Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-12-27
Ueafhers Golntnu.
j. W. KELSEY, EDlTon.

|
TEACHERS OF BUCHANAN County. The
vocation you have chosen is highly hon
orable and important The progress of
society and the destiny Of the nation are
III the hands Of the primary teachers to
an extent g4atcr than any apprehend.
They have the moulding Of the plastic
material put into their hands, and all
subsequent labor can only modify their
work. The primary teacher indclibly
| iEprcsscs the child under her care, and
if at all superseded is only by the moth
cr Were such teachers what they
should be, and did they know what to do
and how to do it, the power is i'll their
hands of moulding society at their will.
and making it anything the benevolent,
the plilanthropic and christian could
desire know not how society can be
aided more than by the formation Of II
body Of well qualified and efficient teach
crs. l know OF no class which would
contribute so much to the stability of the
government and domcatic happiness
Much as l. respect the ministry Of the
gospel, believe it must yield in impOr-
lance to the work Of training the young.
Indeed, | believe the ministry now ac-
complish less, for want of that early, in
tcllcctual ard moral discipline by which
alone Il community can be prepared to
distinguish truth from falschood, to com.
prchend the instructions Of the pulpit, to
receive higher and broader views ofduty,
and to apply general principles to the di-
vcrsiicd duties of life. A body of cult
waited men devoted to the improvement Of
education with their whole hearts, will
! work Fundamental Improvement, II rev.
olution in any society. They would
leaven community with principles.
! Their influence would penetrate every
| family, domestic influence no longer be-
ing left to impulse and accident. What
pursuit has not felt the need of this aid,
been depressed, hcart-sick under the con-
seriousness of ignorance in the great work
| Of swaying the young mind.
The word education comprehends
every influence tXerted upon person,
| from shc first moment to the closing scene
| in life, Wishing to see an exhibition Of
| the power of those influences, go with me
to wonder mansion and look on the child
of yesterday. 1t has life and the animal
[ functions are progressing, but knowledge
to discern or power to administer to its
own wants it has not. Let the tender
care Of her who gave it birth be with
| drawn for a few short hours, and its con
nection with this world will come to an
end, and its remembrance among men
pass away. Hasten with it and place it
| in the wigwam of the red man, and if it
survive the seventies which will meet it
there, he will grow up erect and active,
quick of sight, fond of the chase and
londcr still OF war; Under other circum
stances he will become wandering Arab,
an enemy to his kind, and every man
against him. Let him have his training
in almost any part of the Eastern contin
ent, and he will be for caste, order and
distinction among mcn. Emperors and
Lords, Subjects and Se:fs, will sound in
his ear like ordinances from heaven
Let him dwell among us in Iowa and he
will acknowledge no distinctions but
those of acquired worth, no superiority
but that which better actions confer. Put
him among the rich and he will need the
couipagc and attentions of the wealthy.
Put him among the poor and he will
barter his services to those who will pay
his hire Glass him among the middle
orders of society, and he will be too in.
dependent to need Il servant and too no.
bic himself to become one. Set Him ailoat
in the world and his particular attach
mcnt to place. home and friends, to his
social feelings even will be lost. lie will
live a wandering joyless life, and ut Lass
60 down to the grave without regret, and
unregrettcd. Let him remain in the
excellent family where heaven has given
him birth place, and the pleasing sound
of parent, BROTHER sister, friend will
hcavc with tenderness his manly bosom
and cause his boyisll heart to beat high
and quick. He will love his home and
will begin to multiply the comforts of
that home, his mental and moral powers
will open, and he will receive into his
bosom large portions Of the varied hap
pincss Astounding there. Carry him to
the city of the Grand Sultan and lie will
grow up Il worshipcr of Mohammcd, ex-
| hibi,ing all the pecularitics Of his most
! devoted sons Let him live in our own
happy and prosperous land and he will
grow up liberty Lying christian man,
embracing the doctrines, and rejoicing
! in the prcccpts OfJesus. Such is the con-
trolling influence which external circunl-
| stances must and will have upon all
other children. And these external Cir
| cumstanccs are nothing more than the
concentrated influence, nor less than
| the whole education through which q
person posses, and by which he will be
benefited or injured in proportion to the
hcalthful or baneful nature Of the sum of
this influence. OF what unspeakable
| importance them must it be to that child
| of life and heir of Immortality that this
influence should he enlightcning, elcvat-
ing and moral that he be under the in
tlucnce Of virtuous associates, judicious
parents, truly Intelligent, virtuous and
patriotic teachers.
The rising generation will certainly
take the form. adopt the principles, and
fall into the habits which the all fashion
ing power of education comprchending
whatever operates on the mind or heart
in the world around them-shall give to
them. Those of us now on the stage are
scarcely less Interested in it; for we must
be thrown upon them for every kind at
tention which the dcbilities Of age will
make necessary and comforting. 1t will
not stop with us, it will reach forward to
generations still to come, whose mental
requirements, whose social feelings.
whose moral principles, literary advan-
tages and civil rights, to Il very impor-
tant extent must be handed down by
those who came before them.
1t is not possible that we should feel too
absorbing an interest or direct our
thoughts and INQUIRIES too frequently to
| subject whose influence is so deep, SO
wide and stirring And l cannot help
considering it among the most encourag-
ing circumstances ut the present, that 80
general and operative, attention is called
to this subject. School education holds
n highly interesting and important PLACE
among the causes which operate with
such fearful power upon the human
character and human conduct. The
period OIL in which children are at
school, the time, they pass there, the
cmploymcnts which occupy their atten-
ton, the associations into which they
are brought, tho sentiments which are
inculcated, and the control which is cX-
ercispd over them with many other cir