Evening star., 1870-02-09

street. last eyening-Messrs. Brown, Newton,
woodward. Mcclellan, Dulin, Clarke, Mo-
Champlin, and Lawrence present, w''r super
intendent kichafus- MI 1ooie ~as called tn
the chair.
An invitation was ,eceived for the Board to
attend an add. esq on the life and services of
Mrs. NJ. A, Amidon, deceased, for many years
district, by Mr.. 5. Yorke AtLee, at the Ith-street
Presbyterian church, on Saturday, the 18th inst
On motion of Mr.. Dulin, the Board resolved to
accept the invitation, and attend in a body.
Mr.. Woodward presented an application from
W. III. Greenwell fer the position Of teacher.
Referred.
Mr.. Newton, from the Committee before Con-
gress, reported that memorial had been pre-
sented asking Government aid for the schools.
and that bill had been introduced granting
l,0oO 600 acres Of the public lands, the scrip for
which shall be sold and the money invested in
United States stocks, the interest of which shall
be devoted to school purposes. Mr.. Newton Of
fered a resolution, which was adopted, approy-
ing the course of the Committee on Congress IN
uniting with representatives. OF other school
boards and presenting the memorial, and re-
questing tine corporate authorities 10 second, by
appropriate action, the subject OF the memorial.
MIR. u. W. Clarke offered a resolution direct
ing the sub-board of the Third District, under
the municipal act of January 10Th, 1870, to sell
lots 10 and III, square !ss, Corner OF Sd street
east and A street south,) and to take such ac-
ton as may be lawful to carry out the act;
adopted.
Mr. Mcclellan offered resolution providing
for the appointment of a committee or four TO
make arrangements for the annual examination
of the schools, and to report what prizes, if any
shall be offered: adopted, and Messrs. Mcclellan,
Brown, Clarke and Champln were appointed
MORAL AND RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mr.. Newton called up the report of the Com
mittee on Rules, adverse to certain proposed
amendments, and in quite lengthy address, he
urged the adoption of the amendments. After
speaking OF the necessity of explicit rules as to
the Superintendent he refers to the tact that
the committee had reported unfavorably on the
proposed new rule requiring attention to the
Il aiming OF pupils in good manners. the cul-
ture of their moral percertiOns, and the prop
er development OF ihrT religious faculties.
He says that he had anticipated that one por
ton Of the rule might meet with serious Objec-
tons, and 1t was venturing on disputed and
iealously guarded territory. The amendment
is predicated upon The undeniable facts that the
moral and religious faculties OF child constitute
as truly part of its human nature a. do its
mental and physical powers. and that the proper
development and culture of these faculties are
not less important to individual welfare, the
good of the community, and the welfare of the
State than is the culture of the other powers.
g In fact, they are as much entitled to devel-
opment and proper training in childhood as are
any others OF our common faculties, and with
ont such culture the character i neccSsarilv
defective and UnsyInetricai the chill grows up
with perhaps sharp ard active intellect, but a
dull and stunte 4 sensc Df moral obligations, and
a lack ci religious seUSihilities-iust the mate
rial, indeed, from which to develop the
sharper, the swindler, the demagosue,
or TIE criminal OF any stripe. To prop
crly develop and rightly train all the iacul-
lies constitutes true edacdtj0H, and any system
which rejects 80 important a part As those re
ferred to is seriously defective" Mr.. NcwtOr.
continued, urging that Ii0 right minded parents
would object TO their children being taught
roliteneSs or the duties OF of.'truthtulneSS homes
ty, industry, temperance, obedience to parents
and teachers and 10 public law, aud of doing
unto others as We would have Others do unto
us;' and right minded parents would prefer
seeing their children nOdes of good department.
