New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-01

Of our Normal friend, who certainly did not bestow
upon bis own production that care which he should
devote to the themes composed by the misses COM
mitted to bis charge, may after al prove most use
full He may, most unwittingy, have directed the
minds of the people to bis incapacity and to that
| of others holding positions similar to his own.
| With the utmost respect we call the attention OF
| the gentlemen constituting the Board OF Educa-
| tiop TO this evidence Of the fact that with their
sapctiop and through their culpable carelessness,
places. which the wise will agree with US in con-
sdering as among the most influential and resPon'
sble, have been obtained BY the lowest and the
faIsest pretenses. There are many men OF the
greatest responsibility in this city and elsewhere who
are unable TO write or read or speak the English Ian
guage with accuracy. Many Of these owea cacogra'
ply and cacophOny which with equal good sense tney
both avow and regret, to the cheat practiced upon
their cbildhood-a fraud which, under the form OF
leading only msdrected, and while processing to es.
tablish refinement, simply con6rmed the worst colo
ouial solecsms. But we are not aware that these
persons, however versed they may be in CONNER.
cal or in mechanic arts are in the habit OF tender
Jog their services instructors of the young; and
we know many of them who would shrink, as if to
do otherwise would be grievously immoral from
engaging, no matter how great might be the emolu-
ment, in any business for which they were con.
sciousy untitled. On the other hand, the vocation
Of a school.teacher seems to be within the grasp OF
almost any body who needs the attendant stipend
and is without other employment. When we con-
slider the lofty ideal of our public schools, 50 gene
rally and so fondly exaggerated and then recall
their dull, driving and mechanical discipline, with
the fragmentary culture Of which alone they seem
capable we can only sigh over the long interval be-
tween human profession and human practice. But
this is not the place in which to enter upon those
philosophical discussions which must always tempt
the intelligent mind whenever the subject OF educa-
ton is presented. The problem of childly and Of
Youthful training is yet unsolved, and whatever
may be our own views, we do not propose TO OBJ
trude them upon this occasion.
At the same time we claim for the writing and
speaking fthe English language position secondt to
that of no other arts We regard with reverence
the words which can alone fifty convey ideas, aud
the accurate cOllOcation which can alone embOdy
intellectual processes with useful precision. We
recognize certain morality in the busiest rules Of
Murray; We think we can see why it is eminently
fit and proper that verb should agree with its |
nominatiye case in number and person; there is |
religion in the intrcacies of the subunctive mood;
there lisa higher than any mere grammatical truth in
our whole system, from the article tothe
conjunction. Considering the matter from the |
NJ n via 10 q u,alI. M yka q
gance, refinement and, we had almost said, q |
truthfulness of character invariably observable in
that man who is accustomed scrupuleusy to weigh |
bis words and fastidOusy to construct bis SEN |
fences. He respects the great gift which he has /
received from his Maker, and hestates to abuse it;
he pauses in awe before the wondrOus wealth of |
speech with which he has been endowed he thank |
fully accepts an inheritance, which not only makes
bis present decOrous but secures for him the wis
DOM the truth and the beauty of past ages; and |
with such advantages, indispensable to bis pro-
gress and his happiness, he recoils from al
abuse Of the medium through which they have
been attained. Moreover, as an indefrable grace
attaches to that man who has mastered |
the resources of his vernacuar go a faint of |
who, while protesting to have acquired have
neglected to acquire it. The want is permeating,
ard, in all the departments of education, almost /
fatal to usefulness. child who listens to accu-
rate conversation at bis fathers table, holds at once
and by sure instinct in contempt teacher who /
INDUCES in the superhuous sin Of two negatives. |
One would almost rather decline to receive q new |
trnth in s1ienca than IN hava IL convaved to hin,
ungrammaticaIy; and for this plain reason, that he
perceves, almost intuitivey, that however great /
may be the dscoverer, the poor man lie unable to
communicate his discovery with precision. But |
how much more painful must be our regret for that
teacher who, guiltless of grammar. undertakes to
instruct our children in grammar, and who in
thus stumbling upon the threshold proves that heis
utterly unworthy to enter the arcana of education
Two reasons have induced Us to speak thus at
length Of the grammatical ignorance which go
many teachers exhibit. The first is suggested BY
the general tone of our observations. As our
schools are at present constituted We think it Dor
fectly demOnstrable that person who cannot
teach the language Of the country cannot teach
anything else If the established system were
different, we might arrive at different conclusion,
and easily theorize about school in which
teachers would be useful either a.
nurses, monitors or gymnics. But, compelled to
accept our seminarles as they are We have right
TO claim an approximate return for sish expendi.
ture. Our second reason for such plainness of
speech is that the art Of writing the language
seems to be falling into dee OF the many let