The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1858-01-27
Public and Home Education.


Do children, on the whole, learn more good
or more harm from mixing freely with others
of the same age2 This is question which
many of the wisest parents ponder over and
find it difficult 10 answer practically when it
comes to the case of their own Children
Apart from the question of expense, is pub
lie or home education the best for the childl
Those persons who are themselves unedu-
Gated are very apt TO suppose that there is
no question about the matter, that every
thing commonly connected with the educa.
tion, either directly or indirectly, is OF course,
amongst the highest of blessings. Nor is it
until one child is found 10 have learned all
sorts of profanity and other vices at school,
and another son returns home ruined from
his college course, that they suspect the
slightest danger to be connected with the
usual means of education.
But those who know what education is,
who know the many dangers and difficult
ties that attend its pursuit, will sometimes
doubt whether public or home education is
most advantageous for their sons. In Eng
land, many have declared on each side of
this important question. DR.. Arnold was in
favor of public education, because he
thought it fostered manliness, independence
and public spirit On the other hand, one
of the profoundest thinkers in Great Britain,
and now distinguished Professor in one of
her Universities, and the author of the
"National History of Enthusiasm" has
written a work in favor Of home educa-
ton.
Cowper was ruined by public school,
His gentle nature was crushed, and he be-
came so timid of public life, that he had to
throw up the lucrative post Of reading clerk
to the House of Commons. On the other
hand, Lord Dudley, man of profound
craftsmanship, was quite disqualified for
public life by the retirement and seclusion
of home education. Not accustomed to mix
freely with those of his own age and stand
ing, his truly great powers were perfectly
useless to society. He used to talk aloud
to himself in whatever company, and had
to resign his position as Privy Counsellor to
the King on that account. Once, on return
ing home fiom the clubs, friend asked a
seat in his carriage TO a certain point. He
fell into reverie in the carriage and said
aloud TO himself, "Confound the fellow, /
shall be obliged to ask him to come home
and dine with ms.o His friend was wag,
and he also meditated out loud in the same
tone, saying, "Confound the fellow, he will
be asking me to dine with him, how shall /
get off," This woke up Lord Dudley, who
then insisted that his friend should go home
and dine with him, and they became firm
friends. On another occasion, he, from never
having been engaged in any quarrel, was
anxious to try his own courage, and for, no
orher cause. grossly insulted well.known
duellist, dead shot. They met, and, by
some miracle, he escaped. Having cody
stood fire, he explained the whole matter -
There can be no doubt that, whatever evil
he might have acquired at public school,
il would at least have done much toward
shaking him clear ofsuch serious foibles and
eccentricities.
Sir Robert Peel, who sat on the same form
with Lord Byron at Harrow, always declared
that it was public education that had made
him. Lord Byron was in a great measure
morally ruined by it.
Different natures, then require different
modes of training, and what will develope
one will crush another. Public education
is found highly useful to English noblemen,
because they have thus, for time at least,
to take rank according TO their merits, and no,
their titles.
In the neighborhood of Boston, the feel
ing is decidedly in favor of public education
and opposed toprivate. Those whose wealth
would make expense no object, prefer their
children to graduate first at the public High
School and then at Harvard. The graduate
who took the highest honors at West Point
last year was the son of distinguished Uni
tartan of Boston: young man who had pre-
viously graduated with renown at Harvard.
This was one OF the most thorough and sue
cessful instances of public education we
know OF IN this country.
Each of these systems, public and private,
has its advantages, and lis disadvantages
Where there is sufficient strength of body
and of mind to overcome the necessary
dangers and difficulties, there are unques-
lionably the greatest advantages in public
education throughout. But education, like
physic, has 10 be adapted 10 the patient
Physically, the rough and tumble, the
shouts and plays of lot of healthy boys on
being let out Of school, do often as much to
make them men as the lessons they learn
while in 1t. Many lad whose parents fat
ter themselves that their son is becoming an
intellectual giant, would be doing far better
for him, if they would let him wear rougher
cloth and knock about like and with other
boys of his own age, instead of keeping him
at home pale, intellectual youth to pass
through feeble, sickly manhood to an ear
ly grave.
Mental robustness, too, depends more on
that of the body, than almost any other cir