Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-08-25
For the Eastern Times


Mr.. EDITOR PLEASE 10 allow me to occu-
Ply your columns q little furher,in reference
TO the highly important subject of educalion.-
| have Eel. liule delicacy in presenting the
ideas of my former articles, not because
thought them out of place, or not in good
taste but because Of my inability 10 present.
them IN clear and proper manner. have
long felt that our city was falling behind the
spirit Of the age in some Of the ideas there pre-
senied; and 4 have also felt that all that was
needed, was TO have the matter fairly present
ed, 10 order To have it corrected. t.
In one ofthepla Of Shakespeare, (Second
Part Of King Henry VIZ written but few
years before our Pilgrim Fathers landed at
Plymouth, there is an admirably drawn charac
Ter named Jack Cade. This worthy heads a
rebellion; and when Lord Say is brought ia
prisoner, he addresses him in the following
terms Thou hast most traitorously corrupt
ed the youth of the realm, in erecting Gram
mar School and whereas, before, our FORE
fathers had no other books but the score and
the talley, thou has. caused printing to be
used +; and contrary 10 the king, his crown and
dignity, thou hast built paper mill. 1t will
be proved 70 thy face, that thou hast men about
thee that usually talk of noun and verb !;
and such abominable words as no Christian ear
can endure TO hear - and so, on these heavy
charges, Lord Say is ordered, by this model
agitator, TO be beheaded and his head 10 be
brought in on a pole. "A,
The early history Of our New England an
cestors, shows that when they came hther,
they left Jack Cade at hume for of all those
who have set their hands to the august work
or funding Republic, onr fathers alone made
religion the corner stone of the political edi-
fee, and learning, its chief pillar. Scarcely
had they provided shelter for their families,
and the means Of the most frugal subsistence,
wher they sowed the seeds of scholarship
which have grown up and rpened all over
New England, and which have given 10 it lis
present commanding position and influence.
Such was the spirit Of the Pilgrims, and such
the principles of our ancestors, the founders of
this city. | have been pleased to find, that
in the beginning, they regarded education as
one entire system; it was reserved to later
age when some Of the numerous descendants of
Jack Caje found their way hither also, to low
er the tone Of public sentiment, and though
they did not 60 as far as their progenitor of
immortal memory, and cut off the heads of
men who could read and write, and who knew
the difference between noun and verb. vet
they strOve TO narrow education down to what
they called practical preparation for bnsines.
AS if man was born to he a shop-keeper. a
carpenter, or farmer, and that was the chief
end Of his being and not born 10 be first and
foremost a man, with faculties exercised aud
enlarged; with heart purified, with feelings
exalted by knowledge, by virtue, by the con-
temptation of Gods works, and by the disci-
plne Of tempe. and passions according TO His
law.
II was Cotton Maiher, think, who said
"Where schools are not vigorously and honor
ably encouraged, whole colonies will sink
aPace into degenerate and contemplate condi-
ton, and at last become horribly barbarous and
the first instance of their barbariiy will be that
they will be undone for want Of men, and not
see and own what 1t was that undid them"
Now, il is for these reasons, that we feel so
pleased with the liberalty which our city has
manifested for few years past; and also feel
to honor those who with their influence or
wealth, have done so much to place our schools
on high and respectable position, and to lift
public sentiment above the idea of a school
system that shall furnish barely what the pub
lie can least get along with. would not be
extravagant, or spend money that is not actual
| ly needed but | am not the advocate of any
money-saving policy which will check in the
least degree the rising career Of our schools
This city cannot afford to have any but very
good schools; for the real value Of a school
which is only ordinary in its services, is not
more than half as great as that Of very good
school. In order to a good school, we must
not only have good teachers, but good school
houses and good play grounds. While our
artists are forming various materials into struc-
lures for usefulness or forms of beauty, good
schouls are moulding the elements of mind into
the enduring forms Of mental and moral beauty.
Training the minds and hearts Of children
Alright, requires clear and comprehensive
view Of the established laws Of mental and
moral development.
Such being the work of our schools upon
the young, il must be quite manifest that by
far the most responsible duty devolving upon
US, is TO see to it, that The very best schools
that can be had for the means within our reach,
be secured A CITIZEN.
Bath, Aug %, 1853.
FIENDIsH OUTRAGE-A most fendsh out
rage was perpetrated at Chicago, near the res