Daily American telegraph., 1852-11-09
DEMOCRACY OF SCIENCE.
BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.

|
No established operations in human society
make so small returns for outlays in time,
money, and effort, as school systems. The
reason is plain They place the water-wheel
over the stream, requiring the waterto be beat
upon the wheel before it moyes-with the
slight inconvenience to the teacher that when
he stops beating the wheel stops moving.
The simple fact is, that school systems do vio-
lencc TO the Interchangeable and glorious laws
OF our creator, rendering penalties in some
form inevitable Abortion, or fruitless effort,
is common penalty of disobedience to the
Divine law IN the training of young muscle,
mind, and soul. Rowdyism is another, and
at this time in this country severe and
threatening penalty. 1t is fixed and almost
universal law Of our Creator, that strength is
tho result Of exercise, not only in muscle
mind and soul, but even in the vegetable crea-
ton. An oak, buietcd by the storms of &
hundred winters, is n stronger, more durable
oak than one sheltered from winds, rains, and
SHOWS.
| 1t is II selfcvidcnt truth that for training
up children in the way they should 60" all
the faculties with which their Creator has en-
dowod them so bountifully and SO wisely must
he brought into exercise and exercised in
connexion with each other, directing the whole
of this combined exercise to the high and ho-
ly purposes of their creation. The harmoni-
Gus exercise of all the human faculties, ap-
piled to the divine purposes of human exist
ence, is 80 plainly implied in training up chill
dren in the way they should 20 as not to per-
nit Il doubt in the mind Of any rational be-
ing.
1t is equally evident that school systems
prevent this general and harmonious exercise
of muscle, mind, and soul, and that their very
partial, meagre exercise is not directed, at lest
very poorly directed to the exalted purposes
ofhuman existence. A little fve-years old
GIRL on being asked what she did at school,
replied promptly, correctly, and graphically,
Il say A and b. and sit on a bench" Those
doubling the positions above taken may ex-
plain in their own way how '.stting-on.a-
bench" system can train vigorously harmon
lously the greatly varied human faculties: and
especially, apply those faculties to the purpo-
ses of their creation,
Knowing, producing reciprocating are the
three great purposes of human existence. To
know, to produce, and to rcciprocate are de-
sircs 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 forma-
tion of character, and preparation for future
yocations, should aim especially to provide for
the harmonious exercise of all the faculties,
directing all to the purposes of our existence
knowing, producing, reclprocating.
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 know
ing, 80 ardent in every young mind. AS
words, the signs of ideas, are acquired only
by their connexion with the ideas they repre-
sent, attempts at learning words by mere re-
petition must also prove abortiye; they do
prove abortive. They are worse than abor-
tive; they do lasting and irreparable injury to
the inherent character of mind-blast its de-
sire Of knowing.
| Producing, still more than knowing, if pos
sible, is prevented by school systems. What
can be produced by muscle, however powerful
and eager for action, while the principal virtue
of that muscle is to "keep stiV'-barely per-
mitting the active young being possessing it to
look at a book-not for knowledge, but the
signs Of knowledge, and those signs not learnt
them.
Thanks be to public sentiment to common
sense, and to humanity, that such inroads are
already made upon this anti-knowing, anti
producing system as to insure an entire and
radical change, by making it both knowing
and producing. Black boards have very ex-
tensively taken the place of books, changing
the "sitting-on-a-bench" system into muscular
producing exercises, alike to the relief the en-
tertainment, and the instruction of the pupil.
Drawing, another producing exercise, in many
schools is not only permitted but provided for
every pupil the first day he enter school.
Connected with drawing multiplied objects Of
nature and art, collections Of natural history
come in very opportuncly. In some places
every school nnd 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 in
strumcuts of instruction, gratifying in the
highest degree the desire both of knowing and
producing knowing by producing.
The desire of reciprocating; early and
strongly manifesting itself us deeply planted
in the human soul, is both prevented and
crushed by school systems. As ant-produ-
cling system must almost, Of course, be non.re-
ciprocating, as it furnishes nothing TO recpro-
catc'in. This principle Of foxclusivcncss, hith-
erto prominent feature in schools, with that
of anti.producing is rapidly yielding to the
more politic and more noble principle IF re-
ciprocation. Indeed, enlightened, generous
rcciprocation exhibited in Il worlds FAIR"
"F,iRs" all over the world and in great null
titudes Of namcess forms, is perhaps the
strongest, certainly the most dignifcd and cle-
vatcd, feature of the present age. No fairs
which have been or can De instituted arc so
richly fraught with pleasure, knowledge, pro-
duction, or rcciprocaton as SCHOLARS FAIRS"
They are now in extensive operation, and at
no distant day must form n prominent part,
and probably the SOUL, of school systems.
These, when connected through the entire
country all concentrating at our national met
ropolis, will enable each Of the hundred thous-
and American schools also of The six mil