The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1853-04-02

systems. The reason is plain; they
place the water wheel over the stream,
requiring the water TO beat upon the
wheel before it moves with the slight
Inconvenience TO the teacher, that when
he stops beating, the wheel stops NOV
ing. The simple fact is that school sys-
tens do violence to the unchangable aud
glorious laws Of our Creator, rendering
penalties IN some form inevitable. Ahor.
iion. or fruiiless effort, is common pen
atty Of disobcdience 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 a threatening penalty. It's fixed
and almost universal law Of our Crea-
tor, that strength is the result of exer.
else, not only in muscle, miud, and soul,
but even in the vegetable creation. An
oak, butieied by the storms Of a hun
dred winters, is stronger and more
durable oak than one sheltered from
winds, rains, and SHOWS.
1t is a self evident truth that for
training up children in the way they
should 90, all the facilities with which
their Creator has endowed them so
bountifully and wisely, must be brought
into exercise, and exercised in connec-
ton with each other, directing the whole
of this combined exercise TO the high
and holy purposes OF their creation.--
The harmonious exercise Of all the hu-
man faculties, applied TO the divine pur-
poses of human existence, is so plainly
implied in training up children in the
way they should 80, as not to permit n
doubt in the mind Of any rational be-
ing.
1t is equally evident that school sys-
TENS prevent this general and harmoni-
Gus exercise Of muscle, mind, and soul,
and that their very partial, meagcr ex-
ercise is not drected--at best very poor
ly directed--to the exalted purposes of
human existence. A little fve-year-
old girl, on being asked what she did at
school, replied promptly, correctly, and
graphically, ] say A and B, and sit on
the bench" Those doubling the posi-
tons above taken, may explain in their
own way how sitting-on-bench" sys-
tenn can train vigorously, harmoniously,
the greatly varied human faculties, and
especially, apply those faculties to the
purposes Of their creation.
Knowing, producing, reciprocating,
are the three great purposes Of human
existence. To know, to produce, and
to reciprocaie, are desires deeply i'm
planted IN the human soul The graft
ticaiion of these desires is human hap
piness. 1t is hence simple truth that
institutions expressly designed for the
formation of character, and prcpara-
ton for future vocations, should aim es-
pecially to provide for the harmonious
exercise of all the faculties, directing TO
all the purposes of our existence
knowing, producing, reciprocating.
As words are the signs Of ideas, not
ideas themselves, and books the instru-
ments, not the fountains Of knowledge,
mere book lessons do not and cannot
crafty tia, desire of knowing so ardent
in every young mind. As words, the
signs Of ideas, arc acquired only by their
connection with the ideas they repre-
sent, attempts at learning words by mere
repetition must also prove abortive-
they do prove aboriive. They are worse
than abor,ive they do lasting and ir-
reparable injury TO the inherent cbarac-
ter Of mind-blunt its desires Of know
ing.
Producing, still more than knowing,
if possible, is prevented by school sys-
TENS. Wha, can be produced by mus
Gle, however powerful and eager for
action, while the principal virtue Of that
muscle is 10 " keep aiHr'--barely per-
mitting the young being possessing it TO
look at a Jook-not for knowledge, but
the signs Of knowledge, and those signs
not learnt, from the absence Of the ideas
connected with them.
Thanks 10 the public sentiment, 10
common sense, and TO humanity, that
such inroads are already made upon this
anti.knowing, anii-producing system, as
TO insure an entire and radical change,
by making !, both knowing and prodDc-
/ ing. Black boards have very exten-
.ively taken the place Of books s,changing
the tiing-on-a-beneh" system into
muscular, producing exercise, alike to
the relief, the entertainment, and the
instruction Of the pupil. Drawing, an
other producing exercise,in many schools
is no, only permitted, bat provided for
every pupilihe lrsi day he eniers school.
Connected with drawing multiplied OBJ
jecls Of nature ssd art, collections Of
natural history come in very oppouune-
ly. Ia some places, every school and
every family is provided by tho hands
Of their members with specimens Of ma
tnre aaa ar. To an extent which few
are aware Of, Pupils can prepare their
oSn instruments q instruction, crafty
ing in the highest degree desire both
Of knowing and pFodaeing-knoSins by
producing.
The deiirr Of reciprooaiins. early
and strongly Iaanifssiins iiself as deeply
planted ia the hsmAh soal, - both pre-
vented and crushed BY school systems,
An anii-Produeing syssem mus' Aimos'r
Of course. be noa-reclprceaiing. as ),
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