The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-02-15

cOmpltsh the purpose OF their origin. II
they do not, and every effort Is not made
to make them so, then negligence, amount
ing TO breach Of trust, Is Chargeable
upon those who refuse to reform.
l will moi presume to Criticise very Sc
vercly, but pardon me if make some
suggestions. lbelicve that the Constiti,
ton Of the United States should be used
as a textbook in every school above the
very lowest. It's principles, SO glibly re,
lcrred to but so seldom understood, should
be part Of the groundwork Ofthe GduCa'
ton of every teacher, from the comtorta'
bic occupant Of a well endowed chair, Il
him who during the winter months, gives
instruction 10 the urchins In the log house
OH the hillside. Why, in this instrti'
ment Is found the fundamental lnw-tllC
foundation of all laws-in the spirit o.
which every political and civil act should
be performed; yet venture 10 say that less
than one half Of the American voters ever
once impartially read the document
through, ......
Certainly We would hive remedy, In
n great measure, for this evil, II the Con,
stItutiou were made one Of the "lcgal
branches" aye, the first one on the list
Then, although the candidate for teach
er's certificate may not dI'0dys spell ~
Webster or parse according TO Goold
Brown, demand that he do appreciate the
sentiment Of every section Of that solemn
writing, by virtue Of which his rights arc
protected, and 10 which the very school
which he intends to teach, owes Its eX'
istence. Let him, then, when he hAs en-
tered upon his duties, instil into the
Youthful minds entrusted TO him those
vital principles, unClOudel by bigOtry and
unwarped by purity prejudice.
II my view Of this matter be correct
Il the prime work Of our schools be ia
train tic rising generation in the duties Of
true, intelligent Cltizcnslip-thcn the
probable objection 10 introducing IL new
study-a lack Of tinc to devote to it
falls to the ground. To allow force TO
such objection is to postpone the primary
to the secondary, the essential to the acct
dental flour sons were attending med
ical college, we would be much surprised
to find that they were studying lit.
tie of everything except medicine; and
VIC would hardly receive as Il satisfactory
reason therefor TINT oil knowledge Is
useful and will make the yOUngstcr more
intelligent N. D. when he begins practice.
Neither should the officers Of State DC
willing what the citizen schools should
aim 10 give instruction in almost every
thing besides citizenship. II is the law
school without special instruction in the
science Of iurisprudence-tlc Geological
Seminary minus the Divinity.
But can not orr courses Of study, our
methods Of instruction be so modified,
that by being more rational and philOa0'
phic, ill TINT is now accomplished by
them and more, may be accomplished anu
still time be LEFT for the instruction allud'
cd to in the question proposed? candid
" believe 50. Still l will not be too
severely critical on what others may re.
gard very good, knowing that the fault
finder, like
''The first brIngcr Of unweIeomc news,
Hath but losing ottlcc."
But let us look at some Of the objections
to our present modes.
We waste much precious time in taking
up studies in the wrong order In the
very young, the pcrccptivc powers are the
most activC-thc eye and the cur are wide
awake; and skilitll workers in natures
field would takc advantage Of this fact to
olErr food suited TO tho mental condi-
ton. How eagerly would those little
ewes and ears take in many Clcmell'
tary truths in Natural Science.
Yet, because we have never given any
thought to the subject, and teach just us
we were taught; or because we fear the
OutCrics of old fogies against everything
new, we throw reason to the dogs, and us
soon us the little fellows have learned, by
the rule OF thumb, to read u little, We
make IN attack on them with II primary
arithmetic. They want the concrete,
bread; we offer them the abstract, serpent.
While facts would delight their mental
palate, we give 1t the dyspepsia with fig
urcs.
But far more absurd is the practice Of
putting books Of technical grammar into
the hands Of children Mt Us early an age
as we usually do. Grammar Is an ab:
strict science, ill.adaptGd TO the minds OF
children Of from nine TO fourteen years.
Drill them in the right use of their mother
tongue; make every answer in their varl'
Gus Rotations a practical language lesson;
give them frequent exercise in the writing
Of sentences Of their own construction;
but leave the difficult science Of Ian
guage to its proper place with rhetoric
and logic.
| claim that the time actually wasted In
the unsuccessful study Of this branch
would give our youth fair knowledge Of
United Suites history and Of the plain
principles Of the science Of government.
Which Of these courses will best educate
the embryo citizen in his future duties Is
u question which is answered in the ask
ing.
! would not then shorten tue course Of
study in common, or high schools, or col.
lego. The branches acknowledge pursued
are all of worth. There is no danger Of
carrying our investigations too far. Each
study Inns its proper place, either US q
reservoir Of useful facts, or, asa means Of
mental discipline. A little learning Is n
good thing, and more learning Is better
Thing; but let us have the best order Of So
quencc in our course Of study ut school,
and the utmost economy Ortimc, ofmoney,
of mental and physical power. There Is
none of any of these to lose. Duties are
to he performed in relation TO ourselves,
our country, and our God, and education
is the means of fitting us for the proper
discharge of these obligations,
Evil 70 the future citizen may be done
by mistakes III school government. The
boy who Is drilled into forced submts'
sion TO the unreasonable dictates Of ~.
rannical school mastCr,is not being trained
to act well the part Of freeman. Again,
when the "powGrs that be" arc weak, the
unruly urcfin who detles them and dc.
lights in dlsobediencC, certainly does not
seem to be passing through the prepNnl'
tory stage Of a lNw-Nbiding citizenship.
Another evil In our schools, and one
much moro common than the last one re-