New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-09-24
= = 49, y - :
Seslnnl Risc7pIlne.

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin has the fol-
lowing sensible remarks on this subject:
Since FIRST the idea of governing school children
by moral suasion was preached, the advocates of
the system have waged an untrIng war upon those
who preferred Jogging. No motto is OF more
universal application than Z circumstances alter
cases.s' There are children who can only be i'm
PEELED along the road 70 learning and decent be-
havior by whipping, although they are very few in
number. There are also children who would be
entirely ruined for life by the frequent application
of the rcd these also are few in number.
The most consistent members of the Peace So
cfety the most decided Friend or nonresident,
s must acknowledge the necessity Of sometimes CO.
ercng into right courses such living creatures as
are not under the guidance Of mature reasonable
faculties Every follower of George Fox will adj
init the necessity of using force sonnet times upon
= drunkards, fnadnen, children and brHtes. As to
the children, of course the less physical coercion
= that il used upon them the better the only safe
rule for either teacher or parent is to see that en-
tire obedience on the part Of the child is produced
lii some way; and if the object can be accom-
n piished without coming to blows, SO much the bet
ter. The idea that the chastisement Of a child
Il should, except in very rare instances, be looked
on as greater evil than his INSTRUMENTATION would
he, can only be styled democracy gone to seed
There has been abundant opportunity In this eoun
try to observe the effects OF the exclusively moral
y. saasion mode os governing children. Parents, in
many eases, who have adopted as their religion
the theory that Y whatever is is right have snf
feTed ther children to grow up as untamed as wild
punishment would induce them to act properly.
@ Az to schools, there are no greater nuisances in
the country than those, which, on the pretence of
cHltivating laigh-rairdedness among the pupils,
never chastse offenders, and trust entirely to the
statement a the yonug people at the end Of the
A day in making mp reports, and all through the
day as to conduct. chld's conscience is very
weak, delicate instrument, and there should not
ne any greater strain On it than Is necessary. 1t
il much better for d ihoughtless boy to 70 home
with biz jacket well busted, Or the palm OF his
hand sore, than with the sad memory Of lie upon
N him. II IN unpleasant to dash the bright hopes of
those who are SO tender Of euticleS but careless
N about censciences; but any man of sense, who
has had to do with the children Of half dozen
h schools, will inform You Of the fact that out Of
every school of fifty pupils, Won will find five or
ten who will adhere hi truth through thick and
thin. when lies will enable them to escape punish
ment, and I'd take hghrank-
In one of these model suasion schools, the teacher
Will be heard calling out every few minutes, & D.
T., did you speak II or z "A. C. was that you whis
pering "a The punishment for these offenses being
severe, THE pupii-sad to relate--Wil almost inva-
riabiy excuipafe himself ana thus most hideous
N system of lying il encouraged by the probably
benevolent pedagogue, who, man of truth him
self cannot imagine the possibility Of such dupicity.
In some public schools which are Landed to the
skies similar system prevails. a teacher is
e9oped up all day in "a small room with eighty or
one hundred children, whom he drives through
the exercises Of tile day in breatess haste, telling
" each one what his 4 mark y is, as he answers a
question. This the boy il to remember, and per-
maps d dozen such facts are deposited in his keep
ing ia the course Of the day. AT the end Of the
session the teacher takes down from the mouths Of
Hill scholars the marks which have been awarded
to them. What frighttal temptation to falsify is
thus held out To them, to say nothing Of the fact
that they may forget some marks. Teachers used
to other systems hen first introduced to this have
sometimes surrendered their places rather than be
party to any such wholesale corruption of youth
What wonder that there ii so much falsehood
among adults, when they are thus instructed in the
art III schools. The fault however, lies princi-
pally with parents. In these itilitarian days
everything is made secondary to business quaifi-
eatioHs with most Of them. Teachers are given to
understand that whatever process will soonest turn
oat prime article in the shape Of clerk, is the
one that will be most popular. II son john can be
\ fitted ID advertise IN the Want column Of a
paper, A lad l6 years Of age desires situation
III d wholesale store IS quick at figures and has
some knowledge Of k-keepng,n II is all right !;
no matter at what sacrifice OF the bodily moral
nature the accomplishments may have been ac-
quired.
One feels sometimes inclined to prefer to this
the rural style of fifty years ago, when the Bible
vas almost The only text book, out Of which was
10 be gained h knowledge of reading, spelling,
geography and history.