American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-09-11
MlsttIlantons.
Com nsdore maury on the Industrial
Sciences.

uIing one of the sessions, turned
pom classical and scientific studies.
Imong those who took part in it
Tas Commodore NJ. Maury, from
vhom we quote as follows:
Change of circumstances has call
ii tor q change of system in the
ii Ugh school and collegiate depart
nent of education amongst us. There
must be less time given IN our insti-
.utions of learning to the dead Ian
guages, and more to- the industrial
sciences more attention must be
paid to teaching our youth % observe
and to think. There are few young
men of fortune left among us, and
The vast majority of all who are at
school will require that sort of ecu
cation and that knowledge of the in
sciences which will best en-
able them to gain livelihood; and
the advocates of the old system of
hatin and Greek must come down
from their high horse, and adapt
their notions to the demands that
are pressing upon our institutions OF
learning for what is often termed
practical education.
Never before was the battle of life !
more arduous, and never before were
she problems in it that press for So
luton so numerous and complicated,
or more difficult of successful solu-
ton. What is it but the study of
the laws of nature and the properties |
OF matters that has given commerce
its wings, nations their wealth, and
man his civilization Latin and
Greek are very good in their place,
but they bear no part in the raising
Of the industrial man from the saw
age to his civilized state, and in in
vesting the world with its industrial
wealth and prosperity; and are you
going to claim the same prominence
for Latin and Greek in the collegiate
course now that they enjoyed gene
nations ago, when physical problems
we're few, and our knowledge OF ma
Mre and her laws very limited in
comparison with what it is now I
lake the single article of coal, aud
see what our increase OF knowledge
concerning that mineral and its
properties has been even in our own
day. The discoveries concerning 1t
its oils, its properties, its dyes, its
dfugs-now add millions of dollars
annually to commerce, and give liv
ings to thousands and are you not
going to make room in your " curric-
ulumn for knowledge concerning
these, but still crowd it out and take
up all the time OF the pupil with Lat
in and Greek Where is the wealth
that they create2 They are beauti.
full in their way, but science is useful
as we'll as beautiful. 1t strengthens
the arm, it smooths the mind, and it
elevates man by teaching him to see
the marvels of creation, to mark the
ways and study the designs of the
Creator.
The idea has been expressed here
that such studies are unfavorable to
the growth of the thinking faculties.
Ethink nothing is more favorable,
and nothing so suggestive. Take as
an illustration a single instance from
physical geography, and allow me to
say here that | think this depart
ment of human knowledge is far
from occupying in our system of ed
vocation that place that it deserves.
Look out upon the landscape when
ever you will, and the scene abounds
with interesting phenomena and
among all the sciences there is not
one that is more interesting, profita
BILE and instructive than this; il
suggests themes of thought that are
as instructive to children as they are
profitable to old age ; and as | said
let me illustrate by example: AL
most every child as soon as he
learns to read, has books placed in
his hands which tell him about the
Hons and the tigers, the hy,nas and
jackalls, the girafes, zebres, and an
telopes of Africa, Now, iJ is sait
that Cuvier could construct from 4;
single bone the entire skeleton o
the animal, and we know little Of
nothing concerning the geOgraph,
of those vast and UNEMPLOYED region
of Africa.
Now let us see what any brigh
eyed boy of eight or ten years cal
do towards constructing the physi
sal geography of continent b.
laaTning that this or that ANNA
dwells there He is told of the Afr
can lion, and you ask him what tina
animal lives upon, he answers flock
and herds. Then you ask him Cal
fiocks and herds, deer and antelope,
live in n jungle or find subsistanc
in dense forest. No be will tel
you, they must have pasture, gree
meadows, open prairie, runnin,
brooks and still waters; and whe
you come to remind him of the mum
bers and ferocity of the carnivOrou
animals, and of the multitudes of tn
granivOrous that find pasturage i
those unknown regions, then 70
make suggestion which enables hin
to draw a more graphic picture of tn
physical geography of those regions
IN some of their aspects at leas
Remind him, also, that lions an,
leOpards require jungles for thei
LARS, parrots and monkeys trees fC
their habitation, and how complet
and beautiful is the picture that h
will think out and paint upon hi
imagination OF that unknown il
terror.
The forming of a cloud, the fallin
drop, the running brook, the gentIe'
breeze and the most modest Howe
each one opens up themes of though
equally suggestive, profitable an
Instructive to every lad that
taught to observe and to thinI
whether he has studied Latin an
Grrek or not.
One of the grand achievement
which this Association has before i
Is so TO readjnst, remodel and adaI
the course of studies in our schoo
and colleges as will best meet I'll
wants OF the times and OF our peOpl
1t Is alsubjcot that deserves the bei
thoughts Of the best men and mO'
experienced teachers among YOU.