The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-30

The Grammar Schools or New York,
FIRST ANNUAL EXHIBITION, m NIBlo's SALOON
SPECIMENS OF PEHnANsHIP, DRAWING, NKsDIs-
WORK, ETC.
The first annual exhibition Of these schools in draw
ing penmanshp and needlework took place yesterday
at Nblos Saloon. The object Of this demonstration s
to shsw the progress which has been by the pu-
pills OF the male and female departments Of the gram
schools 10 these branches Of education The gram
mar schools, OF which there are about forty in the
city, believe, the highest institutions OF learning
under our Common School system, with the exception
Of the Free Aeacemy. At the semi annual examina-
items there have always been exhibitions Of this
ter in addition to the usual exercises but until the
present. there has been any general exhibition.
On this occasion only the best specimens present
ed to the view Of the public they certainly
creditabe both to the pupils and their teachers Ths
large saloon crowded with spectators all day long,
among whom were large number Of the teachers aud
their scholars The specimens were displayed on table
extending nearly the whole length of the apartment
while at one end q stage erected for tine
ercises Of the evening. Here a number Of the
children amused themselves listening to the perform
OF some OF their schoomates ON the piano,
while the rest enjoyed themselves in inspecting the
samples Of their and others skill. To them il was
perfect holiday and the exhibition in their eyes was
second to none in Importance We had intended give
the Dames of the pupils whose articles exhibited
but they were numerous that would be impossible
to do so, and to mention fsv would be maxing nvld
distinctions where all about equally entitled to
be notcec OF the drawings there were very few that
were not above mediocrity and many gave evidence
high srtistic talent. Some Of the best made by
boys under twelve and fifteen years of age and they
had been but few months under instruction. In tais
branch OF study the girls think carried off the palm
both in outline drawing and in shaoing In writing it
SO equally matched did h.y
to be. But the girls had 1t al their own way
in needework-there the rivalry ceased. There
tention 1t kntted With the most exquisite taste
by one of the pupils of Ward School No. T. There was
ns pup IN
same schoo BY wnom it was presented to their former
teacher, Eiss HageImann. We noticed also very
of Ward school No SO, who have requested Mr.. Webb
of the School Commissioners, to present 1t from
ent Ipss Of smbrod,ry, crochet WORK % Knitting, % net
tipg az other kinds OF neeolework, very ne and
greatly exceeded in number the specimens Of other
kinds The colored Ward Schools we're very credabiy
represented in drawing, writing and needlewor, the
samples of which would compare favorably with many
from the other schools Altogether the exit bit,on was
most successful and trust not the last that will
be held In New York.
THE EVENINGS EXERCISES.
The exercises Of the evening commenced at o'clock
and long before that hour the saloon was crowded a.
most to sufocaton. There could not have been less
than fifteen hundred persons present. and several hun
dred more unable to obtain admission. The plat
form WAS occupied by the teachers of the grammar
schools and many Of the members of the Board of Edu
cation.
ward presided in the absence Of Mr. Adams the chair
man Of the Committee on the Annual Exhibition. The
exercises commenced with singing BY the Girls Gram
mar School, No. 40, who sang 'Humb!y at thy Foot
stool Kn eelingn
Then followed the opening address, by Dr.. A. L.
JOINS, Commissioner of the Third ward. He said
We have come here to day to witness tn. first exhi-
bton (under the auspices Of the Board OF Education
work, &c, the pupils Of the common schools Of this
city. To the philanthropist and public economist
Themselves or more benevolent useful and generous
=, ni,S "A: 2; s.s tsa" the "Gs %
Of industry, skill and taste being the fruits Of
the practical education Of our common schools. We
have listened night to the strains OF sweet music
waiting It's melody shout us-strains speaking OF nsi
ther martial pomp and circumstance OF political
coDact 1hsy speak o. other and better fields Of CON
Offices, and Of purer sentiments, What has caused
this sssembsges Why has this day the student lett his
to look upon this simple and unpretsn ling exhibtonS
Why does the heart of youth beat exutngly and the
h: W' Sss Ss ~
to shed the light of her smiles upon this oc:ason2 Is
1t not because of the great interest felt in the Of
universal primary educaton9 This multitude, unlike
those Of ancient and classic days. waiting upon
the footsteps OF q mighty conqueror, or celebrating
successful battle is assembled to advance the cause Of
human msloration-for the noble purpose of making
the children Of men wiser and happier tenants Of this
lower world Than these exhibitions, nothiog be
the popular to renewed efforts to improve
the schools Of the city and to cause general
sna OF the q yS
ton s to present to the public in tangible and visible
form, some Of the results arising from this
school training In this vast city OF eight hundred
thousand inhabitants in which there two hundred
schools under the and of the Board Of
Education and the local officers supported from the
public fund at . cost Of million Of dollars annually.
how many are aware that seventy thousand pupils
are daily receiving instruction ane having their charac
visited these schools witness ths method of in
structon pursued, and the progress Of the pupils in
their studieas What is known Of these institutions be-
yond their existencep These serious questions
and grievously fear, must they be answered. To in
terssi the public more fully to arrest their attention.
glorious cause is the great object OF this gather.
ing The importance-nsy, the imperative nesessty Of
sssn sss Of the has not
OF exciting discussion, of free thought and Of general In
quiiy In our feeling Of pride at the great advance
overlooked that, even now according to the census,
three per cent Of the white adults this State are not
abe 10 saa Of vre I wb ~ 1a IN or bat en-
or the inhabitants Of foreign BIRTH II per cent can
neither read or write There s constantly setting upon
our shores vast tide Of emigration which must ulti
mately be educated Anericanzed, and repubEcsnized
IL expect them ever to become good citizens Not.
vthstandng the great and constantly increasing acil
ties for common school education, We have mot yet
reached the point Of adequate supply for Il is estimated
that there are in this city about 900 children who
tend school, either public private and as far as
can be discovered are receiving education whatever
This 10 startling fact and which demands our ear
nest attention Some means should be adopted to
tain the cause and TO discover possible remedy for
this lamentable state Of things believe it to be the
duty Of the State to adopt the Prussian system,
and compel parents and guardians either to send
tn0lr cnldren TO school. have them tau0ht
reading, writing, and arithmetic at home. For
the intellectual condition Of the great body Of
human beings who must always be dependent upon
manual labor for their subsistence be neglected, we
must not be surprised Il hereafter the popular
sufrage-ignorsnt but honest-directsd by designing
demaeogues, sappiDg and undermining the glorious
fabric Of our constitutional liberty, and removing one
BY one, the props and buttresses which fathers
built about II. Lord Bacon has said that " knowledge
10 power, but he might have said with tenfold more
truth had he not lived in age when the divine right
Of kings was almost universally acknowledged, that
knowledge 10 liberty This primary instruction is the
brthright OF American freemen-at once his right and
his pride-wbile il deyeonea ha facutaa ra9ulstea