Sc., rather than experts in arithmetic, gram
mar. &c. lie SAYS that teachers who are not
quall1ed TO i'm art the simple lessons appropri-
ate to childhood ard the school room, to give
Due attention to the training of these pupils
are out OF place in the school room. In other
cities the duty OF giving daily lessons in morals
and mariners Is not found to be too Olerous He
quotes from law Of Massachusetts, 1T shall
of the University at Cambridge and of
all preceptors and teachers OF academies and
all other instructors OF youth, to exert their best
ende ayOTs to impress on the minds of children
and youth committed to their care and instruc-
ton, the principles of piety, justice, and sacred
regard to truth, love to their country, humanity,
and frueaiity, chastity, moderation, and ten,
perance, and those other virtues which are the
ornaments OF human society and the basis upon
which a republican constitution is founded and
II shall be the duty of such instructors to en-
deavor TO lead their pupils as their ages and ca
pacities will admit, into a clear understanding
virtues.
TO preserve and perfect q republican conStjtIi-
ton, and 10 secure the blessings of liberty as
well as TO promote their Iuture happiness, and
also to point out TO them the evil tendency OF
the opposite vices"
HOW FAR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SHOULD Ex-
TEND.
MIR. Newton next considers the second branch
OF the proposed rule requiring teachers to give
attention to the development of the religious
faculties of their pupils, which probably he
says. Is without precedent in school regulations
OF other cities. The reasons for such a require
ment are that every child has religious faculties
which entitled to development and culture
and without such culture its character Is unba,-
anced and distorted. The great object urged is
beliefs and non-beliefs in the community, the
free liberation of which is guaranteed by our
organic law, that there can be no religious
teaching in our public schools without danger
Of infringement upon the rights of some class,
and thus aTousing sectarian opposition. 80 The
proposed amendment does not Contemplate the
teaching of theology-at least, what is COM
monty called "revealed theoiogy"-nOr of any
sectarlan dogma. 1t merely proposes to give
attention To e proper Development Of TIE reli1iOxs
yoct;ties' of children-thOSe faculties which are
The necessary basis of all religious systems-and
"a 10 this in a particular way, that is .by daily
rec 'gnizing and presenting, on roper occasions
the supreme Father OF all as an object OF ven
Grafton, love, and obedience, This is the fuu-
damental idea vi all enlightened religions TO
which 10 sect among us can reasonably object
and which, in substance, is ACKNOWLEDGED by
even those, Win Few or ary exceptions, who are
outside the pale OF any religious sect. In other
words, the amendment proposes the culture of
reyerent, loving and Obedient spirit rather
than the teaching of disputed religious doc
trines-a spirit which is the opposite of the
VIGOROUSLY selfish and unruly tendency of
''Young America" and which is to crowning
glory of noble character"
The kind and extent of religious culture which
this amendment seeks to prescribe, while IL
would interfere with the rights of no Sect would
the better prepare the minds OF children for
special religious instruction elsewhere. as their
parents may elect; ii would generate an added
power in our schools for the control of the wav-
wara and unruly, without resort to physical
force; and II would tend to round off tn char
acteTs OF the rising generation with "A symmetry
and beauty which none can fail to admire %
THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
"More than this, the adoption of some such pro-
vision as Is here proposed will, in NV iudympnt
prepare the way for the satisfactory Solution of
an otherwise troublesome problem that will
soon be forced upon US. Already large por-
ton OF our country is agitated with the question
Oh the use or dsuse of the Bible as a text book
In public schools. So soon as the great Ecu
memcal Council of the Roman Catholic Church,
now IN session in the "Eternal City," shall rem
oer i's aecision On the questions submitted to it,
We NAV expect powerful and persistent effort
In this Distrlet as elsewhere, either to abolish
our public schools or to Danish the Prot
Bible from them, or to divide the school fund,
between religious sects. / wish 10 mt myself ON
record In advance on this question. as hcing nm
able to see the justice or propriety of reouiring
the use Of any text book in our sc.ools that l.
offensive to the cOnsciences or the rel;gions go,
victiOns Of any portion Of those who are to-,