Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-05-22

VISIT OF sUPT. Observation-Disclosures BEFORI
TIE TEACHERS INSTITUTE.

VISIT OF sUPr. Observation-Disclosures BEFORE
THE TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
AS was previously announced, J. P. Wicker
sham Superintendent OF the PENNSYLVANIA Public
schools, paid Wilmington visit, yesterday, and
attended the session Of the Teachere' Inatitute
which was then being held. The session was
pleasant one, and the address to the teachers by
MIR. W. was eminently practical He severely
criticised the use of the word theory, as applied
to education, and insisted upon the employment
OF the word science. as more correct and express
sive. In his remarks, he was confined 10 the
teaching OF elementary principle. Three Ques-
tons were propounded, viz What shall we teach?
Where shall we Begin How proceed His
answer to the first was, Teach everything the
child Ii capable OF learning to the second Begin
where the child's knowledge ended the third he
commended, found a sufficient answer in his
answer to the two first
The exercises Of the hour were varied by sing
ing by the classes.
MEETING AT CENTRAL cHuRcH-ADpREss OF ]. p.
wICkERsHAM.
A large and intelligent audience of both lades
and gentlemen was present at Central Church,
last evening to listen to the promised address OF
Prof. j, p. Wickereham, Superintendent of the
Pennsylvania Public Schools Tho address WAa
clear and forcible, delivered in a chaste and
becoming manner, and was heard with marked
attention throughout.
After singing by forty of the advanced female
pupils of the public schools. who were led bv
Prof Clemmer, and the offering of prayer BY
Rev Lafayette Marks, the speaker was intro.
duced by Dr. D. W. Maul
Mr.. Wickersham disclRimed connection with
that class OF public lecturers who, during the
leisure months of Summer, prepare their lee
lures, introducing into them popular illusions,
nice points, current anecdotes and fitting them
with an eloquent eXordium and peroration. 20
about the country delivering them from place to
place At home he was known az a workinRmAn
PLAN and practical, and his talk about school
matters were delivered in this style-he should
talk about the common school system here lust
as If he were at home.
Where the people rule they must be educated
ana IN Government OF the people, the people
must be educated. This he laid down as a self
evident proposition, and said that it was equally
clear that rulers must be educated, and that, as
all, In this country, are rulers all must be edu-
Gated In proportion as public education gives
force 10 pubic opinion, that opinion must be
enlightened. In Russia, il the Car and ruling
class were educated the people would not suffer
II the reverse OF this proposition prevailed. but
IN this country, where all are rulers it was es-
sentlal that all should be enlightened Refer
ring to the zeal of Thos. jefferson in the estab.
lshment OF system of public schools in Virgil
| ma and his effort to crown the whole with an
| university, he enforced the necessity of nnbIic
education to preserving our popular institutions
| and said that without it they must crumble to
the dust and some other government be erected
/ upon our system.
The design Of public schools was TO make ed
ucation universal; to impart to every child born
| upon our soil its blessings and adyantag es
| And IN doing 30 it would benefit each individual
be to his interest All human beings can be
| educated, for wherever God has created a mind
he made it capable Of education. 1t is the birth
| right OF every child, and ii il Just as cruel to
| withhold it as It s to deny it food air or light,
But universal education benefits Society and
the State as well as the individual-the former
/ IN that 1t eleyates and dignifes abor-the latter
| because 1t provides more intelligent and better
| rulers In these times we want honest men
men OF inteligence-for he blushed to COZ
| TESS it that all the men who fill the offices OF
| Pennsylvania were not educated up to the stan
dard they should be- Men were now-a-days
elected for political purposes and they were oft.
times incompetent to fulfill the duties of theil
Offices. We want intelligent men to serve OIL
our jHries, and besides suffrage is being ex
tended and it is dangerous thing TO allow al
ignorant man to deposit ballot.
| universal education cOmprehends not alone
instruction in the elements, and he was pleased
to notice that in Wilmington the higher branches
| were taught. He believed in public high schools
and academies, because they gave everybody ,
chance and afforded an opportunity for the de
yelopment OF much talent which would other
wise remain latent The cream Of talent il
among the ranks OF the poor people.
President Lincoln, in laying the corner ston,
of the monument at Gettysburg, used this Ian
guage This is a government Of the people
for the people and by the people," This h,
SAID, ID representative of the common schoo
system. It is system of the people, for tn
people and by the people, and no had no sympa
thy with State or National interference or con
troll of the matter Much as he admired
the Prussian system Of education, he eoul,
not consent TO see it established here
1t would do for monarchy, but not for FREE
Republic. There are grave complaints agains
the Delaware system, he said, but he woult
not go to Dover or Washington with them
but would lay them before the people. Nor
can be accomplished by this plan. Make hin
autocrat, he said and he might accomplish NOR
] for Delaware in one year than the people would
! in twenty, but it was better for Inc people h
solve the problem for themselves In their owl
good time they will take hold of the matter an,
will have as good schools as any State in tn
Union.
At the conclusion Of the address vote o
thanks was rendered Mr.. Wickersham for hi
very interesting lecture, on motion Of Dr. Bush