The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-02-15
NO. IS.


were born;-some being taught that honor
consists in whipping boy larger than
themselves; others that the chief end of
man is to own box that cannot be o.
pened, and to get money enough to fill it;
and others again have been taught, upon
their fathers knees, to shape their young
! lips to the uttcrance Of oaths and BIAS
phemy. Now all these dispositions, which
DO not conflict with right more than they
do with each other, as soon as they cross
the threshold of the schoolroom, from the
different worlds, as it we're, of homes,
must be made to obey the same general
regulations, to pursue the same studies,
and to aim at the same results. In ad-
dition to these artificial varieties, there
are natural differences of temperament
and disposition.
again; there are about three thous-
and public schools in the state, in which
are employed, in the course of the year,
about five thousand different persons, as
teachers, including both males and fe-
males. Excepting very few cases, these
FIVE thousand persons have had no spe-
cial preparation or training for their EN-
ployment, and many of them are young
and without experience. These five thous
and teachers, then, so many of whom ere
unprepared, are to be placed in authority
over the one hundred and ninety-two
thousand children, so many of whom have
been perverted. Without passing thro'
any transition state for improvement,
these parties meet each other in the
schoolroom, where mutiny and insubor-
dination and disobedience are to be re-
pressed, order maintained, knowledge ac-
quired. He. therefore, who denies the
necessity of resorting to punishment, in
our schools,-and to corporal punishment,
too,-virtually afirms two thiugs:-frst,
that this great number of children,
scooped up from all places, taken at all
ages and in all conditions, can be deferred
from the wrong and attracted to the right
without punishment; and secondly, he as
serts that the FIVE thousand persons whom
the towns and districts employ to keep
their respective schools, are now, and IN
the present condition of things, able to
accomplish so glorious work. Neither
of these propositions am l at present pre-
pared to admit. If there are extraordin-
airy indiyiduals-and We know there are
such-sO singularly gifted with talent and
resources, and with the divine quality of
love, that they can win the affection, and,
by controlling the heart, can control the
conduct of children, who, for years, hare
been addicted to lie, to cheat, to swear,
to steal, to fight, still I do not believe
there are now FIVE thousand such individ-
uals in the state, whose heavenly services
can be obtained for this Transforming
work And it is useless, or worse than
useless to say, that such or such thing
can be done, and done Immediately, with
out pointing out the agents by whom it
can be done. One who afirms that
thing can be done, without any reference
to the persons who can do it, must be
thinking of miracles. If the position were,
that children may be so educated from
their birth, and teachers mag be so trained
for their calling, as to supersede the ne
cessity of corporal punishment, except in
cases decidedly monstrous, then should
have no doubt of its truth; but such po-
sition must have reference to some future
period, which We should strive to hasten,
but ought not to anticipate"
TO BE CONTINUED.