The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-01-22
For the Daily Clarion.
To the ne1abers Of the Legislature Of his'

To the Members Of the Legisiatsre Of hissis-
sippi IL Session. January 1867.
GENTLEMES Among the topics which
viii now engage your attention none tran
sceuds in interest and importance, the great
subject of State Education. Allow an hum
bic citizen Of the State. placed IN charge Of
a most important trust, connected with this
great interest, to lay before your Honorable
body some plain, and practical views which
have been matured, during the lapse OF years
Of constant engagement in the business Of
Education. and which he believes, II carried
into operation. are Well calculated 70 pro-
mote the bests interests of our beloved State,
aud of the University as we'll In order that
NAV do this most clearly, and with due
Justice 10 the subject, must beg to dwell at
some length on topics which. though not d.
rectlv connected with II, still sustalns a Te-
lation to il of some Importance. Tor the
greater convenience Of reference, viii pre-
sent my views under distinctly marked sec
tiOus.
I Tie Relation Of Cairasitg and Common
School Edaoafi0n-These two forms OF Edu-
cation are but parts 60 ordinate OF one great
whole The SeminaIies of Higher Learn
ing cannot dispense with the common
schools: These in their turn must depend
for their continuance and success upon the
College aud University. The profitable and
effective communication of knowledge, and
"
mind al these Higher Institutions. depends
upon a certain degree OF preliminary IN
strucrlOu. aud training, ordinarily obtained
in the schools OF subordinate rank. There
is DO possibility of a student making any
satisfactory adv ance, or deriving any Ndlua-
bic advantage from the most deliberately
furnished system of University OF College
education. unless he has previously mastered
/ the clements of the common school, and Ac-
( ademIc curriculum and the more thorough
his preliminary training ia these lower
7 schools the more rapid and taclle ms pro
/ gress and the more valuable the accuInula-
tiou Of stores of knowledge he may acquire
I at tie Higher SeuInarles. 80 u Is readily
. . -rceived that the former are essential To the
. COMPLETE success Of the latter. But now IN
F anather poiut of view the Higher Schools
. are equally important 60 the NerN cAi-tel''e
. of the lower. as an elective agency OF ire
/ paratory Education. For III the! lneVitdDie
. y c.ssitudes of life there Is a constant need
. Of a supply of teachers for schools already
existing, and for the organization OF new
schools in every part of the country, and ma
seeking a supply the natural impulse OF me
people j. 10 turn their eyes To the Higher lu-
. situations. that thence may be obtained well
. educated and accomplished instructors II
is a very low view taken by some that for
T common schools there is no need
for teachers of SO extensive aud lib
eral "a culture. but any sort of good English
. Education s. sufficient 10 qualify man 10 take
charge II one Of these schools" The truth is
on the contrary. that youth Of both sexes de-
mand at the outset, the most careful and eN-
1 at training and none but teacher 81 bne ac-
7 cgmpliShmeutS. who l. capable Of comprehend-
. ing the whole scope Of the education designed
for his pupil. from first TO last, should be en-
+ trusted with the important work OF laying the
/ foundation, and building the earlier stories OF
/ the structure. Any other policy VIII tend
. elermorc % Keep low the standard Of Prelml-
mol rIE he Al J.
pill l. not greater than hi, master. but en- the
contrary l. satisfied To Toe his inferior. lfthcn,
+ the instructor be- a defective scholar hlh>tIl'
. he can only turn out that class Of youth en-
I trusted 10 hiS training mlscrabIN educated
4 Tn. importance of finely trained body of IN
-frtIrt0rS for our subordinate schools i APP
parent. whether the pupils taught IN lhtm De
designed for entrance into the higher Semlnd-
! rie~. or should they cease their scholastic edu-
/ cation with these lower schools, and enter at
/ once upon the active business Of Htr. e have
I seen that they cannot, without good prelimina-
. ~ training. derive benefit from attendance up
7 ON "a higher institution. and surely II must be
. equally manifest that. il the training in these
lower schools IS to constitute the sole scholastic
. education they ever receive. II ought 10 he Of
the very best possible rh 1ra ter. | trust there
fore that these considerations are sufficient TO
Z demonstrate that there i not, and never an
. bc any autagoni>m whatever, between the two
. departments; but that their ultimate object
. being Identical. thpV should cooperate. and
strengthen each other have thought proper
TO give expression 10 these views because, if |
. could refutc the idea. which l. prevalent in
. some quarters. that the two are autagoniStie,
I might reasonably hope 10 have removed the
obstacle which such prejudice might inter
pose to the success of an enterprise very deep
ly cherished, whereby the sphere Of usefulness
. of our State University might be greatly cN-
I tended. No one would fail to see in that case,
that whatever amplifieS the facilities of Uni
versity education. and enlargeS its sphere of
. operation. will inevitably cXerta powerful re-
feX influence for good, upon all subordinate
! schools. JOHN \. WADDEL,