Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-15
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The scheme of eleemosynary primary education is
rotten in its original idea, and no artifce can make
that which is vicious in principle effective in prac
tce 1t is the business of every parent to educate
his child as much it is his duty TO provide
it with food aud raiment and it is no less irrational
for the government to undertake the education of
the child than it would be undertake its feeding
and clothing To throw a child upon the public
charity-tO constitute it pensoner upon the public
treasury as soon as it can walk speak, is to plant
| an anI-repubhcan sentiment of dependence upon
and subservancy TO government in its first thought
and nature, and to stamp it a mental and trucking
tool of power from the beginning The moral effect
of the policy upon the parent is no less injurious
than upon the offspring. 1t removes from the head
of the family the incentive to exertion, care and
forethought, which is the well-spring of so much
affection in the parental heart 1t is the sicky child,
that, most needing and obtaining the mothers care
and attention, is most tenderly loved. The more
urgent the demands of the child upon the fostering
care of the parent and the perpetual this
and thought, the more does the parental affection
increase. These cares softening cares; remove
| them and the heart becomes harder.
| Wisdom with her children round her knees
is the true picture of parental education; but it
the picture Of the mother at hpme and not of the
salared callous official presiding in the public
school
Deride it as we may the Virginia old-feld SHOOT of
The oden time the best in its influences which
Washington, Madison, Henry, Monroe, and all the
noble Virginia worthless Of their day, and Of many
succeeding years, were educated. In its day, the
boy and girl left the parental roof with the parental
blessing in the morning, to miDgle with playmates,
rice and poor, male and female. at the school. They
grew up at this school of the neghborhood with fu-
ture feowcitzens Till the age of twelve fourteen
imbued with their feelings sympathizing with their
every thought impulse and condition They returned
home at night to the parental discipline and TO the
kindly influences and amenities of the home hearth
stone. What though they learned but the first
| elements of education at those schoolS;-they
learned at the same time what was much better than
| Latin, Greek, and the higher mathematics, they
| learned human nature among their playmates at
school, they grew up in the affections and under the
discipline of the family at home.
1t is not for the wit of man invent system of
education wholesome in all respects than the
old field school of the old Virginia neighborhood.
Ii was the chief link of the chain which bound to-
gether the community. 1t was common school,
supportedit mighthave been by the weather. neigh
Dor and afording perhaps gratuitious tuition to
many poor mans child; but the iberality on one
side was so UnostentatioEs and the intention to pay
his mite the other genuine that the charitable
feature was entirely obscuTed Nor was the teacher
government official, independent. rude and unciyi
but a employed for his qualities rather than his
qualifications. We have in our modern Upsart day,
select schools for the rich exclusives, and public
schools for the pauper poor; and think We have I'M
proved vastly on the old system: but there are few
who will look at the noble fruits of the old field
school Of Virginia and the siekly products Of our
modern system of education, and prefer the new to
the old. But space is wanting for to-day to en-
large upon this most interesting, fruitful and vital
subject in the manner which We had designed
Re 8.0Hd Examiner.