American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-04-17

ss NullO BOnO.''


ars uments of Mr.. Rockwell, for his mean
ingless word-memory method of teaching.
AM inducel'by the absence of such refu-
tation, toexamine little Ulo~er this machine
method Of instruction, by which the pupils
mind may be eran,med full of naked and
undefned words and then, by sume pr>
culiar mechanical process known 10 no one
except Mr r. hims,lf), ideas may be evolv,
ed, and truths and principles elicited. and
the faculties Of the youthful mind developed,
informed and guiieI by the operator through
mere sounding brass and tinkling cymlal,"
Hear. o, ye people, from 'Dan uno Beer.
sheba," that certain eiucatornf your cou
try has, NJ lat. di,cuyercd process by
whien the universal law of prugres- may
be circumyented; the mind aroused to an in,
ternal activity; mental discipline and men
t,l improvement secured; the apprehension
oui:kened the memory strengthened;
| rapid and discriminating judgment formed;
acutpcs' of 7. rcepion acquired aud vast,
ness and variety Of conception attained, by
the simple PROCESS of verbal memory,
You, who desire to enroll your names
among the greatest # the great. ceae ' tn
burn the midrisht oil" for the purpose of
developing thai tn rnugl.tapacity hy which
you expect to prepare your mental pinions
for those intellectual flights necessary to the
a. a'tanment and worll-governing positions
Of krwedge and fame. Avail yourselves
Of this invention und snve many years #
day and night toll in the devel pu,nt Of
your faculties by old fogy systems oi sci O.
lasie cpltsre.
y. B.-A patent will he arpl ell fer AMI
no infringement of said pangt wrllte allow
ed. The Patentee expec's, nst only t' im-
mortalize himself as benefacts # the
race. but also +, grJw rich from the proceeds.
| But, let us in all seri usness consider this
article Of Mr. Rockwell, in which the " |, )"
81 excessively predominates. Words are
| The signs Of iedas, and Instruments for the
expression Of menta conception. They nre
merely na,aes, aud not Substances and they
| only become tangible TO the memory and
useful to the mind when associated with the
objects and ideas they are intended 70 rep
resent and convey. The child menorizes
the word . bayonet;'' but what has been
gained except q certain number of sounds ?
But, inform the mind If the child If the
form, size, shape, use, composition and his
tory If tire Object rcpre,ent,d by this word,
aud you increase the child's stock Of inlor-
nation as we'll as it's capacity. What should
we think of the carpepter WIN should EN-
plnv oil the time Of bis apprentice in learn
ing che names Of the tools, instead Of their
uses And would the names not be more
easily learne and mnre readily retained by
acquiring them in ,nnexion with their uses?
The mini has a natural Avidity for that
knowledge which is objective aid real, and
which is susceptible OF use and application.
Do we not impress ariihmetical facts and
principles upn the memory bya practical
application Of them il the y, lu ion OF prnb.
lens calling into exercise and use Il, Sc san
principles Do we not doubly engrave
our knowledge upon our memory when il
is Of kinl that it may be communicated
and utilized?
things first and the application of the
terms used to designate them afterwards
1t. then, instruction consists in deiin.
ing the laws, aIIribntes Rnd properties
oi mind an mater. rben Why not. at least
t. ach th. definitions Of words IN order 70 an
int ligeut ne Of them2 Systematic and
ra tiunai devel0nement f mind must he N
proportion to the Development of thought
and the expression Of ideas. Words being
the repfescn tatives and conductors Of ideas,
it is plain that unless we are acquainted
with their meaning, we can neither acquire
ideas. nor make an Intelligent application
o. them to their proper uses. There
fore. The storing Of the mind with words,
underlined ari uncomprehended, Is incom'
patibe with it's 2rhper, rational develop
meut. And this is the true secret of Sc
much bad reading ia our scho Is. The
majority Of pupils perform the mechanism
of reading tolerably we'll that is, words
are pr Houpc-d eD,rectly. because tney have
been taught TO regard the forms Of words
nicne, but the ideas and germs of thought
are rot unders o d and appreciated, the ex
ercise Ct reading being a Mere 'wading
through mass Of strange words which, "a
the pupil. are just 70 many forms aud
sounds lacking Specification ard sense. To
have scbnlars commit to memory columns
of strange, di6euIt, unintelligible and dry
words. is not only useless. but also injuri-
Gus, as having q tendency to dull and
deaden the intellect. Much like the old
j" PEN Knife Plan :" of the twenty-rix forms
of the alphabet. without any Association Of
sensible objects, And he who should thus
teach the alphabet 3, the preseat generation,
would be considered a ft sui jeet for a com
mittee of lunacy.
Bot, says MIR. Rockwell, ideas withou,
words to express them, are Of little conse
euence." And here i must say that Mr..
Rs article ~ exceedingly faulty both as t.
grammar snd logic, ye. Logical errors besr