The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-19
SarmientO, the President Elect of the Ar
gentine ReDublic.

awakened by his book-"Lite in the Argentine
Republic"-whioh was recently criticised in
these columns. He is both a Colonel and a
Doctor of Laws, but the title by which his
countrymen know him best is that of "The
Schoolmaster," SsouJriguet earned by long
and Jealous devotion to the cause of education.
In the biography attached to his book we fud
many illustrations of his enthusiasm in this
cause. From this we make few extraots:-
"He endeavored to organize primary instruc-
tion for the people-an idea that had never
dawned upon the Chilean mind.
"The proposition for a popular tax for edu-
cation was well received, but there was no
thought of any other appropriation Of it than
to educate the upper Glasses with il Senior
Sarmiento put the new idea into actual opera
tion for the people. The newspaper he esta-
blished was the first ever edited in Santiago,
the residence of learned and literary Chileans.
He wrote the first spelling book in which the
correct sounds Of the Spanish alphabet were
given, and which was afterwards printed in
the United States and illustrated with Wig
nettes; banished from the schools such books
as the Temporal and Eternal the Pains of
He'll, and others of a similar character, fit
only to mislead the minds of youth and Undue
them with false ideas, and replaced them with
the Life of Jesus Christ Morality in Deed
aud Life the Conscience of Child, the
Life of Franklin the why, or the Science
of Things, etc etc.
"He presented to the University of Chile
the first paper upon erthOgraphy that ever
saw the light in Spanish America, where the
language had become sadly corrupted;
founded the Monitor for Schools, large peri
odical in which he treated in a mastery man-
ner the most difficult questions upon popular
education, stimulating the teachers and de-
Tending them against arbitrary acts and stupid
DEGREES. This periodical he wished to call by
more comprehensive title, which should COM
mend it to the perusal of all classes of lite
rary men as we'll as of schoomasters but this
was thought too pretentious by the Govern
ment, in whose name everything was done,
without rendering any credit to the real author
of books or measures, because, indeed, he was
foreigner Not till long after he left the
country, when the editorship of this valuable
work was resumed after an interval of many
years, was the name ever publicly men
toned in connection with it. This tardy re-
cognition saved the credit of the country, but
Senor Sarmiento did not have its aid in the
difficult days when he made bricks without
straw.
s'It was at this period, 1S42, that he founded
the first normal school that was opened on this
side the Atlantic For three years he directed
it in person, and it is remarkable to observe
that, unaided and alone, he thought out and
put in practice all those methods of instruc-
tion most approved by advanced minds at the
present day. Indeed, it was living instruc-
tion such as we can hardly boast in our days
of text books, when the mine from which the
teaching is done is not always in the mind of
the teacher"
OF his literary pursuits the biography
says,
"While majordomo of the Copiapo mines,
he translated volume week of the sixty
volumes of Sir Walter Stott's works, besides
some other books. His reading in Valparaiso
was very extensive, and these readings, en-
riched by several languages, spread cut before
him all the great discussions of political,
moral, and religious ideas, and to use his own
expression, Opened the pores of his intelli-
gence to imbibe them When the labor of
the mining day was over, he met, in certain
kitchen where they partook of refreshments,
other Argentine majordomos, foremen, and
laborers, exiles like himself to discuss poll
tics, and in the evening assembled at the
house of another, the only one who had
family establishment there, thus keeping up
their habits of civilized life.
cat these reunions, in his miners dress
which consisted OF doublet and hose, striped
drawers, red cap, and a broad SASH from
which depended purse capable of holding
twenty-five pounds of sugar, but in which he
always kept several bundles of tobacco, dress
he had assumed partly from fancy and partly
from economy-he was always the oracle to
w 4
raphy, or other book learning. Anecdotes are
told Of the astonishment Of strangers at the
little learned miner, who was supposed to be
only peon who had strayed into the COM
pany. Once, for want of the book, he recited
a whole pamphlet he had written upon plan
for planting a colony on the Colorado river,
and made converts too-for he was from his
youth always eloquent upon the point of cul-
tivating the soil. In the proper place we shall
sneak of his success in later life in showing to
his countrymen the advantages of agriculture
over cattle growing. While at Copiapo it was
his habit to entertain the miners by drawings
of birds and animals, and he taught French
to others, for those who knew less than him
self were always objects of interest to him.
'ln 1886 he returned to San Juan, i'll with
a cerebral attack, destitute of resources,
scarcely known to any one, for few old friends
had yet returned from exile. A complicated
operation in arithmetic, which the incOm-
petent Government needed, brought him
again into notice, and after suffering many
privations, he gradually took his place again
with Cortinex, Aberastain, Quiroga Rosas,
and Rodriguez, men of mark and education,
worthy to figure in any part of South America.
Together they founded a college for young
ladies', in aid Of which project he had written
forcble appeal for the education OF women,
and of which he was made director-and
another for men, which was not allowed
TO succeed. The college for ladies lasted but
two years, but left its mark upon the society
of San Juan. A dramatic society and many
pubic amusements that tended to cultivate
and improve manners, were among the i'm
provements made by these young men, stimu-
lated by the undyipg zeal and executive
ability of Sarmiento. Here, in the library OF
QuiToga Rosas, he found Villemain and
Schlegel; in literature, Joutfroi, Lermennisr,
Gt,,i1 (nnoin, in TnhilnSnnhEy Tno1uau;lla