Daily national Democrat., 1860-01-15
9ailg 91ationaI Democrat.
MOUNTAIN CoRREsPoNDENCE.
GIpsoNv1LLr. Jan. ID 1890

~e"Su'y continuance OF falr weather, as the
vast array of assembling clouds overhead
are portentous omens of war ahead Fail
weather in these mountains in the winter
season, is the exception; fierce bowling wind.
ana drifting storms the rule. This is dreary
place to winter, but each succeeding wear
witnesses the introduction of some additional
custom Of our early homes, which its prede.
cessors did not enjoy. This winter the citi.
zens OF La Porte are daily greeted by the ar
rival and departure of fine large passenger
sleigh, which phys between that town and
Strawberry Valley, for the accommodation
oi the travelling public. And, Mr. Editor, as
sure as you are born. one horse concern of
"prlvate character, actually reached this ne
p'as ultra city, once this winter. But this
Ia'ter occurrence you are not at liberty to
make public mention of 1t is matter of
much regret that our citizens have neither
the taste nor inclination to form debating So
cietes, library associations or anything of
the kind. This is not to be accounted for
upon any other ground than that of pure
disregard tor their own interests, as the tai
ent Is most assuredly not wanting. l know
OF no nountain town that can Justly claim
higher standard of intelligence than can this
But, perhaps what will seem almost heath
enish to outsiders, is the fact that we have NO
school, notwithstanding that we have some
where about forty children in the district be
tween fve and twelve years of age. Now
TINS looks like inexcusabe negligence vet
believe them to be better off, than thew would
be were they in attendance at school, That
the present system of education in America
works greater evil than good, l do most
solemnly believe. That it should have re-
mained what it is up to the present is aston
lshing; that it should thus remain longer is
nbominable. The American people appear
to have entirely ignored the necessity of a
sound physical constitution. In their eager.
ness to obtain high degree of mental cul
ture they have SO far departed from common
sense as to lose sight of the very means of
obtaining it. The very idea that sound
mind can long exist upon diseased physical
system, is equivalent to assuming the ridicu
lous position that the one has no connection
with the other, and bears the impress of SUI
preme Ignorance upon its face But admit
the possibility of such an anomaly, and what
then Why simply this, that cultivated
mind under such circumstances is not worth
possessing. The cost at which it is purchas.
ed is too mighty a sacrifice. Where is the
man who would voluntarily yield up his bod
lily health, even though his mind could be
made panorama of all the sciences that un-
born generations shall discover? And who
does not know that high degree of mental
cultivation obtained under the present sys
TEN of acquiring it, is at just that expense
have never yet seen a teacher of q common
district school that was competent to officiate
in that very responsible capacity. For
teacher to be simply profound in letters is not
enough. He may be an adept in that re
spect, and at the same time possess re
markable faculty of imparting his knowledge
to others, yet if he does not understand
the different degrees of activity, and impress
sbility Of the brain, he is not fit to teach
Thousands upon thousands of precocious chill
dren--with very large and active brains
who should have been ornaments to society,
and the bulwarks of science. have been ruin
ed by excessive study in their youth, and
compelled to move through life in sphere
far, far below those who were endowed with
comparatively no natural talent at all. Shame
upon the ignorant ounces who assume to
teach youth and thus ruin them; they are
worse than the quaek doctor who through
mistake arising from much the same cause
kills his patient at once, l do not believe
that there are three school teachers in this
State to day, who comprehend the necessity
of making any distinction between their
most precocious students, and the greatest
Ounces. The,consequence is the child with
prematurey developed brain is required to
devote Just as many hours to study as the
dullest Ounce in school, Now what is the
remedy for all this The application of the
remedy lies within the province Of the pres
ent generation, but its fruits can only be
harvested by future generations. Let us inn
mediHtely inaugurate a reformation in our
present educational system sufficiently broad
and deep to comprehend the. wants of our
whole organization, physical as well as men
tai Let us found system of education in
compliance with the laws of nature; then
will generations to ccme bless our efforts.
Let us inculcate the fact that mental hygiene
is by far the most important branch of
teachers education. Let them learn thai
there exists in the tender years of childhood
such an excessive cerebral activity that it is
absolutely dangerous to confne precocious
youth to study under eight years of age; and
that even after that period it should be con-
ducted with the utmost caution. Let them
learn that when the blood is properly oxy-
genated it is q thin fluid, of vermilion color,
which rapidly bounds through the circula
ting system, imparting health, strength, Wig
or and activity to mind and body; and that
on the contrary long confinement in room
that is defciently ventilated will result in
charging the blood with an excess of carbonic
acid gas. q rank poison, which converts it
into black. thick turbid mass, and its mo-
tion so slow and sluggish as to be scarcely
percelitibIe. And above all. let them learn
that when their little charge becomes dull.
listless and morose, one cause at least is to be
4r,oad 20 tha fact that Its blood ia in the lat.