Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-03-19
For the Chronicle.
Should Lore or Severity Predoml.
nate in Governing q School P

One of the principal, we may say the
great objects of government is. to give the
child the full free use of his faculties, tc
point out to him that inward force by
which he may control his feelings and
passions, in short, to train him up to gov.
ern himself. If this be the correct idea,
which of the two methods should be tax.
en- to bring about the desired result?
Of all the means brought to bear upon
the mind, l conceive there is none that
produces such lasting and benifcial results
as kindness and love, and few, if any will
be found to withstand their influence.
A poet says:
Yet perhaps the fault will be in thee, if kindness
prove not all sufhcent;
BY kindness the wolf and the zebra become docile
as the spaniel and the horse;
The kite ieeden win the starting, under the law Of
kindness.
That law snail turn the hercest. bring down the bat
Elements of pride:
Cherish the weak, control the strong. and win the
fearful spirit,
Be oDeyed wnen thou eommandeth but command
not often.
Let thy carriage be the gentleness of love- not the
stern front of tyranny;
Make not one child warning to another, but ehide
the offender alone,
For self eOnceit and wounded pride. rankle like
poison IN the soul.
A person will govern more by his bear
ing and example than any other way
The gentleness of love is more powerful
than an army of banners"
We have the example and teachings of
our blessed Savior, to prove that Love is
all sufficient" He came to rule man
kind, not by long catalogue of arbitrary
rules, not by force threats, but by setting
before us in example, as well as precept,
those everlasting rules of love, which
Heaven obeys, and of which every soul
contains a living germ.
How often have GOODNESS, severity, and
want of sympathy on the part of the teach
er, broken the young tender spirit. turned
the heart and intellect, and made social
life standing poo" ;"
In our schools where so many lawless
children areplaced under our care, where
their homes are one continued discord
and broil, fear corporeal punishment
cannot entirely be dispensed with, but
that it should be administered with most
deliberately, righteously, judiciously, and
with a wise application to the char
acter of the child, we all feel; and can it
be, then, safely intrusted, as it often is,
to teach undisciplined in mind and heart?
Ii severity be allowed in our schools,
should not the parents have some security,
that the child shall not receive one single
blow, unless inflicted in wisdom, justice,
and kindness.
l have known blow (unjustly given)
to ALLEVIATE child from his father, TO stir
up bitter hatred toward the teacher, and
indispose him to study, and the pursuit
of knowledge.
We cannot be too unwilling to place
our children under the care OF passionate
and partial teachers, who having no rule
over their own spirits, cannot, Of course,
rule others.
Our laws have expunged whipping from
the penal code, and the felon Is exempt |
ed from this indignity. But how many |
of our children are subjected to this tyr
ranny, by aperson in the form Of a school
A child compelled to sit six hours |
day to see the frowning countenance, and |
hear the voice of an unfeeling, petulant, |
passionate, and unjust teacher, is placed |
in a school of vice. 1t is constantly learn
ing lessons of inhumanity, hatred, and |
Injustice. We might refer to foreigners, |
the English, for an example,
Where do we find such tyrannical faith
ers, such unfeeling mothers. By tracing
their history, we find they have been sub
ected to the same barbarous treatment at !
home, as well as at school.
As nation, do we not find them inclin-
ed to cruelty; and may not this be as
;ribed to the unrestrained, barbarous use
,f whipping? NJ feelings recoil from
This mode of punishment, and l hope it
may be banished to the shades, to be re-
nembered only among the things that
we're, and other means more in conformi-
y with human nature, benevolence, and
humanity may become substitute.
All thanks and honor are due to Dick
ms. for bringing this subject before the
public lin his humorous way) in such
ridiculous light, as TO produce moral
in the schools of England.
Did feel myself capable, l should like
% give you my idea of model teacher.
She should be naturally fond of chill
iren, her schoolroom should be rendered
attractive by kindness, and benevolent
egard for their welfare. She should also
,ome before her school enriched with
(not simply the common
branches to be taught) but from the stars,
he fields of earth, the mines, the ocean,
nd the forest; in fine, she should appear
queen before the scholars, and inspire
Ter own nobleness into them, by the very
ound of her voice falling upon their rapt
ttention, and thus, almost unconsciously
levate the moral tone of the school, so as
o render it entirely unnecessary to resort
o any species of punishment to maintain
roper discipline and decorum.
The children delighted in their occupa-
ions, and exercising their reasoning pow
rs, will soon learn to scorn all idle mis-
hief and vulgar animosity. The moral
of the schoolroom, will thus
ecome so pure as to suppress oil vicious
and as new scholars are in