Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-11-17
H~- tie Fayetteville OIser
Education.

EuuCdllOH
NJ. n 0. ranacs.
i DEAR SlR-lt may not be knp wr
to, you that the writer of this has
been an attentive, close, and deeply
interested observer of the ppb bic
schools in Lincoln couaty, during the
entire TIM G of their existence His
knowledge of the course pursued by
the peopla in providing instruction. in
letters fof their children, dates bhck
SO far as 1924; time when the hen
preceptor of our acade my, fatigped
with the monotony Of doing nothing,
wentfto sleep, while such Of his pu-
pills rs so chose spent their timd in
playing cards One of their mum
Der, now living in our midst, has as
sured me that he has passed entire
week in that school without re citing
one lesson; and without being called
on to recite.
This, you will say, was a sad ttte
Iof affairs; and so it was But worse
state of things may exist 'neyert he
less. | hazard nothing in declaring
my opinion that our public scho ols
| are now in a worse condition than
was that academy at the time men
toned. For the sole teacher of hat
school was a moral, upright, hon ORA
bic gentlenI Ian and scholar = though
lazy man Can rs much be said Of
and for all of the teachers of our
public schools? Whenever | think
of the past and present state Of
learning i'm lincoln, | am reminded,
involuntarily, Of a military comma nd
once in common use, but at this tin he,
fortunat ely, obsolete: which was pro-
claimed thus: Backward, = Wheell
For SINCE the enactments Of the sd v
eral sch pol-laws. we have been pro
gressing alas steadily backwards.
The time was when few intelli-
gent men living contiguous to ca fh
other hen who knew, as all m n
should know, that none but the T b.
rents of children can SO well, ahd
prolitably train them could, and did
secure the services Of suitable men
to cultivate the intelIccts OF their
offspring. And there were several
llourishi1g private schools in the
III which some of our mo st |
prominent and useful citizens T e-
Ceived not classic, it is true, but |
b good business education II, apa TT |
from our academy, there be, at this
Time, any school in Lincoln, Of equal, |
or similar usefulness, il is unknow In
TO me.
It may be true. Mr.. Wallace, thl 1T .
10 times past =" long, long ago"- itf
WAS necessary to learn Latin frs t, |
chat we might subsequently unde +
stand English: but ! don t believe it. I
At all events, | am certain that a /
knowledge Of n4ither Latin, nor bff
Greek is AT all needed for any of the T
hvocations Of lil'f, save only to pre- I
pare one to ell a professor 5 chalr T
And if parents -alk partnts-could I
br would put on my spectacles, al ID /
look through the m too, there would .
soon be no chat is of professors bfI
Languages to be filled. | have been
recently, i considerable NUM-
Der Of WasMngtdn's letters on varf-
Gus subjects. 1t is we'll known thl It
be never knew sentence Of Latin Or |
Of Greek. And, in his case, it Is
IS well known that the letters hay
ng bis signature were the produe-
TORS Of his own mind and pen lie
had not, like General Tlay lor, Col.
Bliss to dress up his thoughts, or to
supply thoughts for him. No, WASH
ngton did his 0 wn thinking, his own
writing, inditfng and fighting; ana
achieved the liberties of his and GU ri
country, without the aid of any othe !
than his mother tongue. !
There are many among us who
an teach that language, in its puri.
y; but they will not do it for tho {
,ittance that satisfies the uneducated {
10Y of eighteen. a SUFFERER. i