The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-18

Communicated
The German Language In the Public
schools and the Germans In Amer.
lea.
EpIToR OF TIE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN:
In your issue Of the 18th instant GA Citizen"
thinks that the plan to have the German
language taught In the public schools Is not
good one for the Germans themselves, and
that 1t ought not to be adopted; that, as
a nation, we are composed Of people from all
civilized countries, and that what we want
is to form the whole into one homogeneous
mass as soon as possible; that we want no
distinctions kept up, whether based on ori-
ginal nationality, section, habits, or reli-
gioa; that as citizens we should all blend
into one harmonious whole, and thus become
truly a nation; that custom and law both
recognize the English language as the ma
tional language, and therefore all should
acquire and adopt that as soou as possible.
Thus far every thinking man must agree
with our 'Citizcn." have stated about the
same in former article, and that 1t Is a
matter OF course that the citizens OF this
great country should have common Ian
guagc as a means Of mutual Intelligence and
A chara cteristic feature Of their nationality,
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almost any other TO acquire, 10 WELD and to
pronounce, had been selected, &c. The OPP
position OF our "Citizen" that the German
language should not be taught In our public
schools stands, however, not isolated. Some
time ago, In regard to tho introduction OF
modern languages, some, including tic New
York Herald, placed the German language
on the same basis with the 'Irish broguc,"
and put the claims Of the Germans, who
compose a full fourth Of the entire popula-
ton, on the same footing with uungarians,
| Poles and Spaniards.
"a Citizen" believes that to teach the
German or any other than English in our
public schools will be rather an injury than
a benefit to the Germans themselves; that
besides, II this language should be taught,
why should not othersf that we have among
US also a large number Of other nationali-
ties-of French, Irish, Spanish and Italian;
that the same reasons would also justify the
teaching OF these languages; that there arc
about as many Irish as Germans In the
country, and yet no one proposes TO teach
the Irish lang uage for that reason. i sup
nose our "Cltizen" uses the Irish language
only for arguments sake; for even in lr Gland
the Irish language Is out OF use; only In
Dublin Is one professor engaged, as have
been Informed some years ago by an Irish;
man. 1t may be said, says our "Citlzen,"
"that the Irish use the English language;" SO
too the Germans who are here have learned
and do use the English language.
"Citizen" thinks that II Is not by any
means q new idea; that this same demand
has been made many times before, and In
all sections Of the country, both East and
West, and in every instance nearly, If not
| quite, 1t has been refused on the grounds
above stated. II time aud space would per-
NIT, would state here that the "Citzen" Is
very much mistaken. II he would go dow Il
to New Orleans and other places In Louis.
lana lie would ind that the French lang iage,
Just as proposed by "a Citizen" is taught
there IN the public schools as well rs Eng
lish.
In regard to the German, have shown il
former article how the instruction of THU
language Is gaining ground rapidly In nj
regions Of our republic; that no teacher
should be deemed competent TO instruct II
the German department unless prohcien
also In English; that the German teacher
also should Identify themselves with thu
whole school and take lively interest IL
the general course Of instruction; that thu
instruction In the German lang Iage woulC
be more an auxiliary 10 the general instruc
ton than drawback to the same, and tina
ii would only require to look from this View
In order to hau II, not as an intruder, but ~
a W elcolne friend. "a Citizen" quotes from
the New York Sun TO show how the best
German minds look at this subject;
"TSc discussion respecting tb teaching o
Germ1 In the public schools has brough
out thu fact that the same measure was som'
years since advocated In Boston. A meeting
OF the best class of Germans In that city wal
held to consider II, but, after much had been
said In Its favor, young physician, recently
from Germany, was called upon to express
his views; and the young physician, recently
from Germany, gave his advice to oppose
this e9surc." But we will give Boston some
more time TO study the matter over; In the
meantime we will listen to what former
president Of the Board Of Education OF New
York has TO say In this regard. | will only
l quote few lines from speech In 1856:
"ThG commercial relations between thi,
country and the German states are subordl
, nate TO those existing with but few otho
natlonalilCs. The emigration from Ger
many Is now larger than that from any othe
nation, aud consists OF those who have beer
educated In the schools Of Germany. II
theology, poetry, Jurisprudence, physiology
physical sciences, philosophy, and otho
branches of knowledge, the German ltera
ture is the richest In regard TO pOpula
education, we sympathise with German
= more than with any other nation. In re
= spect to the periecting Of our system OF edu
n cation, and to the efforts which are beinI
made to secure more rational development
for our higher institutions, we already begi
I to feel the influence Of people who, beyont
: all others, have elevated education TO a sys
TEN, and TO whom one must yield the homo
of being the most suitable representatives o
modern popular education, From them WI
have borrowed the normal school rs tn
only practical means by which the prlmar
school can be perfected. The normal school
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