The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-02-04
WHAT coSsr1rurEs s. Az lEpucAaT11osE i EspucAaT11osE
NUMBER TWO.

ready attained the summit Of perfeel
tion. Self-conceit is the bane to real
progress, and the people Of the Celes-
tial Empire-China-ar not the only
people Who imagine that they are the
most godlike, the most refined, and
the smdrtest race. on earth, while the
other nations are barbarians. Our
Anglo-Saxon tribes are very apt to
entertain exalted notions of them
selves, and to conclude that their insti-
tutions are the best in the world. A
few years since an English physician
of eminence made a thorough exam
ination of several of the highest fe-
male seminaries in the kingdom, with
the object to ascertain, the physical
condition of the members ofpthese
schools. His report showed that,
while the pupils were going through
the process Sdf intellectual training
and appeared to be advancing rapidly
in various branches of auseful learn
ing, their physical powers were wan
ing, and truly vigorous health was not
indicatedS III the eogit len naHce of any
individual learner in the schools. This
medical writer concluded that the sys-
tenn of education pursued in the
schools of England is radically wrong,
and that radical reform is urgently
needed, He, proves very clearly that
the mind cultivated so highly at the
expense of physical health can never
be usefully welded by the possessor,
and that an Institution which trains
the intellect while it undermines the
bodily constitution, totally fails to ac-
complish the objects for which schools
are founded. Education coniprehends
all that course of discipline and In
struction of children and youth which
is best adapted, to, eniighten and I'm
prove their minds, to instil into them
purely moral and religious principles,
and. to train their physical constitu-
tions, so that all combined will fit
them for the highest degree of useful
ness in the. world. But il appears to
me that the youth whose physical
training is entirely ignored, how
muchsoever their minds may be culti-
vateds cwin most assurediy fail 70 5ac-
complish much good in life; for what
can they do d without health 2 Since
an English medical writer reported
unfavorably concerning the manage
ment of certain English high schools,
any person having a little knowledge
of the laws of health, or of Ihysiol-
ogy, might find still more fanlt in our
ladies' schools, and, in fact, in a great
majority of our institutions oredp-
cation, from the highest TO- the lowest
grades. I6IIDd 2IlIB59M
The Cleveland Herald, two years
since, contained d very able and inter
esting article criticizing the general
management fJthe public schools in
that city. According to its statement,
the .teaebers there empl eyed were very
well qualified for their places and la
bofio1Ss IN the Performance of their
duties; but, misIed by the anzieties OF
parents, who wish to see their chill
dren progressing rapidly as possible
in their studies, they require their pu-
pills to apply themselves closely Ito
their intellectual labors, not during
the six hours in the schoolroom only
but they also give them hot unfre.
quently severe tasks of mental work
to be performed at home. This was
called crdmnaing, and well it was
named, for in many instances it cram
med and presse6their nefEous aysfen
until they became invalids. The ed
,2ttorEenortedl that 9sfal wealthy pa
rents, unwilling to see the health o
their children ruined, removed then
IT fArom the public schools, and employed
private teachers for their benefit.
1T seems to me. that the Swiss D.
Fellenberg, in his Institution, built vi
the best model yet seen in the Who'll
world, and one whose exeellent trait
ought to be published broadcast thrc
the length and breadthIof our coun
try. His great object was to elevat
all classes of society, by fitting then
better for their respective stations, an
fS fi,tt to- q render them happy and united
without DESTROYING the order whic
Providence had appointed, and whic
stbegoYernments ef, Europe pgaserye
with SO much jealousy. He believe
it important to collect in one institu
tion the Pdoraad the rich, each wit
their appropriate means of improve
ment, and thus to establish proper an
friendly relations between them. Fl
considered it of high Importance t
nSakelagf4cultare- the basis OF such a
institution. He regarded it as tn
employment best of all adapted to il
vigorate the body; but he also b.
lieVed that by eleYating 1agricpltnl
from a mere handicraft to an a
founded on lscientifc9p principles, an
leading directly to the operations
1tlse First Great Cause, il woaldl b
come a pursuit peculiarly fitted to Ell
vate and purify the mind and Serve
basis of improvement to the labo
ing classes and to society III large. E
selected Hofwyl ON account of its sit
alton so insulated as to seenre it fro
the influence of bad examples, yet su
rounded by villages, which would fn
nish fab6rers, and Only six miles fro
the city OF Berne, II was an estate
about two hundred acresy under po
cultiyatien, ,lying, on Al hill filled wi
springs and surrounded on thr
sides by valley eighty feet in dept
He commenced with employing a lar
number to labor in digging drains