Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-04


Again, it has been said that our common
schools are prolific sources of lying. Humiliat
ing as it may be, We are compelled to acknowl
edge that to some extent it is true, and or
the teachers portion of the responsibility
rests. The uplifted rod-th frowning austere
countenance- rigid and violent code Of
laws which is executed with unrelenting severi
ty, have driven thousands into offences worse
than those for which they were to be punished
such as lying in order to cheat the master
and his laws out Of their "ponnd of flesh >
Offences must needs come, but doubly respon
sible is he who magnfies the offence by in
ducing other and greater ones perhaps through
fear Of bodily harm. Could we but see the Of
fender and the offence in their true light, we
would be less inclined to nfict blows on the
young and tender flesh and could we then as
plainly see the consequences which almost in.
variably follow, we would be inclined to forego
the practice altogether If any course in the
world embitters the feelings, drives to lying
and deception, and stimulates to revenge, it is
inflicting pain on the body for the errors of the
head The practice was inaugurated ages
ago, amid passion and cruelty and revenge,
is continued at this very day, in many inStan-
ces, from the same cause, and with the same
accompaniments.
While some are thus driven to deception,
others are hired to disgrace themselves in the
eyes of their fellows. | have cases in my
mind at this moment, Of conSiderate youths be-
ing Seduced to Thus disgrace themselves, frst
by acknowledging themselves guilty of some
low offence, and secondly by telling al un-
truth in order to make themselves guilty in
the eyes of the teacher, and all under the
promise OF escaping punishment. Like Cali
leo, who was constrained to say that the earth
did not move, when out of hearing of his op-
pressor declared that the earth did move not,
withstanding,-so these youths, when grown
beyond the reach of the masters rod, persist
in saying that that the confessions thus ex-
torted from them were in every particular
Untrue.
But let rs turn to more congenial branch
of the subject. In this, the most beautiful
portion of the world, there is much to call
forth the higher and finer feelings of our souls.
A landscape of great variety and dibeauty meets
our views whithersoever we turn. The eye can
not rest upon single Spot,iB thewhole sweep of
its vision, in which there is not grandeur and
beauty All the finer senses and feelings
which are capable of being wrought upon by
surrounding nature are most pleasurably ex-
cited and the sources of that excitement are
SO varied and numerous that we can rarely be-
come wearied with them The broad and lev
ell prairie, although carpeted with the richest
profuSion of flowers, soon becomes to the eye
what dull monotonous sound is to the ear,
and We instinctiyely turn from it for the wild
1 &c 81
though grand at first, is of such sameuesS, that
we soon tire of its motion and music But in
the beautiful valley of the Susquehanna there
is everything TO inspire US, and elevate our
minds TO high and pure thoughts and feelings.
And yet, amidst it all, our children are for
months, and even years, shut up within low
barren walls standing by the dusty street,
without leaf or a bough to intercept the
scorching rays without, or to cheer the little
souls within. Why could not our fathers have
consulted their own wasted and worn-out
frames, and spared, in their hours of toll, a
few trees where our school houses we're 70
stand Oh, why cannot tha present genera
ton perform little Of the labor of which their
fathers have done toe much, and replace the
maple the oak or the elm about the houses of
our children, aud thus render their school
hours more tolerable and pleasant Why not
the teacher hang branches at the glaring win
dows, place flowers upon the desks or cheering
pictures upon the walls? Their influence up
on the feelings Of our little ones is most potent
They silently breathe into their impassive souls
the holy influence of Gods eternal laws. Ma
tional character, even, is moulded somewhat
by the power which nature eXerts upon her
denzeus Her work, in this respect, can be
traced from the tropics to the poles. In this
country however. there is such constant and
continual change of locality, aud consequently
of climate and scenery, that her finger marks
are not so apparent yet, even in our own land,
the proposition finds proof.
Show me people whose DAYS have been
spent upon the arid plains of the South-where
the climate and the inherent energies of the
earth combine to supply TO hand the necessary
food, and even ralment and habitatiOns-
where mental and physical labor is regarded
as gratuitiouS, and seldom ii ever called forth
from considerations of NECESSITY, aHd where the
eve in its waa1erin-s cannot rest on a single
spot in which there Is beauty and magnihcence,
wherewith to relieve the tediuln OF monoto-
nous life. aud ! will shoE you race, compara-
lively speaking, weak. ignorant and debasei -
while those, whose lives have been spent amid
the varied aud beautiful scenery of the hills,
who have breathed the pure mountain air,
and drinked al her crystal folntains-where
the necessities for labor have developed and
made strong the energies of body aud mind
are comparatively, healthy, intelligent and
VirtuouS
But to pursue this subject further at this time
would be needless. We edesigned TO notice but
a few points. and leave the good sense Of 9th
ers TO supply the miuatia Can We not do
more than We have heretofore done TO cor
rect the evils TO which we have alluded? Can
we not see the early bent of the Young and
tender mind, aad train IT, as would the plant,
TO beauty, symmetry and usefulness ! TLat
much is needed no one will deny. Taat much