Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-01-23

N,--1- ~-edings. Ell &
NERICANr =. Jan. 10.
YER, ...........:f impo It
BY ICh&

YER
nv TrN

"a Msiss
In series Of articles propose to no
tice and comment upon. with an eye &c
truth and justice, some of the prevailing
characteristics of our day: and the first
that comes under my notice, the effects
of which are the most important, and
momentous, and consequently the short
comings of which, are most to be de-
plored, is the prevailing method Of edu-
eating our youth.
Our town schools have been termcu
the "bulwark of our free institutions
the "hope of our country" and 1.-THE off
spring Of our republican equality or
to sum all up, they are the grand central
point around which the great principles
of justice. freedom and equality reyolve;
and it is their claims to these titles which
l would examine, and liopose to take
tn M as they are. Come with me in
perspective. and sec the place where our
children are educated. How great a
proportion of our school rooms are built
+ upon the principle that breath and COM
fort of children are of more account than
mon,, Lupk at thvi, na,Ivr aud con
,r cied play grounds. ,h r uncomfor,a-
hlr al Nd Il y TT , W 1T OF beauty.
a.. t.a~- a|-. F--- g. y,ur view in
4 hnpf
ouUs-s :. Compare them, If you please.
80 ;i,e splendid temples of Sabbath wor-
ship; the cushioned seats. the carpeted
floor, and the well ventilated and
warmed church do you see the beauti-
full principles of equality manifcsting
themselves to you, as you make the com.
parison:
And now visit with me in the morn
ing the houses Of the children who are
getting ready to 90 to school The
frs, cry is "come children. get ready
or you will be late II don't want
to go. says one. 1.-The master is par
tial,' SAYS another. 81 wish there new
er was any school, says a third; but
all these complaints are unnoticed and
uncared for, no inquiries made as to their
ground. but all are hurried off to school
with about as much idea as to what they
go for. as the galley slave has Of free
, dom. They must get there in season."
, says the mother. and why? Not be-
cause their being late is Of vast injury to
them mentally and morally. injuring
their habits of punctuality. and lessen
ing their regard for the true dignity Of
! the school room, but because, forsooth
/, if they don't get there by nine o'clock
| they'll probably, particularly if their
teacher IS Of the class termed "strict,"
get punished" Worthy inducement
r to act before child. Beautiful picture
of our grand system of schools. Now
to the school room. Look at the teach
er, hired for stipend to teach chill
. dren-what +? Aye, what, The teach.
er, generally speaking. teaches school
partly because it is profitable and
'mble employment. partly because
. he has not energy enough to devote any
time to the learning of a trade or pro-
. tcssion. He does not enter the school
room because he feels that he is fitted
for So doing. because he knows he is sin.
ccrely attached to children. and takes an
active interest in their future welfare,
studies thoroughly all their idiosyncra-
cIes. and has become thereby fitted to
: al pit himself to them, and filled his
mental storc-bouse with knowledge suf-
hcIant to meet the peculiar wants of pc
caiar temp rmcn,s, intellect. or capaci-
ty. No. he enters it because he can get
so much per month. If he is Of reso-
lutte nature, feels his pwn consequence,
an. pn~> $50, bu' ,if'' love for children.
E sH 11-e.t ~=;l q fril. or
TAzl ., uaiug' and
.a,o ilem. on the same prn-
csp.e t1a, Southern Slave older whips
ODE lience into his slaves, or a horse jock
ey whips submission into a contrary
colt. What an elevating tendancy has
this What a sublime lesson is learned.
to the child on The beauties of equality
and freedom - Brute force, though one
Of the relics of barbarism-a vestige of
an age long gone by, still employed to
bring child into submission, and that
too in an age when intellect and morality
claim to be the ruling power! Tyran-
ny. Where think you, reader. our
Northern doughlaces who 60 to Congress
and vote for the extension of the ..sum Of
all viilanies, first learned their lessons
that "slavary was not so bad as it might