The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-04-27
WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL ~, 1856.
Do WE NEED A PUBLIC ACADEMY AT
% GRAND HAVEN

luS queoiiOh III tnc anifuiau'c. run
the period of our earliest existence as
village, our citizens have ever manifested
laudable zeal in the mental illumination
of the children and youth that compose
so interesting portion of their house
holds. Our Union School is to day the
pride of our village; but some Institution
of higher order is still needed to com
plete what is so well commenced in this
the highest grade Of primary schools;
some Institute where young men and
young ladies can become thoroughly &C
quainted with those branches Of science
aud literature Of general nature that are
more intimately connected with the bust
ness relations of life, and give finishing
mould and bent to their plastic minds,
and fit them at once 10 enter successfully
upon the great duties of life. which Prov
idence may assign to each TO perform, let
the peculiar sphere of duty be what it may.
In our large cities, both East and West,
Union Schools, so called, have arrived at
a state of excellence and perfection that
almost prccludes IN expectation Of great
or degree of usefulness in their appropri-
ate spheres; yet, in those cities boards of
education have found it necessary to ostab-
lish Free Academies, where the finishing
graces and beauties are given to minds al
ready moulded and fashioned by skillful
mental artists.
1t is a fact incontrovertible that in our
primary schools proper attention can not
be given to those branches of education
usually taught in our Academies and high
or order of schools, without seriously in-
ringing upon the time and attention
claimed by pupils Of more tender age,
and who are just becoming initiated into
the first elements Of an education. AL
zebra, geometry, trigonometry, surveying,
civil engineering, bookkeeping, in all its
varied departments, drawing, painting,
music, languages, agricultural and me-
chanical science-all useful if not essen
tial branches of education-can neper be
successfully taught in our primary schools,
under our present school system, unless a
department for instruction in those pecu-
liar branches in connection with others Of
the same grade be connected herewith
from the fact that each one of the branch
es to bepursued proftably demands much
more time Of the teacher, by way u ex-
PLANTATION and illustration, than he can af-
ford, while engaged in teaching the very
elements and first principles of education.
Now there are at Grand Haven, and
at her sister villages, Mill Point and Fer
rysburg, and in the immediate vicinity
thereto sufficiency of young ladies and
gentlemen longing for an opportunity to
become acquainted with higher branches
of education than those heretofore placed
within their reach, and whose parents
would gladly enable them, as far as lay
in their power, 10 avail themselves of the
means of acquiring knowledge that may
have the most important hearing upon
their future welfare and usefulness in life,
to render such an institution self support
ing, were its advantages placed within
their reach, pecuniarily.
Now what is plainly the duty of our
citizens in the premisesl What can and
ought they to do TO afford to all an OPP
portunity of acquiring at home what now
can only be acquired abroad, and what
the moderate wealth Of tho great mass
forbids TO be sought except within our
own precinctsl Why! let a good, sub
stantial building for the purpose be erect
cd and furnished with all necessary apa-
ratus, and then lei first class teachers be
employed TO instruct all the branches be-
longing 10 the higher grades of education,
and we shall thcu be prepared to do our
schOie duty to the rising generation.
/ It's true that the liberality Of our cit
liens has been severely taxed within the
past two years, in buildings of public
nature, as Witness the two fine churches
erected for public worship, and tho court.
house for the accommodation Of tho coun-
ty, and fitted up admirably for county of
fees and for the accommodation of the
court, and the use thereof rendered with
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