The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-12-24
Ror the Lancaster Ggreite.
SIIIOOLS.---XO. q.


From the time when children
enter school. until they leave. their
minds are more. perhaps, under the
guidance Of their teachers than
their parents; and hence the trans
ceDdent importance that our cdu,
cational institutions should be con.
genial to the growth and maturity
of tho moral and religious scnti-
ments, as well rs tho mere intel.
lect And thcsuprcmc Importance
of this want is tho more apparent,
when it is remembered. that in too
many families the conditions do
not exist at homo for the efficient
culture of the higher and noblcr|
attributes Of our common nature.
Let us enter then upon the consld-
Grafton of this department. OF our
subject with tho understanding,
that the work Of common schools
is to be directed to higher duty
than merely teaching the young
idea hoW to shoot" And in this
light We are not to forget that 1t Is
mainly between tho sixth and
twentieth years, that character for
life is formed: character that, tho
it will be in after years more or less
modified by surrounding circum.
stances, yet will carry along to the
end tho foundations laid during
these plastic years life. and which
will, in spite of ourselves, hold a
controlling influence Cn all future
conduct.
Man wants to be brought out
to be made the most oi that his in
nate abilities admit Of and to that
end he has y birth.right to tho best
aids and facilities that society is
capable OF concciving and cXccu-
ting: and it shall be the purpose
! of these papers to show that com
mon schools arc to be our chici
means in the formation of charac.
ter. 1t is lamcntable, | think, that
in modern years much moro than
long ago. the public mind has come
Ito regard schools simply as places
and means where children arc to
ret an "educdti0h:' that is, where
they are to be taught letters, and
some of the outlines Of science
and TO be reminded en- pdSSdnt
that there are such things as NOR
! ais, and religion, and humanity ,c
be attended to after while, when
they get time to do it. say re-
: minded en- paSSant, for l will not al
, Iege that teachers, and superin
tendents, and boards, do not bring
, these precepts before their pupils
r But we have all long since loarneC
that the mere preaching of goot
!. precepts is as tho whistling wind
. if not enforced by daily, unrcmit
t ting. unialtering, living example
, A homeIy phrase will express thu
: fact, SO far as children and you'll
arc concerned; and We say, there
q fore, that laA ing to children ant
!. youth about matters they do no
p iullycomprehend; especially if the.
sec that the conduct Of their Ice
turcrs is sometimes, perhaps often
D the converse of what they speak
: simply passes the words in at Oh
n ear, to be passed out at the othci
4 with no note at all taken of them
Even worry small children sec u
and read us far more ishrcwdI.
than wo imagine. They takc thei
key, and license too, from what "
u do, more than what wo say Ho'
:. many of US know this, and COVER
!, ourselves accordingly? 0 '''
!. And now, il this is understood
and we all agree aboutit, it become
us to give our most earnest attel
e tion to see if our schools are full
D. ing, or approximating tho dcmah
y hero alluded to. No parent, {
: guardian, or citizen, may shir
. from their share of the rcsponsibl
y ity Uy consoling themselves th'
to they have paid, or are paying the
. money for school purposes; an
y that there is school system, an
l. teachers, and school houses, al
l. boards of education, and let the,
of lake tho matter in hand becau'
=. they are paid for it; and thus g
, all further trouble about it off the
u hands. The subject is OF too muc
Importance, and is too much q
individual caro- to be so light
rs turned to one side and made a thir
r. to itself. We want a, broad, al
III deep, and universal manhood, al
m n boundIess charity, taught in OF
% common schools, by compote
Vi teachers; in every required sens
'e | have deemed this much prop
Is TO say before saying more specii
Il. cally what I wonId have taught
school, and by what kind of pc
~ sons, which will form tho basis
~ tho succeeding paper,
Te =, SEXIUS.
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