The Van Buren press., 1871-12-12
The Van Buren, Press,
-
VAN BUREN,. ARKANSAS.
Essay on Corporal Punishment.
Onroy HILL SEMINARY, Nov 20, 1871

Tia question, Mr. Editor Is certainly
one of no little Importance And to dis
cuss it properly. we must drigt at once
into a philosophical channel. The teach
er has to deal with mind, ard not with
matter. IL child is received into
school at the early age Of five years, Il
comes to the teacher with very little i'm
preston. Its mind may, therefore, be
appropriately compared to white sheet
| Of paper. Now, il the teacher be com
petcnt, maintain that II i as easy Tor
| him to inplant correct ideas In the mind
of the child as il il for the scholar to
fill decently, and with Intelligent mater,
the clean sheet Of paper But incompe'
tency ia either case viii result IN delcter
ious hnpressions rnere IS no true
teacher who would not rathc- recciv- the
pupil as an a1oeed rian, than to receiye
| him after he has beeu erroneous taaght.
| II the student has not been properly in
strnctcd, he mas necessarily "to unlearn
what he has learned amiss, AMI then
learn first prneiples--a double task both
for himself and teacher.
Again the mind may be aptly compar.
ed to a piece Of ground, which it proper
| ly cultivated will yield an abundant har-
vest; but if left to take care Of itself, or
is poorly managed, will produce but q
meagre harvest, or grow Up spoplane
ously in noxious weeds. Just 50 with
the mind of the child properly handled,
1 By parents and instructors, It will bring
| forth an abundant crop OF knowledge
| linkcd with virtue, and thus becomes u
model man or woman. 1t is generally
admitted, in philosophy ! believe, that
the beginning of all our knowledge is in
the fine bodily senses. The teacher must
therefore pursue the most efficient meth
cd of communicating through those
channels, or pathways to the brain, the
IDEAS he wishes to lasten upon the mind
of the child. AS II Is through the hear
ing that the child learns 90 love eupho
Nous and kind expressions; that he adj.
mires the harmonious strains Of music,
and to dcspise that which Is harsh, graf
| inc and dscordant in its nature Is ii
not through precisely the same channel
that he learns to hate, or loathc the crab
bed, crusty, scolding teachcr9 Reader,
| draw your own conclusions.
Then if it is through the sense of feel
ing that he Il delighted with the pleasant
shades, aud the cool refreshing brcozes
Of summer, or tho warmth OF the blazing
dres Of winter, is 1t not also. through the
same path, that he learns to abominate
the prick Of the bramblc the sting OF the
despised ncttle, or the pain inflicted by a
vigorous application of the teacher 8
rod? Now il a wrong inscription be
made upon slip of paper, you may by
the use Of rubber remove it. But Is the
paper as perfect after this operation, as
! it was before receiving an impress II
certainly is not On exactly the same
principle. if by the use Of the rod, the
mind Of the child is stained, you may
after the operation employ the rubber Of
kindness, and % agreat extent erase the
unfavorablc impression thus made; but
| il it not at least reasonable TO suppose,
| that the mind is more or less defaced,
and that a dcleterious impression NAV
exist coequal with the life of the childi
| We are, to no small extent, creatures Of
circumstances The various surround
| ings Of life wonderfully modify, and not
unfrequently give entire mould to our
characters. Hence the necessity on the
part of those whose business Is the
/ training Of the young, 10 tcaca hy both
precept and example. a4f
Man, il is said. :" is but child of
larger growth" Theh what Is true of
the child, Is true ofthe man nhd.fed by
the various nssociatioBso iIe Now ]
imagine fwe should attempt TO correct
man by the use Of the rod, for his every
day offcnsos, it would he arsther difficult
undertaking And | give It as my opin-
| ion. that we would make haste rather
lowlv. He who attempted Fl would not
only make bad impression, but he
would doubtless receive an unfavorable
impression In return Like produces
like" hence reciprocal action. ltwould
no doubt become necessary to move FREE
ouently. n little after the order suggested
by the Irish Corporals command; e.,
make backward advance But happily
this is not the teachers method OF deal
ing with his fellow man IL he wishes to
reform his neigbbor, he appeals to his
reason, and convinces his Judgment. So
we must proceed with the child. IL he
has but little reason, owing to want OF
development, remember that like be-
gets like, F" and give him reason By rea'
soniHg.
Remember further. that the mind is as
n scroll. which should be accurately i'm
messed as it is unfolded Do not rea'
son with child as with those chfidrsn OF
I idrqer .gfswM Let your illustrations al
ways be simble, and yonr reasoning lev
eled TO the comprehension of the stu
dent. He must be taught that he pos
sesses within himself an element Of great
ness. A principle susceptible OF indeiin-
i,e Improvement - capable OF endless
nropression in knowledge That all the
great men who now live. or ever have
lived, were once little children like him
self That hsy made Memseires great
and usef1 by close and asslduous appli-
cation to study, and the faithful discharge
of duty. That he. BY pursuing the same
course, may do something for himself,
aad be somebody in the world That
he too, r.#.
May pluck bright honor from the pals-fa moon.
! Or dive into the bottom of tho deep, ,,fI.Iaa
/ And drag up drowned honor by the locks
But BY ncglecting to discharge his duties
he may not ouiy render himself con-
1 Al <.f AL tattt