdug hr school before my
acqu aintance with Davis works, yet until my &C.
quaintance with those works never understood the
first principles of the study. and could explain
them to my own, my pupils satisfaction. / could
cast interest, work by position progression, but
the why's and the wherefOres could not tell. knew
the rules worked by the rules, and that was ALL
kuoIr RntAo IL foro of
capacity to g work his way" through Davis Arth-
metc, and be in this fix unless he go through with
his eyes shut. But there are others, among which
l would not forget mention Emerson, for W HON
have great regard yet for common sold field Schools
think Davis superior to all. And now for Mr. Muir
ray, he another who understood the English Ian
guage well. One too, from whom most of the
thors who have written since, have copied largely.
His Grammar is one which think necessary for eve
~ child study in order to have a tolerabe know
ledge of the Grammar of the English language Blu /
deem its style entirely too cumbersome solemn,
and its arrangement anything but what it hit to be
for young children. Deep thought and constant
to what has gone before is to be expec-
ted Of them and, without this, parts of Muir
rays Grammar perfectly unnelligible. Smith g
Grammar on the contrary, is arranged that every
step taken explains itself, is explanatory of that
Immediately preceding The mind is led by insen.
sible degrees to the consideration of the more abb
and dicult parts and the child instead of be-
ing tired and confused by committing TO memory
of uninteligibe matter. is pleased to find that
What he considered dull, is, in reality, interesting
beg the pardon Of Long Creek" for thus intruding
upon his subject. But the intejest feel must be my
excuse; and as ] gravely imagine that his influence
in determining upon the of books to be used
in common schools, (shoud any particular course
be introduced by law,) would be much greater than
mine, wish, therefore, 10 call his attention to this
more particularly. / wish him to lay aside early
preiudices and candidly examine. would also
mind him. that it is not al all proper to condemn all
new authors, because some of them trashy.
agree with him in the Recommendation OF the
North Carolina Reader, and will use my influence to
have it adopted, it, its publication, it proves to be
what it processes.
would be gIad Mr.. Editor, 10 say more, perhaps
at future time will do But at present, fare
AN 0LD FIELD TEACHER.
TENNESSEE BONDS. We understand that v. K.
Stevenson, ESQ.,, President of the Nashville, and
Chattanooga Rail Road Company, negotiated in this
City last week, S25O,OOO of the Bonds Of the Com
pany, guaranteed by the State of Tennessee. bearing
to have been taken by eminent Banking House
in Washington, and 100000 by firm in this City.
The State of Tennessee has always showed the
most scrupuous good faith with her creditors, and
her present financial condition is very prosperous
this will account for the readiness with which these
Bonds sold and the fair price obtained for them
in the present condition of the money market.
sf-5E 81 Chas. Courier.
The immigration from Europe to this country is
immense and still on the increase. The increase at
the port of New York alone, Of the first i've months
of this year, is IS ,s04 over the corresponding months
of 1850. The number of immigrants from l94g 10
1876, inclusive, was 3S0.443 and the number from
1877 to 1851, inclusive, loss two months, is ,O56-