The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-03
Common Sense and Common Schools.
REV. A. d. MAYo's THEORY OF PUBL,
EDUCATION.


n EDUCATION.
Rev. A. d. Mayo, Western Massachr
: sets man, who has been for several year
= prominent in the Cincinnati school board
6 delivered an address at Sandusky, thre
weeks ago, in which we find some ex
$ trenely sensible notions about our common
| school system, which the Catholics and
: good many others are now finding faul
, with. He said:
One of the most thoughtful and cult
Vated OF our eminent statesmen, afew day,
since, remarked to me that the time i.
rapidly approaching when the advocates O
the American common school will be com.
PEELED to go before the people and join issue
{ in final conflict with its enemies. 1t does
not need statesman to discover this fact
Any observing teacher or friend of the
public schools in this State must have seen
tins ominous gathering together of all the
foes of the peoples schools during the
years since the close of the great rebellion.
Already are there signs of a formidable
combination of all the elements hostile to
our system of popular education. Already
has the most influential journal of the
dominant political party of the State sue
cumbed to this influence, and. for the last
six months, given itself over to style of
criticism of our public schools which looi-
cally implies their destruction.
! In more than one religious body the fiat
| of the priesthood has gone forth that the
American common school is to be de-
stroyed. In the secret Vaccinations of
partisan politicians, this ark of our national
covenant is coming to be regarded as a
makc-weight in new political combinations.
In too many homes of wealth and cul-
ture and refinement inspired by European
travel, the peoples school is sneered at as
q conspiracy of the social mob to invade
the upper heaven Of social respectabilty.
This coming conflict does not indicate a
popular degeneracy, but rather is the most
healthy symptom of growth in the Amcri-
can people. Up to the breaking out of the
war, the common school was not national
but northern institution. Established on
Plymouth Rock, it followed the stream Of
northern emigration, and flounshed best
IN the home of advanced northern ideas.
Even in Some of our older northern States
1t was so weakened by provincial, sectarian
and special complications that it hardly de-
served its name.
The Southern States of the Union never
believed in, or in any real sense established.
a school to educate the whole people. and
the leaders of the great aristocracy that
ruled the whole Union hated the common
school with wrath prophetic of its grow
ing power. Now has come the period of a
national reconstruction on the new and final
basis of American society. We are ap-
proachng the great debate on the form of
education which shall be the safeguard of
this nationality. Every system OF public
education that has prevailed in the Old |
World, every scheme for an educational
millennium that inf1ames the soul of the re-
former In the New, is to be ventilated du-
ring the next twenty years, and the friend
OF the American common school must
know the reason fthe hope that is in him.
If he expects to stand the fire of this great
day. i 4t ,,s.
The object of the American common
schools is the production of the American
character. As first attempted by the Pu-
rltans OF New England, it contained this
germ OF an original institution. As it has
grown outside New England, especially as
it is now developing itself into its final shape
in the great West, it has more and more
proved itself an original American institu-
ton, like all original agencies fashioned by
the genius OF our people, admirably adapted
to the production of national character.
Every civilized nation of the Old World
has, in its own way, established a system
of education, designed to fashion and per-
petuate a national type Of manhood. In
Great Britain this system has been con-
'tructed to educate and perpetuate the il
ustrious .arlstocracy which still greatly con- {
.rols that mighty empire. In the German
states the national school is consummate I
machine to turn out subjects of the German t
empire, not too ignorant to be intelligent
subjects, not too thoughtful to be danger .
'us questioners on the rights of man. t
The Catholic empires OF southern Europe I
Ire just breaking away from national cul- I
ure, elaborated in the interest of an infal- |
lble priesthood, designed to hold the peo- {
'le IN blind subection to an inlallble church.
t is not questioned that in several respects t
hese European systems surpass ours-the d
5ritish, in wide and thorough mental Gull d
ure the German, in elaborate methods of +
Instruction and perfection of discipline the il
jatholic, in the religious fervor and consc- s
ration of the teacher to his work. But the 0
American common school wisely docs not t
ropose to enter the lists as rival in these
irections, until it is established on its origi-
al foundations. 1t proposes to do what t
as never before. been attempted in this C
yorld-educate every child in a great na- II
ION, at the public expense, into style of h
haracter which shall qualify it to be citi- e
en- in republican state. q