Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-02-20
WHOLE No. 2629.


tend its schools, not for their a6Van-
tage, but for the advantage of the gov
ernment and its faYorites, may boast
that all 'its people can read, write and
cipher; but at the same time must ad-
NIT that, while bestowing this limited
amount Of knowledge, it carefully
smothered or crushed in them all their
hopes, 80 natural in youth, for distinc-
ton. In a government having q he
reditary aristoeracy, people of humble
origin are purposely kept in obseurity;
and they have, and can have, but few,
if any, incentives for distinguished
zeal. In such a government, those who
have the misfortune to be born lowly
! can by no effort Of theirs change their
status, unless, indeed, it be from bad
to worse, for ambition there is treason
A people with their natural instincts
and ideas 6warfed, and forbidden to
give birth to new hopes or new aspira-
tions, could hardly be expected to take
a leading part in civilization. Nor
could they be expected to carry out of
the school-room any particular fond
ness for the education which they have
received there. The Prussian system
of education is defective, because it
does not impsrt new hopes and desires
to the young; and because it is dsfsc-
tive in this respect the Prussians have
not taken leading part in ciFilizs-
\ tion- " The plan which we have
called the American plan Is that sys-
tenn of education which has been gen
orally adopted in the United States.-
1t Is quite different from anything that
has yet been explained. There is no
other country in the world contains &
population Of such heterogeneous ele-
ments as this The character of the
original settlers left its impress to 3 GER
tain extent upon their descendants,
though in many parts Of the country
all such distinctive trace have been OBJ
literated by the streams of subsequent
immigration from all parts of the world.
| The form of government, too, is peeu=
liar. There are really as many govern
ments as there are separate States; but
these for certian purposes are bound TO-
gether, by 8 perpetual league, into q
general government. "The powers not
delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to
the States. are reserved to the States
respectively or to the people" (Const.
of q. s., srt. 10; amend.l The gen
eraI government does not seem to have
been charged or intrusted with the ed
ucation of the people. It is, however,
authorized "to promote the progress
of science and useful arts, by securing
for limited terms to authors and inVen-
tors the exclusive right to their respec-
tive writings and discoveries. (Const
of the U. s., sec. 8, subd. 81 But the
very first principle Of the many which
was enumerated by the delegates of the
American people, when they met to
take the frat step toward forming 8
general government, and the oneWhich
seems most likely to control tbs action
was, that "al men are created equal"
Afterward, in forming constitution
for their government, tho people mind
full of the history of other nations, re-
fused to permit the general govern
ment to constitute or establish priVi-
legged class among them. "No title of
nobility shall be granteh by the Uni
ted States" (Const. o. s., art. l, sec.
8, snbd. a. Thus secured in their
reserved rights, the people Of each
State have a government of their own,
State legislature for the enactment of
such laws as they may deem necessary
for the full enjoyment of their rights,
and are not in conflict with the consti.
tuition Of the general goyernment.-
The right to educate the people was
not delegated to the general govern
msnt, consequently this right remains
with the people of the several States,
and is exercised by them, if at all, in
their Legislatures. There has been
much legislation in the several States
it their duty to encourage education in
some way. In many q EOst liberal
and efficient system of free schools has
been established, and this will doubt
less soon be the case in all. These
schools are in the main well conducted
and kept entirely free from sectarian-
ism. The attendance is rarely compul-
sorry as in Prussia; nor can the teachers
incite their pupils to greater exertion
by reminding them that, if they pass
through all the degrees with honor, the
government will reward and the pso-
pie will venerate them as in China
But in all these schools the pupils are
taught that good education is its own
reward; that with it happiness, wealth,
honor, and political p=eferment are all
possible; while without it q person Ia
bors under thousand disadvantages,
no matter what he undertakes all his
life lohg; and he will be fortunate in
deed if ne is not often the object of
ridicule and contempt. The pupils are
reminded that, If they would but tmake
themselves competent and worthy to
hold Office, even the highest Offices and
honors in the land may be enjoyed by
them. In a word, the teachers take
the young minds as the find them, and
fill them with the hopes, the desires,
and the aspirations of educated and
refined gentlemen, or such at least
is what they are expected to do
The girls are taught similarly They
are filed with all the idess, tastes, and
aspirations that are becoming to a true
wOmanhood. Both boys and gilrs are
taught not that they must 60 to school
because the state wants to nationalize
them, as in Prussia, but that they
ought to 90 to school for their own
good, as well as for the honor and
DlOSRCAAgy vi tAC oAaAIs AAoLCke IL
one or two States, they are not warned
that they will be deprived Of 'exerei-
sing the functions Of citizens, as IN
Sweden, unless they have q certain
amount of edcation; but their eduea-
tion is iberaly provided for by the
State, and they are sent by parents to &.
intelligent teachers, whose duty il is to
awaken in their young minds proper
sense of their several duties, au6 to q
full realization Of what they may, by
Jealous efforts, reasonably hope to
achieve. @
Lives Of great men all remind Us
We can make our Hves sublimes
And departing leave behind rs
Footprints on the sands Of time"
Whether the Chinese plan of giving
office and honors to the thoroughly
educated only, or the American plan
of giving to the educated no honors or
rev ards except such as they earn for
themselves outside of the schools, is
the better one, remains for time TO de-
eide. The Chinese plan would seem
at least, to have given stability to the
government; but this would also seem
to be one of the results of the Ameri-