Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-30
ron THE AMERICAN ORGAN.
Lectures mt the Smithsonian Institution.

| ron THE AMERICAN oRGAs
Lectures at the Smithsonian Institution.
| EDUCATION In EUROPE.
| Professor H. Barnard, L. L. d., Superintendent
Of public schools in Connecticut, gave an account
Of his observations on education in Europe, during
| his last tour:
When it was determined to hold an Educational
Exhibition in London during the Industrial Exhi-
bton Of all nations, the United States, as well as
| the European States were invited to send dele
gates. The invitation was sent to the President,
and, through the Secretary Of State, was sent to
the Governors of various States; among them,
New York and Connecticut. From this last State,
Prof Barnard was sent as delegate.
The Educational Exhibition was held in st. Mar
tins Hall--one of the largest Of the kind. The
building is five stories high and all the rooms were
crowded with contributions Of documents on edu-
cation models, maps, globes, &C., or used as lee
| ture rooms where scientific men read papers en-
various subjects, or consulted as to plans. The
number can be imagined from the fact that the
catalogue of the articles exhibited there, is book
of 900 pages, printed with small type. Norway
Switzerland, Sweden, and Holland contributed
| nobly to the stock, us well as the larger nations
but the United States did comparatively nothing
except the State Of New York, which sent some
four hundred specimens Of globes maps, drawings
&c. But he was sorry to find there model Of a
country schoolhouse, inferior to those now used
in all our cities. The high school house Of Phila
dephia is the best he had met with in any country
but there were no models sent, that would bear
comparison with it SO we were misrepresented at
the exhibition.
He found that in the schoolhouses in Germany.
they still use the long form, and bench without
back--he had seen in one school a desk and seat
for two scholars, but in no case had met with a
desk and seat for one, we invariably have them
in our modern school-houses. We are in advance
of the world in accommodations for our scholars.
But he found that Europeans Far exceed us in
appliances for study, as maps, &c. They were so
superior that he wished to expend 81 900 in pur-
chasing specimens of them for the Conn. Nor
man schools We do not value them as We should
England expends $4,000 yearly on the National
School of Design for models.
For two months lectures were delivered daily on
the most scientific points of teaching.
Among these the Dean OF Hereford Dr. Dorr,
read paper on the teaching of Common
Things" and offered prizes to those teachers
who would best instruct their scholars on this
subject Here we are in advance of them, for
in almost every school is book called Fami-
liar Science" treating these Common Things.
III u HlaStcriy out Simple ana clear manner. wa
He hvd noticed that nearly all the children
in the reform schools were orphans, and that in
some way they should be placed in family re-
lation by putting them in families, or forming
them into small bands; otherwise they would
make bad citizens.
He said Cardinal wiseman had done great
deal for education, and that the Catholic Church
had always had the education OF the people Mt
heart That TO the Catholic Church we owed the
AawIt r,r tI. ne. ~ al a.. Il.
for idiots, and the first Normal School That the
priests did not oppose the education of the people,
but simply insisted TO have them educated in their
otca schools. n.
Here the Professor broke out with the senti.
ment that Americans should not oppose the Cath
okcs, as they were the true friends of learning,
and opposition to them in their wishes concern
ing schools was opposition to education He said
be wanted schools on broad, free basis, with
nothing in them that would be Objectionable to
any. lie bad found that tho Catholic priest in
Hereford had done more for education than any
four ministers Of any denomination.
He had told Father Brady that he did wrong In
establishing separate schools, for he could not
make them equal the public schools, and that he
should send his children there. He advised us to
make our schools such as the Catholics would not
object to, as they could help our schools very much
with funds, influence, and teachers To do this,
We should exclude such text books and forms Of
prayer, as were Objectionable to them, when our
schools would be free indeed free for all and be
attended by ALL a
Here he was stopped by vehement applause by
a few the majority of the audience by their coun-
tenances expressing blank surprise and wonder as
TO what would come next In the part of the su-
dience from whence the applause came, was man
dressed in the style Of priest.
The speaker proceeded to give his views on OPP
position to foreigners, &c, touching on the Ameri-
can movement, but the restlessness Of his hearers
must have warned him Of his temerity, as be soon
changed the subject for one more agreeable.
He then spoke Of the English depot for collec-
ton Of apparatus, textbooks, &c, of its good
effects and Of the great necessity of some depot of
the kind here. II could be easily formed. Every
publisher would send his textbooks there as the
best mode to advertise them. And makers of
globes, maps, apparatus, &c, would be glad to
place his invention In so conspicuous position.
The Association would not recommend them on
receipt, but place them there to be selected from
by teachers in search Of books And the same
plan as Is used in England could be adopted here,
which Is, IL any teacher wished textbook for HE
school, the depot could obtain them at Wholesale
prices Also, a system Of exchange could be
effected with similar institutions in Europe.
Education can be advanced by the circulation of
tracts on popular subjects In Rhode Island, tracts
on the relations of poverty and crime, knowledge
and labor, architecture of schoolhouscs, &c, and
were attached to every almanac sold that year;
thus no one could pick up an almanac without see
ing something on the subject. And its results
were coon visible in the improvement OF the schools
A national educational paper should be started.
There are already fifteen State Journals, but there
should be paper above local subjects for the adj
vancement Of the general welfare
A question yet mooted among us Is, how far we
can introduce religious denominationsl instruction
into schools. In Scotland, the established church
Presbyterian) have charge of the schools, and all
members of the Free Church, Episcopslisns, and
Catholics, send their children to private schools
thus dividing the interest. In ireland, they meet
on common ground, using prayers and textbooks
Objectionable TO none. Holland gives the largest
denomination the right to send clergymen into the
schools 10 instruct their children and at the same
time, scholars of other denominations can 90 TO
their own places Of worship In Prussia the church
having the majority appoint the principal Of the
school, and the smaller church the assistant IA MI