The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-09-09

remedy. WIN system Of SpcllnS. III the
use of which even scholars fail, it would he
vain for the mass of the people to hope for
accomplishment.
''nur Washington correspondent, !Ilugham writes
so hdcous ScrIwl that no compositor in the Office
would Ike his manuscript in hand. and We had no
time to copy i;-Mr. GlLEAp MrssESGrR
This will DO very well for text. The
printer perhaps has the best opportunities of
knowing what miserable writer's the Amc,i-
can people are. And how much of the trans
crihing is done in our news Offices, no one but
the Editor knows. Perhaps this Bingham is
what the world calls an accomplished scholar
a ''gradrac" may be, who is flouriSling
in the FIRST circlcs' at the great capitol: and
yet, his manuscript is $50 hidcouS." that
printer, who is used to dccypherins such
ScrawlS, would not "takcIt in lnnd.' And
this is the case with Il large majority Of the
great m,n" of this nalion they cannot read
their own writing after the ink becomes dry.
But bad writing is not the only thing prin-
tiers are troubled with our people are equally
deficient in photography, and punctuation
they know nothing about. Outside Of The
printing Office and the editors Sanctun. with
IL very few exceptions knowledge of correct
composition is entirely wanting. Every prac-
teal printer knows this, and every editors
drawer exhibits the fact We now have on
hand communications which we would not
dare to publish "a they are, for fear of having
a charge of SANDER preferred against us. Nor
is it because these elements Of education are
unattainahlc by the child or the man. 1t is
true, that our system # orhographv is very
imperfect and even ridiculous, but still it is
not impossible to master it.
The question arises; whose fault is it. that
we as nation are so imperfect in spelling,
reading and writing? In the first place, the
parents are to blame. The idea has be ,omc
very common that we are Il fast nation" and
live in 'progrcssivc age Even the oil
folks have caught the spirit, and each child
therefore must be rrodiSy. We see the
kind mother learning the smart boy the al
phabct, and the next step the First Reader is
introduced. The patient mother points to
each word. and Johnny spells it as he pro-
cccds, and when he cannot spell, his mother
docs for him. A lesson or two are crippled
in this way, and Johnny is sent to school with
the Third Reader. The spelling book is stale,
and out of date and the "dcar boy" must not
be pcstcrcd with it, at home, or at school.
And thus VIC find many children in our schools
with the Third Reader in their hands who
really do not know all the letters of the al
phahct This will account for the many
good readers in our country.
Secondly, the school teacher is to blame.
He also is a "progroSsvc' man, Johnny is
soon tod to lay aside his Reader, andiS taught
10 write his own name sufficiently plain for
himself and his teacher to read: when lie is
invited to "come up higher" and is soon lost
in the mazcs ola ''gcn.ccl education" John
ny while in the Reader never heard Of pune
tuation, and if intcrrogatod on the subject, as
you hear him drawing out and numbering
sentences, he tells you, that his teacher does
not know anything about punctuation; as he
never taught it to his scholars; and as for
himself he never knew what them little dots
meant But we cannot wonder that our
teachers do not instruct their pupils in these
branches, for most Of them know nothing
about them, and therefore do not appreciate
their importance. \ volume might be writ
ten on the present foolish manner Of cduca.
ting our youth, and the wotf full neglect of du-
ty by our teachers in regard to these essential
parts Of education.
IT'S not so strange then, that ninc-tcnths
of our population cannot compose a sentence
correctly, lift were to save their heads. tits
said that Ignorance is bliss" and we think
that this kind of bliss is pretty fully enjoyed.
There is no dividing line here: the rich, and
the poor, the high and the low, are on a COM
mon level; and the graduate and the lcaftr
cannot rcproach each other in this respect.
But notwithstanding their carly education
most persons might become good, or at least
better composers, with a little study and
practice on the subject"
Nhcn inc writer observes we are last
nation" and live in progressive age" he
was perhaps unconscious of the literal truth
of his remark, as applied to the instruction
of children. lie appears to have been igno-
rant Of any other inductivc process to the art
Of reading, than the ridiculous system
made familiar with his own childhood Had
the fond mother put into Johnny's hands a
phonetic primer to begin with, and kept him
to that system at the outset, he might rcadi-
ly have progressed fast enough to crafty her
most sang,line wishes. She might then have
sent him to school, as soon, as he was old
enough to comprehend the meaning of q
school, master of his Third Reader-a candi-
date for geography or anything else adapted
to his understanding. The art Of reading
thus thoroughly acquired at tie outset, he
would have ample time for spelling, punctua
ton, grammar and every other accomplish
ment in its place; and the habits of accuracy
and sclfrcliancc, cultivated by his early
training, would bring him out, whether rcl
or poor master of his pcn, his pencil or hi