The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-01-14
Fog tie Lancaster Gazette
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! I'M N"t lsinS Sibo way luht ln thi
ratio Of the advance OF civilization
and humanitarian principles. a
men come TO understand thenselyes
and their mutual wants and rela
tons. And the infection of phys
ieal punishment in schools was, anC
4 is a barbarism, 10 The extent tha
it is practiced. Whipping, to in
flict pain, neyQr set ipspi. cd Ont
good feeling in the heart, or out
noble or yirtuous sentiment in tbC
mind, and never will. 1t cOerces
ard for The time, begets fear, from
q Derc sense Of helplessness and dc
pcndeDce; but it leaves its sting
deep down in the sclfhood. IL de
grades; and degragation does, BY q
law Of Our being, that We can nc
more abr2gale QTs l9adllg thGns sV(
can take up mountains and hurI
them into the groat deep, beget
feeling OF retaliation that only
lacks the pewer TO assert itself
No man loves the rod that smites
him, nor the arm that wicIds il,
and children are but men in mini.
ature. No man, nor Child either
ever forgives blow. Children
cannot be made 70 believe that The
lash is applied in mercy; and who
ever thinks they do, wants expert.
ence in human nature, or fore.
thought, or Gboth. Every stroke
that ever has been inflicted is hid
away, as all pleasant and unplcas'
ant things that touch our senses
arc photographed in us, ready to
be reproduced when the proper
chemicals are applied. But as
whipping as a part Of discipline is
daily becoming less, we shall, it is
to be hoped, soon see the last Of it.
But not whipping alone is de
grading; end | hope TO show that
all degrading punishment is mon
strous discipline. Unkind, or dis
couraging, or doubling, or accus-
ing words, spoken by teachers to
their pupils, arc sedati'G and re
pelient; and leave the recipient of
them less tractable, less obedient,
and less respectful than before;
while words of approval, or Of en-
couragement, or Of trust, bring up
in response all the manhood there
is in the boy or girl, and they will
double their diligence to merit
praise and 10 respect and defer TO
the teacher. How many Of all
who teach understand all this as
they should. There are difficulties
however to be met, and dealt with
and sometimes perplexing ones even
to the best men and women; but |
feel that it is hazarding nothing
to say that, by far the largest por.
tion Of them are induced by un,
skillful management. And | must
beg 10 be heard, when ! say, that
he is not e. to govern who cannot,
through bis personal qualities, at.
tract his pupils TO him, both in love
and respect. From this relation
will legitimate the only KIND Of
fear that should exist the fear oil
incurring censure, or by being the
subject of the disapProval OF the
person whose duty it is TO see to
our interests.
Every kind Of punishment that
marks one as tho subject of jeering
by his fellows, lets him down also
a little in his own estimates of him.
self; IL cannot be otherwise, unless
man were something else than he
! is. These | need not cnumorate,
with the single exception Of the
rule which is now very common, Of
suspendlng scholars for certain Of
fences. Of all the forms of minor
panishments in practice, this one
is, to me, the most unwise, and fol
many reasons that | will not ask
the typo setter to insert. l viii
however say, that | know that nc
boy or girl who has been once sem
home with their books, ever en-
tors the school room again in a:
good condition as they left. They
have been demoralized, and they
feel the full force OF it; and, mall
me, they feel less inclined to pleas
the one who ordered them home
and SO far as they pay him or he
Difference, they do so under a kim
of mental protest; while, occasion
ally, if they would take note 9
themselves, they would be con
scious Of such springing suggcf
tions as, "IrM get euen 'cith hi
some day." .,-
Bat l shall be asked, "rhat 1
: you propose to do rith pevecty ~
corrigibic childre"?' l don't DC
, lieve there are such, who nav
l.L,, h.o;rs There arc un