Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-11-10

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| Fall Term. l6S
Aggregate, 400
Gentlemen, 50
Ladies, 1853
Number of different pupils, --256
| Number of Vermont towns repre-.
sented, SO
| Number of Vermont counties rep
resented, II
An audience number over 500 assem-
bled at the Congregational Church in the
evening to listen to the annual address,
which was delivered by Henry Clark,
E-q, of Rutland. The following abstract
is furnished us by our reporter:
ANNUAL ADDRESS.
Though stranger to most here, [ come
as Vermonter to do honor and reverence
to Orange County Grammar School for
the good it has DONE You retarn as
called to an old home. In so coming you
recall the hopes of academic life and re-
view their fulfilment or disappointment.
and it is no idle ceremony to SO cast aside
the cares of busy life and renew the as
sociations of youth.
This section of the State early laid
plans for the establishment of education
al institutions. Randolph took steps in
1892 towards this end bat nothing came
of them till 1902, when action was taken
for the location of Grammar School, u
building completed in 1904 and charter
obtained in 1906. The preamble to this
charter from the Vermont Legislature re-
cites the completion of commodious
building two years previous and the
maintenance after that time of good
school therein. The first oorporators were
Rev. Elijah Lyman, Jonathan Fisk, John
Hutchinson, Elisha Hotchkiss, Daniel
Peaslee, Dudley Chase, Timothy Edison,
Rev. Stephen Fuller, Amos Robinson,
Nathan Carpenter. David Nelson, Darius
Spaulding, Rev. Tilton Eastman and Asa
Egerton. The building aud grounds
were decided to these gentlemen as trus-
tees under the charter. OF these things
we have public record, but the free and
self denying offerings that really founded
the school are recorded in a book where
such accounts are kept and wherein re-
cord1ng angels are glad to till the pages.
A long line of worthy teachers, begin
ming with William and Rufus Nutting
and ending with Edward Conant, has
had charge of the institution. In 1866
the character of the school was changed
by the trustees, and Randolph bad the
houor of giving to Vermont its first nor
NAL school. All praise to her and to that
earnest and faithful educator, Edward
CoRant, for founding an institution to-
supply the great need for teachers. 1t
has done good work, and the State has
now its three normal schools. Vermont
will take no backward step in this move
ment under the guidance of wise counsel
and the lead of the distinguished gentle
man who now presides over our edu-
cational matters as Secretary of the
Board of Education, whose zeal and abil-
ity will lead us on till our State is sup
piled with competent and trained
teachers.
would gladly pause to pay tribute to
the many who have been connected with
this school, but this is part of the special
work of the Association of Alumni, form
ed here to-day, and you will permit me to
proceed to a topic not inappropriate to
this occasion
"a Distinctive System of Education for
Vermont, and how our Public Schools
can be elevated thereby
While Vermont il, and Justly may be,
called radical in one sense, IN another she
may as truly be called highly conservao
tive. And while this conservatism has
kept hold on many good things, much Of
the strength of the State has never been
developed, and when exercised. is some
times put forth in a comparatively blind
way. But our rest is not that of death
the clements of progress are with US.
These elements aud capabilities must be
understood and turned to account. The
undeveloped wealth of the State is both
material and intellectual. But in making
thiz desired progress, regard must be had
to the constitution of our people and the
character of our intellectual soil to which
the cultivation is applied. Our people
may, If certain forms of education be
thrown into the shade by another people,
while in the possibility and in the promise
of a better intellectual future, it is far SUI
perior. In this regard we need not shrink
from comparison with other sections; nor
even in the intrinsic worth of the educa
ton we already have, which is often too
compared with that of other
States.
And though we have no doubt pro
ceeded with too slow and heavy course,
we may have thereby escaped much that
ia artificial rather than substantial. Much
as our processes of education may be con-
d. mued, they have had the effect to bring
the people of the State in great degree to
such point as that they are ready to be
wrought to such form of general culture
as the place and time demand. And on
this route it is time to be moving.
There has been too much apparent in
difference to our system of public educa
ton. Especially have our colleges been
neglected. This fault lies with the people
in their individual capacity and in their
legislative action, or rather want of ac
ton. So little cared for by the State, no
suitable encouragement is given to iudi-
viduals who would give toward the en-
dowment of these institutions. Yet our
common schools rarely flourish where NO
suitable provision is made for education
in its higher character. To remedy these
we need united effort.
But there are signs of better things in
the educational horizon. Our teachers
are in the way of what is at least fair
preparation. Let us have faith in the
people and well understand our opportu-
nifty, improving it wisely as we'll as vigor
ously. Our State may yet become the
home of a. successful school system as
any in the land.
But in shaping such system, regard
must be had to the nature and temper of
the people. These conditions can never
be left out of sight. The training that suits
Scotland will not DO for either Italy or
France; and different sections of orr own
country as surely have their peculiarities.
While we expect some common national
character will be impressed on all the it
habitents of the country, this uniformity
will not be monotonous sameness nor
the mere outward triumph of any single
form of mind and method over all others
New England with all her intellectual
force cannot in these matters impress her
peculiar forms upon all the nation. The
mind of New England will be but par
tial factor in the constitution of what is
to be the nationality of this republic
What this nationality, perfected, is to be
is yet unknown, and will result from
forces under the control of God alone.
The true idea of education is for each
section, north, south, east and west, to
work upon the true grounds of its own
fol ~,