New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-10
THE ennnLs OF PEDAGOGY.

yiyacity and mirth; and the dreadful fright Ola GER
tain Mr.. Matthews, Member Of the Virginia Legis-
Iature is comic enough to temper little the aus
terities of tire recent tragedy. We knew that
John Brown would be man wherewithal to con-
jure several generations of undutful infants into
obedience at bedtime, just as it has jostled
children of larger growth into unwibking watch
funess and scared the Commander Of the Crustacea
into unoyster-Iike vOlubility. The fearful fore
bodirgs of our Virgnian friends do not surprise us.
1t ia perfectly natural for them TO dread the sponta-
neous combustion of THE TRIBUNE in their Post
Ofices-the explosion of internal machines in their
ceIsrs-poisOn in the kitchen, or rife balls flying
through the drawing-room windows. Sir Boyle
Roche regarded it as one of the principal perils
of the Irish rebellion that gentlemen might, sDy
morning, awake with their threats cut; and the
apprehensions of the Virginia chevaliers--nOt to
mention particularly those of their wlves-must be
inconsistent with balmy and refreshing slumber.
Under such perilOus circumstances, no vigilance
however suspicious, can be thought untimey; nor
is il strange, while others are fearful of death Id
the not. that the Hon. Mr.. Matthews should
fear death in the primer Such, it appears, Is pre-
cisely the nature of his apprehension. He breads
not only New. Enganders, but the gifts they bring
with them he dstrusts alike their readldg-books
and their rifles, their spellns-books, and their
swords, their penmansbip and their pistols Inc
Hon. Mr.. Matthews having directed bis mind TO
the philosophy of education, has discovered that
there is constitutional as well as an unconstltu-
tional way of teaching to the young idea the mys-
terry of a-b--ab;" that rebellion may be fomented
by words which signify to be, to do, or to suffer-
and that fire and slaughter may lurK in the Eale
of Three. So the Hon. Mr. Matthews, no doubt
after profound and unutterabe bordering, has
offered in the Virginia Legislature, Resolution--a
startling ResolutiOn-ayery remarkable Resolution.
Here it ia:
soived That the Committee of Schools and Colleges In.
que eApedency Of reporting bill prohibiting school
to any teacher male female who halls from the north Of Ma
and DIOn line unless they shall have resided ~ the state
of Virginia for at least ten successive years preVious
The fact that Mr. Matthews should consider such
motion as this necessary to the salvation OF the
State, would seem TO show that Northern teachers,
male and female, are rather formidable body in
Virginia. May we be permitted, without violating
any moral, political or religious law to ask, humbly
of course and only honestly seeking for information,
how it has happened that Virginia having children
to teach has fallen into the eeregous error Of send
ing abroad for teachersl Why have not native
requirements been respected, and why have native
talents been left unemployed Why has the infant
population of that enlightened State been committed
to the tender mercy of Yankee schOol-lharmsl
Why has she permitted the unhOy hands of "servile"
New. England pedagogues to box the ears of her
children, or to apply the tngng birch to the ten
derer portions of their constitutions! While pro-
tectng biyalves why has the Governor ofthat State
neglected her boysl What are steam-packets run
ming TO France in comparison with well-educated
girls Was ever such fatuity1 Where were the
native, well born orthodox teachers, "hailing from
"the south of Mason and Dixon's line'--good, safe,
responsible guides in petticoats or in pantaloons,
with sound Constitutional principles and proper
views of the Christian relgionl We have here
tofore thought that demand in the
market indicated a dearth But Gov. Wise
knows better the resources of his State than do
He knows that it is needless for Virginia to send to
the North for gifted persons to teach the steps of
quadrille, the value of semibfeve, the art of en-
brodery, or the mysteries of water-colOrs. He is
miraculous arithmetician, but he has fellOwcltzens
who can cipher as well as he. Does he absorb all
the grammatical knowledge of the State And if
he can 80 bravely brandsh that celebrated weapon,
known as the Sword Of Virginia, has he not fello.
citizens capable of fourishing the instrument of
fogelation, and of long experience in the art of
cbas.isement But perhaps we do not do justice
to the Honorable Matthews aud the Honorable
WISE We ought certainly to take into considera-
ton the recorded opinion of the philosopher last
named. He has made innumerable discoveries, and
one Of them, we believe, is the vanity of all human
KNOWLEDGE. He is dubious in respect to reading
and regards writing with dstrust. In that Public
Schoolsystem which others have weakly respected
az the safeguard of society, no sees only danger to
the Republic. He despises books. He loathes
newspapers He believes in good, safe, sound,
substantial ignorance, with the same fervor with
which less enlightened men have regarded knOwl-
edge. He sees in human culture only human misery.
He is the legitimate successor of Dir. John Cade.
Now, there may be those who look upon these
opinions of Gov. Wise with horror or contempt; but
he shall not lack in the columns OF this Journal de-
Tense. OF at least e1tenuatOn. He is, We confess,
our model STAKEHOLDER. If Slavery is to be per-
petuatedif God, the Bible the laws, public policy,
political economy demand its cOntinuance-then ig-
norance, no matter how dark or deep il may be-, is
bliss, and wisdom is folly. Why should man.
owner be we'll educated VIII mental cultivation
make him better driver, better breeder, better