Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-11-10

VI u lInlet anu prOHllSc II NUe III luIcs
Blight faces, a majority of which were females.
uninterrupted harmony, and strict underwriting
attention to the exercises were encouraging signs
Of the times. The hospitality of the housekeep-
ers was truly p~raiseworthy.
The Instructors were assiduous and proved
themselves quite expert in modern routine. The.
absolute excellence of Ito routine will be for fu-
ture discussion.
Reading, Grammar, and Arithmetic claimed
most attention. The first, being the basis of all
literature and, to some extent, connected with all
science, occupied a due portion of the time.
Much was said regarding distinct articulation /;
Pitch, Force and Volume Of voice; Infections of
the same, &C., &C., frequently illustrated by ex.
amples, but so deliberately done that it approxima-
ted to tameness; and however much there may
have been of truth and precision in it, it is believ-
ed that something less formal, less learned and
the wants of the audience.
The first thing for a reader (adult or child), is
to have a perfect understanding of that which he is
about to read. Secondly, he should enter into the
spirit in which the article was written, grave. gay,
facetiOus or pathetic. This done, let him imagine
himself talking it to the audience, when Accent,
Emphasis and Pauses will all be right. To deter
mine the key, he should imagine himself talking
20 the most distant person in the apartment. lie
who cannot tell well what he knows, cannot read
well; for good reading is talking from q book.
The calculations and demonstrations in arithme-
tic, though probably not new to many of those in
attendance, were nevertheless highly important,
in asmuch as they inculcated and proved, that all
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was well shown that accuracy, is first in order,
~rapidity, last. Mental exercises in this science,
can not well be too frequent for the sake Of famil-
iarity and readiness.
Grammar, now known as analysis, was done up
according to book, "and no mistake;'' and what of
it? Who is the wiser for knowing that there is a
Subject, a Predicate, an Object, Adjective and Ad-
verbal Elements of different; classes; principal
and subordinate clauses, &C., &C., and that these
modify each other most inercilcssly.
What is there but something to talk about p
Something to be said of it, and something at which
that saying points, or on which it terminates p
An agent performs an act and that act must ter
inmate on some existing object, or it must produce
one. True the things talked about may require
describing, defining, or numbering; they may have
properties or qualities needful to be brought into
view. There are besides, various relations exist
ing among words in sentences mostly expressed
by contractlons, whose meanings and Offices should
be pointed out; in brevity the thing called gram
mar should be something other than formal rules.
1t should enlighten.
There is no use in resorting to a foreign Ian
guage for grammar technicals. Every word in u
well formed sentence, performs some Office, and
its name should be derived from the Office it rer-
forms. Viz.
Names of things.
Substitutes for numes.
Attributes of namos.
Names of actions.
Relatives.
Contractions.
Every word in any sentence can be classified un-
der these heads.
There was nothing urged more frequently, or
more earnestly, during the sessions Of the Insti,
tute than the Importance of indiriduality. Every
proposition must be examined, every opinion in
vestigated by the student, before adoption or re.
lection. In this suggestion thoughtlessly ad-
mitted, and very dimly perceived, lies wrapt up a
momentous truth. When men truly realize the
depth of its import, the day of ~humbugs will be
past; SO will the day of dogmas.
See what Independent investigation has already
done in two branches. Lindlay Murrey's great
grammar which had the unanimous appreciation,
and high praise of all critics and reviewers, and
hence gave tone to the language throughout the
English world; in a half century it is being super
seeded by Vaudeville. Who questions that there is
lnrOuraSs in this tbnnnL, - NAV ;poorroroto ,,,.L,
verbiage? AT the least it has ruptured the old
hackneyed routine.
A ten penny arithmetic, is said to contain all
useful knowledge on that subject, illustrated great
ly better than in the heavy works of Dilworth
and Cough.
With all this progress traced solely to the habit
of investigation and the spirit of innovation, there
is still conservatism. Labelled on the door posts,
even, of Teachers Institutes is "Thus far shalt
thou 60 and no farther. We have attained to the
highest; obtrude not your vagaries upon us. Our
way has the sanction of Superintendent Princi-
pals and the whole household Of Faith" Dill
worth and Murray could have said as much; the
Pope and Cardinals did say it. 1t has been said
at every forward step; but It has lost much of its
potency. There ae takers who cannot, and
some who will not say "Shibboleth;" and calcula-
tors who do not first count their beads. A word
to the half wise is sufficient. There is no statu
quo in human progress. If those who manage
Institutes cannot appreciate forward movement,
they will go backward-will dwinile if they lose
their vitality, and this they will lose if put under
arbitrary restraint. AMOS GILBERT.
For the Buglc.
Mr.. ROBINSON: Your excellent paper is specially
devoted to one cause and momentous is that cause.
1t is not too much to emphasize and call it TIE
cause.
There is a philosophy in the remedy of moral
evil and that philosophy recognizing all moral
error as having its origin in the same root, Of
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