, 1853-11-26


at large, it is VIGOROUSLY the refuge and last
resource of many whose inferioriiy both i'll
t.llectual and moral, has been Shown by
numerous failures in other departments Of
cxeTtion, which cannot be regarded as ma
king demands upon the mental powers, but
who often rise to success and eminence in
this, the same fact being plainly indicated
too by the circumstance that so little of dis
liuctive speciality does the vocation pre-
sent, that even its highest posts are almost
invariably filled by men who, whatever be
their other accomplishments, have never
made II distinct object Of study, but have
generally been so wholly engrosscd with pur-
suits Of totally different kind, that they can
hardly have bestowed even passing thought
upon it, until they were actually invested
with its dignities. These men, besides, con-
fcssedly at the head OF the so called profess
sion, do not conceal the somewhat contemp
tuous feelings they entertain towards 1t, and
evidently regard its employmenls as mere
stepping stones to other objects of ambition,
which stand much higher in their estimation.
'lf such things be done in the green tree,
what shall be done in the dryp II so lit
tic of peculiar knowledge or capabillty is
requisite 10 the due performance Of the du-
ties of the chief places in the profession,
must it not necessarily follow-as indeed is
the case--that the great body of its mem
bcrs have no prevailing characteristics of
any kind! Many undergo no special train
ing, and are thus altogether destitute oi that
esprit de eorps which serves so many useful
purposes, and acts as a strong restraint upon
vicious individuals. They are subject 10 no
searching examinations, preparatory to being
admitted to practice their calling, so thai
there is no trustworthy guarantee of their
moral or intellectual fitness to perform their
assumed duties they are not recognised by
the State in any capacity except that Of tax
paying indiNi iduals, In short If you really
do allude to tn, actually existing educators,
it can only be ironically; if you are in ear
nest, you may expect TO be laughed at by
everybody who knows any thing whatever
of that strange body-the schoolmaster."
We fear we must admi, the gcneraltu;h
Of these objections, so far as they relate to
the actual condition of the professor, and
that our views of it are drawn not from the
existing state of things, but from abstract
considerations Of its essential nature, leaving
out Of account for the present the merely
accidental circumstances by which its true
character is obscured and delaced, This
avowal, we doubt moi, will be read with un
disguised contempt by many of our pract-
cal counlrymen who are apt to think lightly
Of whatever passes beyond the bounds OF the
visible and tangible. And our statements
may be ridiculed, even by educators, as the
dreams of Utopcan opiimiSt Alas that
such should be the low condition of cduca-
tion and educators, as to make what should
be nothing more than a description Of the
real, appear the idle imagnings Of an un-
governed fancy. To the charge of idealsm,
however, we willingly plead guilty-being
fully convinced Of the close and necessary
connection between ideas and deeds. Ex-
cellcncc in any pursuit can never be attained
by those who are content to bound their
view by the 'tpoor, miserable, hampered,
despicable actual" whereby they are cncom-
passed who have no high ideal standard
in their thoughts by which 10 test all their
performances no intellectual model of per-
fecllon into greater and greater likeness to
which it is their daily and hourly endeavOr
10 shape the rude and roughly hewn image
of the actual. The reason of this is obvious.
Real life mainly consists of a multitude of
petty details, and the duties of even the
most exalted stations are for the most part,
made up of thcm-great events and the ne
cessity Tor great exerlions seldom occur. 1t
is only on rare occasions that soldiers, for in
stance, are called upon TO perform heroic
actions. Most of their lime is spent in what
shallow observers call lrling and useless
minutia, and which would deserve TO be so
called if considered without reference 10 any
thing except themselves, but which acquire
Importance, and cease 10 be vexalious when
il is seen that they Law the foundation Of
that discipline and obedience to superiors
which makes all the difference between an
army and a mob. Now the man who takes
no general and elevated view of his voca-
tion necessarily becomes wholly engrossed
in its details, which being, as we have said, q,
in themselves petty and unimportant-nay
disagreeable and repulsive soon diminishes
the interest he may at frst have felt in his
duties, and lead him 10 look with contempt
and dislike upon the profession which has
ceased TO be 10 him a source Of pride and
pleasurable enjoyment. To expect that du-
ties which excite such feelings will be well
performed, would argue little knowledge of
human nature or acquaintance with the
world. Day after day they will be more
carelessly executed, until such a state has
been reached, that they are got through by
a merely mechanical exercise of the facul-
ties and so far as soul or intellect is in
volved, the performance of them can sink
no lower. At this point men remain sta
tionary, and a certain feeling of patient in
difference takes possession Of the mind-a
feeling which may be mistaken for content