The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-12-27

OF government is the divine, a adespotlsm,
or the power of one, when that one is
pertecti so the people, it intelligent and
virtuous, will govern themselves wisely
aud well. Switzerland is an enlightened
country, and probably as moral people
as any other. BY law every child is
required to attend school from three to
four hours every day till he is twelve
years old, and a certain number of hours
every week afterwards til he is sixteen.
This makes education necessity, unless
the children are incompetent to learn,
And there is an enthusiasm on the sub
.ject Of education surprising even to an
American. The varon5 grades of
schools meet the wants of al aud fit the
young for any department of life's
great work. InthiS village the Cantonal
College, or High School, is located
ANY parent may send his son here from
any part Of the Canton, and he is edu-
Gated at tritling expense. Young men
go from this school, at once, into mer-
camille employment in Asia, in France,
England and America. And there are
pupils in it from India, from Smyrna,
from South America, Mexico and New
York. heard a tramping in the street
last evening, and, looking out Of my
window, saw host Of boys marching
by. l learned, by inquiry, that they
were a school of 1870, making pedes-
trian tour through part Of their native
country, Switzerland. Accompanied
by their teachers, they thus walk day
after day, getting health and knowledge
and fun, for they make play Of it as they
go. Early this morning was awaken
ed by hearing them again. They had
been lodged, how know not, at the
inns in the village, and now at three
o'clock, A. NJ, 0or | looked at my
watch), they were up and off. just
then they struck up ore of their merry
songs, and serenaded the sleeping vii
layers as they took their leave. And
even now, while | am writing these
lines, ! am called to the window to look
out again, and here is large school of
girls, some of them small, and others
young ladies grown, making a pedes-
trian tour. Both of these companies
are three or four days journey from
their homes. They will be absent,
perhaps, a week or fortnight And
they will be wiser, healthier and happier
for the little tour -.
mention these pleasant incidents to
show the interest which teachers, pa
rents and pupils must take in the busi-
ness of education, when the school is
thus made part Of the pleasure, as
well as the labor Of the young. Per-
haps our teachers at home might take a
leaf out of this Swiss chapter and put it
into their own system. Nor is the
moral culture of the young neglected.
Far, very far from it, These schools
are not goddess schools. Religious
instruction is not legislated out Of edu-
cation in this country In this Canton
they are nearly all Protestants. But
in ST. Gall, where they are nearly equal
ly divided, the ROmanists have their
own schools and the Protestants have
theirs, both supported by the same
system, and working harmonouSly, SO
far as any cooperation is required, but
kept distinct in the matter OF instruction.
And it is not likely that the same kind
Of moral and religious teaching is i'm
parted as would be most pleasing to our
American evangelical idea of what is
necessary to be Christian. This is
not the business Of the State to do.
But it is the duty Of the State to require
in its teachers the ability, and to give
them the power, and to exact of them
the duty to impart to all children OF the
State such moral aud religious instruc-
ton as is essential to good citizen.
That is what they get here. And that
is what they do not and cannot get in
the public schools of America. .
Thus have | shown two grand rea-
sons why democracy works better here
than even a modified democracy, a
democratic republic, does with you.
The people are compelled, by their own
laws, to attend school till they are six
teen years old, and they are carefully
instructed in the principles of religion,
Thus knowledge and virtue are recog-
nized, by law, as the foundation of pub
lie order God is acknowledged in all
the operations of government, and
peace, prosperity and happiness are the
result IRENEUS.