The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-07-25
For the Register.

from the Christian Messenger, reflect
ing most severely upon the Pull,
Teachers Of tie State of Vermont, ant
asserting the literary degradation of the
people in manner which, if true, would
be sufficient to make even transient
SojourRer in the state feel uncomforta.
Bile. Having but recently come to the
Green Mountain State, l do not claim to
be so well informed with reference to
the Common School Statistics here as a
Vcrmontor," unless, indeed, | should
pcrchance be attempting to gather infor.
nation from one of those TermontcrS
of whom it is said -" Not one in two.
hundred have Dictionary of any kind
to consult" And, 9" Not one in twen-
ty of the Teachers can make out the
tax-bill for the collection of their wages. ~
Upon the first glance at the article
REFERRED to, | flattored myself that it was
designed as a bvlesquc by some one ex-
ceedingly unfamiliar with that style of
composition or possibly, the production
Of one afflicted with tooth-achc, or dys,
pepsy for | had never entertained half
so mean an opinion of Vermont as that
article would fully warrant.
| am, however, rs 1 have already ac.
knowledgcd, but stranger here, aud
hence shall not presume to call in ques.
tion the truthfulnqss of those statistical
declarations by which " Te,montcy
would provo the dcplotable mental i'm.
bccility, as well as ignorance, of the peo-
pie of bis own State. l have no local in.
tqrcsts which cause Inc to desire the
fame Of Vermont moro than that of any
other State of this Republic for ami
a traveller, and expect to be as long as
live. Yet even a stranger CAN but
feel sad to have it published to the
world, that the youth of Vermont are
such copsummatc blockheads that they
do, either from choice or necessity, study
upon one half of a common Arithmetic
ten or fifteen gears on more" aud that
after attending "som .Iaily for four.
tcOn years" to the exercises of spelling
-" The mVority spell wrctchediy,"
And that after fourteen gears practice
-" not one in hundred is a coed, in.
tellectual reader" And that after Lav.
ing studied Geography "for years." are
not aware that that science has any
rcference to tie globe on which they
dwell 1t were a sad fact for qnn one
to discover that there is a section of
Ncw England SO sadly detororatcd in
these days Of intellectual advancement,
that, " one hHndrcd thousand scholurs'
may be found within the limits of one
little State, thus stulticd. But the
tactS which have fallen under my notice
do not coincide with Verm onter's
gloomy statements. | have visited but
few of the schools 10 Vermont, yet l
have knowledge enough Of Vermont to
authorize mo to say, there are at least
some respectable schools, and competent
School Teachers in the State, pho de-
Serte not the reproach which the article
under review would cast upon them.
But, if should bo convinced that " Yer
momter's' repres eptation of the Teachers
and Schools of this State is generally
true, shall be prepared to syinpathise
with him,in the deep modification which
he must feel, i'll view of the disgraceful
facts which he publishes, and hasten to
send my own children out of the State
to acquire a knowledge of the rudimcnts
of English literature. Before closing
this communication | would most res
pectfully suggest that the prominence of
that prominent clergyman of the
State will bo likely to gain less in the
estimation Of those Teachers who do
know how to make out the tax bills"
and of those te'0 scholars who hare Die,
tionaries, By saying "he takes no inte,.
eSt in the common schools because they
sre good for nothing" than il would
gain by the hearty, practical nianifesta-
tion of an interest in common schools,
by laboring TO make those which he con.
siders good for nothing, good for Sowc-
thing and by cheering on as best lie
may that laboTious class OF worthy and
talented men aud women, who are toll.
ing in one Of the most irksomo avoca-
tions under heaven to maintain a sys.
tenn, which is the very back bone of our
republican institutions aud national gov
ernment
God bless the School Teachers of |
Te'moHt!-they are engaged in great
and good Work Carlos.
Middlobury, VI.
TEARS ANB LAuGIirER God made
hnth tcnrs and lauobtar and hoth Gar