Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-03-17
III | istella nr OIL 6. /.
SCHOOL GOVERNMENT.

we now come 10 government. Though
last in or,,,er, II might well occupy the van in
importance. "Qrder is heavens drst law"
We might almost as ;:"ell dispense with it
among the whirIng suns, flashing meteors and
far shooting comets, as in the schoIl; SO tar,
at least, as that school is expected to aceCm.
plisS good. No where else is it so much
needed, and no where else is il SO 10th to
establish its~lf It's hundred handed antago-
mist, disorder, is IlGa lep:nsy-once inocula.
ted, it is almost Impossible 10 root 1t out or
prevent the spread of lis contemplating ,ntiu-
ence. And yet, impossible as it may seem,
and difficult as it the thing can be done.
The whole secret Of governing school is
made simple by considering that no one is so
well governed as when seJ-goUernsd Each
one is to be taught self.control Order is to be
taught, not enforced. It's great error-and
like all other unfortunate errors, a popular one
that instructors are TO teach science only,
but to enforce order by virtue of rod and
fcrule. We are thus to control, by fear Of cor
poral punishment, leaving the character un-
changed, for better, at least-whereas, in ma
ny cases, it would be far wiser TO enable the
child to control himself, than store his mind
with all the golden treasures ofscience.-
Point the boy to the rod, and you must needs
point the man to the State prison and gal
lows. Control the boy by the higher prin.
cples Of his own nature. and the man needs
no law. Sef-government must be so careful
ly and so completely woven into the cbarac-
ter, as TO constitute one of the component
parts-otherwis you are never sure of the
man, nor he of himself
| Can this be done in the schoolroom? En-
phatically There may be seeming ex-
ceptions, but wipe clean and adjust carefully
the object glass of investigation, and the close
scrutiny will furnish no exception that will not
fade away. The principle we stand upon just.
fies the position, and is this: There are ele-
ments an the character Of every individual to
control that individual, and under proper di.
reclion they OW assert and maintain their su-
premacy. The principle is immutabe as the
moral law and universal as an:-and hence
we may presume the theory founded there
on will paltake of ike nature. Nor will hon.
est inv, s!ig ,tion belle the presumption
A mans lowest passions may have under
complete subsection his higher nature-yes,
that higher nature may be so deeply buried
under its mountain load of guilt and crime,
and sunk so deep in the mire Of pollution and
vice that enthralls it. that it would seem a
greater task than the Augean labor of Her
cules to extricate it: yet This can be DONE
"Man is the nolest work of God" Never
were truer words spoken. His nobility may
be tarnished, veiled, hurled; yet still rise a.
gain and shine all the brighter for its proceed
ing darkness and obscurity-as the sun, af
terwards, shines all the brighter for the G.
clipse How much less difficult, than, to pro
ducc similar effect 10 the plastic mind o.
youth; where are no mountain loads of gull
to upheave-no pits of vice to fill-no aggre
gated pollution to wash away However, as i
is. the task will be found by no means, an cas-,
one. Much evil is to be overcome even in the
) infant mind.
A diseased body requires different treatmen
at every new phase the disease may assume
and health to be preserved requires treat
ment varying with habits constitution and tenn
perament of the individual What at one time il
sana;ive, at another is diseaseful in one case
beneficial, in another deleterious. IT'S precise
y SO with char ,cter The analogy is so com
plete as to be really beautiful. In the schoo
you will find but few properly adjusted, OF
we may say, wholly sound characters; while
in the great majority will be manifested mis-
adjustment or unsoundness; no two however
being alike. AS each character then differs
from another so must the treatment vary BY
which we would cure that character, or keel
disease away, if sound.
What, then, do we make of the teacher, il
S order to prepare him for school government
=. He must be a physician of m entail diseases
u a renovater of hearts, builder and repair
i er of characters An important and response
= BILE Office surely. The prerequisites for the pro
# er discharge of its functions. are:
Ist Entire acquaintance with the characte
9 of each pupil and
di I'd. Discrimination to act 10 accordance
with that character.
: Change is to be wrought in character by ex
trenal influences brought to bear upon il
Every page from the book of daily life, teache
that the same influences produce different ef
fects upon different persons Hence the i'm
possibility of influencing a character for goo
until we know what influences to bring I
bear; but we must know how to influence er
we can work such change as will subject t
self-control; therefore, an intimate knowl
edge of the habits, disposition, intellectual an
moral training of every member Of a schoo
is indispensable to the proper government o
that school Yet when this is attained, the la
bor is only begun. Each individual must b.
subjected to such influences, acted upon b.
such motives as will soon bring out the goo
> points of his character, and most effectuall
bury the bad ones. All cannot be weighed i
, the same balance, or moulded by the sam
pattern.
What labor lie here to performed? Wht
an unceasing demand for discrimination, pg
tience, perseverance. frmness, care and char
ity. Nofixed rules can be laid down as guide
Many valuable hints might be given, but ou
d present design hardly compasses so muel
Every teacher must be a close and untrini
student of human nature. He must max
himself practical, mental philosopher. II
must be an acute discerner Of the laws {
mental cause and effect, Kindness will b
.. found better than severity, persuasion tina
compulsion and argument and authority. !