Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-02-09
a. The fol!owing is from tho nen og

Gg' The following is from the pen Of
the author of the article upon the same
subject published by US last week:
We have, in our previous issues, ven
tlu'ed to offer to the Committee on Edu-
cation some considerations which, we
trust, if they should be brought to their
notice, they will consider as neither i'm
pudcnt nor obtrusiye They ere offered
in good faith and under the full conyic-
ton that they embrace matters Of vital
importance to the success of any system
of education. What the State Of Mary
land wants is an educational law that
will work well. She has laws enough
now of contrary character, which are
dead letters on her statute books. We
desire no more Of them.
Having then this grand object in view
the committee cannot be too careful. A
system of laws which might work well
in the New England States, or in New
York, might not succeed with US. The
comparative sparseness Of our population
may present serious obstacles to the
smooth motion Of beautiful theoretical
plan, which would suit the compact set
Elements of some more favored region.
We think, however, that an effective
system should have, in addition to the
characteristics, absolutely essential char
acterstics, pointed outin our last weeks
issue, some general principles, like the
following:
lst There should be in each county a
division Of the schools, into pria,ary or
preparatory, common and high schools.
The first should be the most numerous,
at least, one within every FIVE miles
square, for children, say from five to
nine years of age, to be taught, if posi-
bic exclusively By females. The com
mon school, or grammar school, should
be composed Of those who have passed
through the preparatory schools. The
course Of education should be good
thorough English one, embracing among
other matters, instruction in the princi-
pies of agriculture. There should be
one of these schools in each political
district in each county. They should be
under the care of men of good moral
character, sound scholarship, and apt
ness in teaching. Then comes the high
school or academy. This should be the
college for the people. In this, instruc-
ton Of the highest grade should be pos
sible. Each should have a good library,
works Of science and art, as well as Of
general literature miHeralegical cabi-
net, chemical apparatus, collections in
natural history; and instructions in these
matters should be secured, especially in
chemistry as applied to agriculture.
This addition of the high school, or
academy, to the common school system
we think very important. The State is
bound to put the means of education
within the reach Of all, and we can con
ceive no reason why that education
should be restricted to the grammar
school. Should any desire more eleya-
ted advantages, they should be afforded
to him. The high school will, or ought
to furnish these, and Will become the
Keystone to the arch
I'd. In many portions of our county.
and we presume the same may be said
of other parts Of the State, there is, and
has been, a strong .desire to have and
keep up good schools But the great
difficulty has been to find good teachers
Strolling ones can be obtained, tits true
whose services may be secured at almost
nothing and dreadfully dear at that:
but such are not what is needed. A
NORMAL SCHooL, therefore, should con-
stitute one Of the features of common
school system Such schools exist in
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, and New
York, and perhaps in other States, and
have been attended with the happiost re-
suits. TO this school, endowed literally
by the State, and doubtless, also by in
diyidual bcneffctions, under the eui-
dance Of a body ST eminent Professors.
should resort all who intend to make
teaching a profession. A diploma or
certificate Of this institution should as
soon as practicable be a necessary and
sufficient evidence of the fitness of all
candidates Of either sex, for a position
as teacher in any Of our common schools.
ARKANSAS WEATHER.-A gentleman
at Camden, Ark, thus graphically writes
Of the weather in that region;
1t is 50 confoundedly cold that I can
scarcely write. am fairly freezing.
Thought may breathe, but there are no
chance for words that burn where
with to warm ones self in this meriless
weather. | do believe this must be the
coolest place, just now, on this side Of
poor John kranklin's remains. The
river is frozen over foot passengers are
crossing ON the ice, and others not at all.
Stock are freezing to death in numbers
all around us, and ! verify believe (al-
most.) that we shal. lose seed Of every
thing in the poultry line The Their
nometer for the greater part Of the time
ranges at about 20 to - degrees below
the freezing point write this with the
inkstand on The hearth, a big blanket
over my head, and both feet in the FIRE :
U-u-g-g-h-h! | can't go any more.
ETgcr OF THE WEATHER. "A cor
respondent OF the South-Side Democrat.
writing from Amelia Court House, Va,
says:
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