Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-11-12
School SysteIiss.
YJosIAH RcoH.


plain. They place the watcrwlieel over the
stream. recurring the water to bc beat upon the
wheel before it moves with the slight nconvcnl-
ence to the teacher that when he stops beating
the wheel stops moving. The simple fact Is,
that school systems do violence to the unclange-
able and glorious laws of our Creator, rendering
penalties in some form inevitable. Abortion, or
fuitlcss effort is common penalty of disoIcd-
ence to the divine law in the training OF young
muscle, mind and soul. Rowdyism is another,
and at this time in this country a severe ana a
threatening penalty. 1t is fixed and almost
universal law of our Creator, that strength is the
result of exercise, not only in muscle, mind, and
soul, but even in the vegetable creation All
oak, bufeted by the storms Of hundred will
tiers, is stronger, more durable oak than one
sheltered from winds, rains and SHOWS.
1t is selfevident truth, that for training up
children in the way they should GO" all the fac
ulties with which their Creator has endowed them
90 bountifully and so wisely must be broug ht into
exercise and exercised in connexon with each
other, directing the whole of this combined cX-
ercise to the high and holy purpose Of their ere
alton. The harmonious exercise Of all the hui
man faculties, applied to the divine purposes OF
human existence, is so plainly implied IN training
up children in the way they should go as not to
permit doubt in the mind of any rational being.
1t is equally evident that school systems pre-
vent this general and harmonious exercise of mus
Gle, mind and soul, and that their very partial,
meager exercise is not directed at best very poor
" directed, to the exalted purposes of human ex-
istence. A little fve-year-old girl, on being ask
ed what she did at school, replied promptly, cor
rectly and graphically, 81 say A and B, and sit
on a bench" Those doubling the positions
above taken may explain in their own way how
"sitting- bench" system can train vigorous
ly and harmoniously the greatly varied human
faculties, and especially apply those faculties to
the purposes of their creation. knowing, pro.
ducing, reciprocatng are the three great purposes
of human existence. To know, to produce, and
to reciprocate are desires deeply implanted in the
human SOUL The qualification Of these desires
is human happiness. 1t is hence simple truth
that institutions expressly designed for the form
alton of character, and preparation for future
vocations should aim especially to provide for
the harmonious exercise of all the faculties, d.
recting all to the purposes of our existence;
knowing, producing, and reciprocating.
As words are the signs of ideas, not ideas
themselves, and books the instruments, not the
fountains of knowledge, mere book lessons do not
and cannot crafty that desire Of knowing so ar
dent in every young mind. As words, the signs
of ideas, are ACQUIRED only by their conneXion
with the ideas they represent, attempts at learn
ing words by mere repetition must also prove
abortive; they do prove abortive. They are worse
than abortive; they do lasting and lrrcparab!e
injury to the inherent character of mind-blunt
its desire Of knowing.
Producing, still more than knowing, if posi-
bic, is prevented by school systems What can
lie produced by muscle, however powerful and
eager for action, while the principal virtue of that
muscle is to "keep still"-barely permitting the
active young being possessing it to look at a
book-not for knowledge, but the signs ofknowl-
edge, and those signs not learnt, from the alb
sence of the ideas connected with them.
Thanks be to public sentiment, to common
sense, and to humanity, that such inroads are al
ready made upon this anti-knowing, anti-prodn-
cling system as to ensure an entire and radical
change, by making it both knowing and produ-
cling. Black boards have very extensively taken
the place of books, changing the sitting on-a-
bench" systemin muscular producing exercises
alike to the relief the entertainment, and the in
struction of the pupil Drawing, another pro-
ducing exercise, in many schools is not only per
mitted but provided for every pupil the first day
he enders the school. Connected with drawing
multiplied objects of nature and art, collections
of natural history come in very opportuncy-
In some places every school and every family is
provided by the hands of their members with
specimens of nature and art. To an extent which
few are aware Of pupils can prepare their own
instruments ofinstruction, gratifying in the high
est degree the desire both of knowing and pro
ducing-knowing by producing
The desire of reciprocating, early and strongly
manifesting itself as deeply planted in the human
soul, is both prevented and crushed by school
systems. An anti-producing system must almost,
of course, be rcciprocating. as it furnishes
nothing to rcciprocate in This principle of cx-
clusiyeness, hitherto prominent feature in
schools, with that Of anti-producing, is rapidly
yielding to the more polite and more noble prin-
oiple Of reciprocation. Indeed, enlightened, gen
erous reciprocation exhibited in "world's fair"
afars" all over the world, and in great multtudes
of nameless forms, is perhaps the strongest, GER
tainly the most digpiied and elevated, feature of
the present age No fairs which have been or
can be instituted are so richly fraught with plea
sure, knowledge, production, or reciprocation as
scholars fairs" They are now in extensive op-
Grafton, and at no distant day must form prom
inent part, and probably the soul, of school sys-
tens. These, when connected through the eu-