The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1868-07-18
pANoLA. MIssIsgIppI. sATURpAY JULY 10. 1000

as thorough scholar md daoeumplisheti
ehfislian gentleman. In The pefseH n
ihe Principal N ymr l,tnsla selrai
Give him your earnest, cordial and
hearty support, Sustain him IN HE
honest ehofta lgr the good ~ yonf
children, and You will receive that
fewafd which you merit, and Whiel
la more 20 bo pri1cd than Rfeai
wealth, The appreciation NJ your owr
onacienees. and the blessings NJ ttos-
tefily. Cooperate with him In the dIs
iplino of his school, and In his n.
forts 10 stimulate bis pupils 10 closc
duplication and ihofouglinesa In theii
studies.
A common error with which our
teachers have 10 contend, and which
often very much cmbarraases them,
Is the eternal, overwcaning anxiety
of parents 10 see their children pas
rapidly over books This Is n very
common, ] had almost said universal
error. Men seem TO forget that the |
object Of education Is 10 learn the
books--to become imbued with the
spirit of the authors--and not mere
~ TO pass over them. Your child
had better be kept ten months on
one book, and at the end Of that time
understand il, than in the same time
pass over dozen specifically.
Thcrougbness should be the leading
object of the teacher, aud in this he
should have the hearty cooperation
Of all. This overweanng anxiety of
parents is very common in this coun-
try. The child very readily catches
the spirit, and / regret to say that il
often exercises a baneiul influence
upon teachers. II has done more 10
make superficial scholars and lower
the standard of scholarship, even in
our universities, than one would i'm
agine. Professor Anthon of Colum-
bia College, in the State of New
York, | cannot here pass without
notice. lie is known and recognized
as one Of the most accomplished and
thorough scholars in this country.
Thoroughly acquainted with the clas-
sizes, and perhaps the most accomplish
ed classical scholar on this continent,
he had it in his power 10 have ele-
vated the standard Of scholarship to
a position equal to that Of the most
eminent universities in Europe. He
found the standard respectfully high
and gradually rising. But pandering
to this populer idea of the masses,
and moved more by a desire to make
money than to be benefactor, he
set 10 work to prepare and publish a
series of classical books for the schools,
ranging from heprimary department
to the highest classes in the nniversi-
ties. The leading idea of this emf
nent scholar was TO remove all OBJ
stacles in the way Of the rapid pro-
gress Of the young student. In this
be admirably succeeds; for in bis
notes he does all the work for the
student, which the student by all
means should do for himself. AL
most the entire text is translated, all
of the difficult words are analysed
and parsed, and when the text is
verse, a large proportion Of il is
scanned. The studeut takes his Ho-
mer or his Horace, and the labor is
done. He has but to look to the
, notes and there il is all explained and
simplifed. With these notes before
him be goes to the recitation room
, aud makes a fine appearance. His
professor compliments him and the
. delighted parents boast Of the great
progress Of their child, and the child
Is delighted because everybody Il
, pleased, at the cost Of so little labor
: upon his part. Thus be passes all
the schools, receives his degree, and
nine times out of ten comes out into
9 the world a graduate without ever
: having learned the rudiments Of an
/ education. Professor Anthon is the
r only man in the whole concern who
has succeeded. lie has sold bis book,
: for a fine profit, and grown rich by
2 pandering to popular idea. Alas
: that such talents and learning should
!. be prostituted to such ignoble pur'
!. poses. Yet he and his books arr
q still popular. Parents laud them be
= cause their children get over then
' rapidly and at an early age graduate
: receive their degrees, and commenc
n life with all the paraphrenalia o
III scholarship. Children prefer then
q because they relieve them from tn
a labor and toll Of the Students life
> and because with them, either witt
n or without study, they can make
h respectable show and cause others b
a think they are smart. The result !
= superficial scholars and a low stand
a ard Of scholarship wherever thes
of books are used. | rejoice, however
a that some Of our best schools are be
. ginning to reject them, aud hope tha
Of Professor Anthon, with all Of hi
4 learning, will soon reach that level !
Dr which bis course on ihissubject ough
n. to consign him. While i acknowl
70 edge his learning and ability,
10 The sane time regret that he has :
). conducted himself as Justly 10 meri