New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-14

school.book is a noble tradition. When the chill
dren. in their turn, handle what their fathers
;huubed. and the same book goes dow y from gene
ration TO generation, it is easy TO se' how the
prominent facts imbue rs well as shape the Iegscy
of thought and character. Not long sgo, it would
not have been hyperbolical to say that more tl1s
half Of our merchants and tradesmen were taught
arithmetic by Daboll aud Walsh, and geography by
Morse Nobody with conscientious memory Will
assert that what they then knew they did not know
well. They were. at any rate, well drilled. The
acquisition of learning was not then regarded "a an
easy process; it not supposed that the path OF
adventurous science must be level and broad; it
was not thought a cruelty to make children by
light provocation to think; nor was the aggregate
memory of the rising generation put upon the
crutches of wood engraving. Ii was not believed TO
be desirable that the internal discipline OF whole
school should be- changed. because some obscure
person was driven. either by poverty or AMBITION
TO compile school book. We have changed all
that and in proof of the truth of our assertion let
us only refer 10 what our publishers would call the
article of - Reader"
Thirty years ago, Pierpont's First Glass Book
was the best Reader used in the public schools OF
New-En.lsnd. We are not ready to assert wholly
and unqusfedly that Reader should be changed
10 accord with cotemporary rhetorical taste. we
should not. of course, think of compelling the
classes of lS5S 10 read Lydgate or Chaucer or
any other author dependent upon glossary. But
Perpont was several centuries from beng Ooso-
lete. His seections were not merely marked by
the purest taste, but they had the advantage oi
appealing 10 the instant interest of pupils. lntelli-
gent and cultivated men, who read the book with
rapture in school. and who derived from it style,
thought taste aud sentiment, preserved their
copies affectionately in sdyanced years and never
forgot the volume which had so pleasantly and
proftaby guided them. 1t would not be safe TO
say that this was merely the partiaiy OF assocla-
ton. The mental discipline OF the work was TOO
vigorous to permit such theory. The book
helped It's readers to think as well as 10 read;
mature acquisition confirmed the Judgment
of an early and intuitiye taste, and he who valued
English litersture thanked the compiler who
while he remembered Addison and Sterne, Pope
and Byron, did not forget Dennie and Irving Bry-
ant and Perciyal and Dana. The compiler OF the
First Glass Book does not now occupy the proml-
nent position of his earlier years; after many and
various noble labors, he is fast approaching the
grave; but if his old age require consolation, he
NAV surely find it in the affectOnate regard OF
generation in the consciousness of having helped
many to good thinking, and to polished utterance,
in the certainty that he has saved not II few from
course tastes and vulgar predictions.
ID g . - IL,
strange and unnyiting to eyes that growing old,
though there are excellent books among them.
The work of compilation is now often triple
Job, divided between the original manufacturer,
the publisher and the School Committee. Arith-
metcs, Grammars and Biographies are now ground
out upon speculation, the full fruition of which In
wolves intrgues not over dignifed and not over
cleanly. There is perpetual war of booksellers,
and in Boston this war is not by any means quiet
one. In that polished city, it seems to be fayorite
and not Improbable joke for one publisher
TO supplant his rival in the affections of tho
School Committee. Such victory involves
the sale of more than one edition. If
it be permanent its fruits are permanent
also: and success in one year, albeit trodden down
by defeat in the next, may yet ensure the sale oil
an edition at home, and of many editions abroad
Such battle is now raging in that highy-polished
metropolis. 1t is a war of publisher against pub
Usher When ono Of this species has fascinated
the Committee, By Establishments pecuniary or
otherwise, without word of warning, Smiths !
Grammar is supplanted by the Grammar of Jones, |
Thompson's Geography gives place To that of |
Brown and the Rhe toric of wilkins yields to that
of Stubs. There are two results which necessa-
rily follow. The exsspersted parent who has
pinched and has been proud to pinch himself to
supply given set OF books TO his child not merely
reyolts at a second and speedy tax, but his doubt
of the fair management of the school, which is al
ways within An inch of declaring itself is specif-
caly confirmed, and it is possible that he may with
draw his child altogether, rather than submit to |
the new levy. He has no time for the nceties of |
criticism He believes in Geography, but he
cannot understand why Smiths should be better |
than Wizards. He may be plain, unlettered unso-
phi.tcated man; but somuch the greater reason has
he for failing to comprehend why Pierce's Grammar
must oust the dear old, accustomed Murray And |
if he growl aud grOw truculently, nobody blame
him. The opinions of the best judges may be diff
ferent respecting books Of equal or of nearly equal
merit Yet, while the value Of competing treatises
in use has clearly claim over book with nothing |
more than its novelty to recommendit. Formerly, |
most school-books had actual aud positive merits.
To compose good introduction to any branch Of
human know ledpe is NOT An task: and vet. !