Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-05-11
Educational Despotism.


The people of Louisville, KY, have decided, by
majority Of more than two to a popular vote,
reduce the daily sessions Of the public schools in
that city from two from nd halt to three hours
each to of three hours This act. ration
al and humane. will probably be characterized, by
educational flsatcs evidence Of a retrograie ten
dency toward barbarsm, such ~ might he expected
ffOm Kentucky. Taking different view of the
case. congratulate the people CT Louisville upon
their sense and courage. daring to assume the place
Of pioneers in great and much-needed reform. The
time is coming When man-and, Wa are inclined to
think, women also-will shudder at the crnelt les
that have been practiced upon the rising generation
of the United States, in the OF education;
when they will look back upon the school>master
of the present day barbarian, clothed With the
power to torture, aud INJECTING pain, injury. and
death, through his ignorance Of the nature of that
upon which he is employed 70 operate.
Our system of education, of which we boast so
much-but which is neither system nor education
is founded upon ignorance. 1t ignores the physical
organization. In its con TENT lation, mind is a
thing Independent of matter, aud, therefore, inca
pablo Of fatigue. 1t does not know that there al
a.
ware of them rs PHI, soI' gical facts, is totally un
conscious that they have anything to do with the
subject Of education. The mind, according to the
pedagogical notion is a receptacle, into which rules
and facts to be crammed, and which. whe II
erammed with the regulation quantity. is educated
The system includes the idea that there is no diff
ference between mi nj and another; from which
it follows that every who comes under its min
isrations is to be crsmmed To the same extent and
with the same material.
The elements oft,e best philosophy in the world
those which are the most abundant and the
most accessible. Men aud women have only to
open THEN eyes aud give rational Interpretation
to that which is apparent, to obtain philosophy
of education better than any which professors have
delivered A little child runs around from morn
ing to night. and PLAYS with Ierssfehey az tonish
ing to older persons, vii bout inorrng any loss of
vitality which fev hours natural rest will not re-
store. Set the same child at work at
tOnous employment, in which he takes no interest
and he is presently farigued. and if comp eled to
continue, suffers nose less durable injury, &C
corlins TO the dispfopcriion between tie tack and
his spontaneous activity. The child instinc-
lively keeps his brain ant senses IN continued ex
ment. engaged la the work Of his own education:
aud "hea he has take" on exactly the proper qran-
tiy Of education for the day. lac sleeps aud rec ier-
aIes Place him at compulsory ia k: urge his i'm
mature ard tender brain to exert Itself in matters
beyond his comprehension. aud. in a yer, short
period, his power of attention is exhausted, and
every continuance ofthe process is positively iuju.
r.ous.
The body of the healthy chill is in continual &c
ti,ity; and this because exercise Is necessity Of
il nature This activity the school conde INNS and
Restraints 1t isnorantly and barIarvusy denies to
the outl that which is pr ime want VI; his coEsti
tution-free air and Voluntary exercise. The Lra,a
Of a healthy child is as active as it- body; aad te
permitted 81 on,aneily OF employment is its most
essential eln;ste Und.r the influence of this ac-
tiyity, the Child Is continually seeking Cor knowl.
edge. lie is full Of curiosity Hs senses are
mind IS best adapted to assma:e and retain. All
this the shool either ignores or Iabors to copn,er-
act. 1t assumes that the mind of the child is by
nature either inert or devoted to useless enjoyment;
that. without compulsion il would remain forever
In darkness and ignorance; that there is nothing
beyond its eurrcula and text books which il is
desirable for anybody to know that the untents of
10 hs Is the substance cf education; and that there
fore, restraint must lie put upon all spontaneous
desires for knowledge in order that the attention Of
the scholar may b. confined to the track ahicl. il
rre-crihcs
The AIst co1sequ nee ofthis is ounces The w..ld
Is iull Of Ounces: lot natural ones but artificial
bespoken ounces; persons who have come out of the
schools. knowing-in mechanical way--all or a
part of that which they teach. and with their APP
petites for further knowledge utterly extinct Where
the school drops them, thee they stay their men,
cries sto.ed with few items Of formal knoxIedsr,
and their minds efectugiiy closed against any furi
er acquisition. Having learned. by long expert
enee, to associate the requirement OF knowledge
with fatigue, they prefer to dispense with tile enc
rather than encnnnter he other aud this especially
having been pronounced edu Gated, there j. moth
ing worthy TO L. known that tn y have not already
in possession. There is, we sincerely believe, les
intelligent cLrIs~ity-Y hish is tbs only source of
intellectual -nprovenIcn.--in these families whose
members have graluate at the public schools, than
in these whose members have had no formal school
in= whatever.
The next Consequence Is invalils. persons with
broken constitutions. shattered nerves. unsound
lungs and impaired di,estions, dsrrepid IN miadi
and body, monomaniacs aud hypcchundriacs The
privation of air and exercise. which the schools
enforce, at a time when all the vital powers are
needed TO develope the boy into man. and the girl
iHio wrma and the osertaxrt ion If the expand
Ing brHiE react iea.fally upon the constitution in
after life, when the time is past at which the snf,
f rings Of the invalid be traced distinctly back
10 their t TIE cause in the despotism Of the semin-
ary.--Chie Igo ResutlicaB.