Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-29


The following is an abstract Of the adj
dress of Rev. DR.. Kitchel, President of
Middlebury College, at the annual meet
ing of the Otter Greek Valley Teachers
Association, held at Wallingford, June
23d and Gath. 1871:
DR.. Kitchel commenced by saying that
he took special comfort in the thought
that he was to speak to teachers; whether
it would help them to teach he could not
tell, but he was sure that it would
awaken helpful thoughts in them, and he
could at least show his sympathy with
them. He would speak of the public
school system, whose great, noble purpose
is to take up some we'll ordered system,
and carry all children and youths through
such course of study as should fit them
for citizenship, and to take up all chill
dren and fit them for purer life. The
State must recognize its right to do this,
as matter of public policy and in self
defense The State has also the right to
secure the attendance of all its children
at school, and give them, at least, an ele.
,mentary education. If A is taxed for
sending BIS child to school,. A can compel
B to send his child to school. It is all
compulsien. The only question is, when
we are taxed for education, whether it
shall be made effectual. The State clearly
has the right to do this. The schools are
maintained for all ; the tax is for all, and
provision is made for all by different
kinds of schools. Some in one kind of
school, and others in others. Under the
public school system, the teachers have to
do their work, and the object and end is
the same in other kinds of schools. A
free, self-governing people must be edu-
Gated !; the STATE -ust therefore provide
for the education of its children, by the
enactment of proper laws, so that a
proper system of education can be main
tanned and enforced. If all aliens and
freedmen are to be admitted to citizen
ship, unless the Government goes to ruin,
we must educate them. While we freely
admit all to citizenship, let it also be I'M
cate them.
The public school system is as valuable
as free government. The profession Of
the teacher is as honorable as that of any
other. These teachers who are to instruct
and train up the future men and states
men eff the country are intrusted with in
terests which are the dearest and most vi
tai of all. The teacher is the prime the
state functionary, the frat governm entail
officer to whom the state commits her in
terests. Before there is government, the
people must be prepared. That there
may be noble, true and faithful citizens,
the state must choose educators, charged
to see that the state receives no detriment
from ignorance. If they execute this of
fee we'll the rest is we'll. They are the
forerunners, crying in the wilderness.
making the paths straight. This is now
beginning to be little understood, and
will be more and more understood. We
see it in our public schools, in our normal
schools, in our teachers institutes and as
lociations, and by the difference in our
teachers, and in the fact II at some are
better than others. May the time soon
come when good teachers are recognized
by the state, and in the meanwhile let US
RELY on the faithfulness and fidelity of
our teachers.
The frat duty Of the teacher is to carry
out the grand pur pose of the scheme of
the public school system, and that is to
care for future manhood and womanhood
The state to give over to the care of the
teacher all children between the ages of
four and eighteen. They can all be some
what educated and all drawn out of ignor-
ance and made useful men and women
For this purpose certain studies are pre-
scribed and this must be the ruling object,
not high culture and rare attachments,
but the whole mass of children must be
prepared for civil 9and social life. This
is perhaps all that the state may demand,
but this we must have, if we do not get
more. The state is more concerned that
dull child should be quickened,snd made
to understand, than that the bright and
quick child should be carried onward.
This is due to preserve the state from fu-
ture lawlessness.
The teachers first duty is to the lowest
and most sluggish in capacity and attain
ments, and not until this is done is he at
liberty to turn his attention to the light
and quick The faithful teacher will
daily take up his cross, and leave the
bright, intelligent scholar go apt and
ready to learn, and lift up the lowest, the
dullest and most ignorant, and instill
into their minds the seeds of learning, it
is much the moro important and needful
that they should be got out of their
troubles and difficulties that the highest
intellects should be pushed onward 1t
is better for the State that these should
be saved from the penitentiary and from
ignorance that these brighter gems should
receive more polish This is the teachers
work to turn away from the bright, quick
witted, etc, and to drill into these poor
degraded minds, to pull out little of the
animal and push in little intellect. It
is to be said again and again "the lower
work is the most urgent" to get up the
creepers and set them on foot and get
them into life. This is the first grand
business of the teacher. 1t is the object
of the State and must be of the teacher.
This is the test of the fidelity as also of
the capacity of teacher. No man can
know too much for teacher, or even to
teach child his letters. It ia better for
q person to go to college even for this.
We must empty ourselves, do as Christ
did, get the sympathy to mediate between
the.dull, and ignorant and knowledge. The
palm is to him who knows the way to the
heart, and that way to the mind. he
who redeems one soul that bids fair to be
a clod may rest. Teachers are the intel.
lectual police force sent out to arrest 10.
norance. Do not understand that higher
attainments are disparaged-far from it.
The second great purpose of the sys-
tenn. and incidentally another aim and
precious public interest, is that while IL
seeks to educate all somewhat, that it
may educate others higher. The State ia
enriched by all high scholarship, and is
made SO much richer by each educated
person and by the highest attainments.
Here the teacher finds delight. He has
got the hindmost started, and now he is
free to aid on the bright and quick
witted. In this large field it is the
teachers especial calling to be the special
discoverer OF hidden talents, to be . dis
esrner OF spirits. Always 60 into Ne