The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-11
.,riir,es the early weeks Of the s but
,ndst NJ IL IL given totIe History oe Eng

as6azsE2
! .r;r,es ,be earl9 wesss of the sa, but
most Of il is given tothe History os Engf
'a" The committee Recommended taesuse Of
condensed manuals at epitGmes OF general
history nc caIcuiated to destroy thas interest,"
m she mar, of the pupil In historical study
which should, IL possible, be maintain co.
BettaE thes saw Study the history OF PAT.
flcular countries, leaving the CUPS to oe niieu
4 by subsequent reading. "a
l.. In, regard to textbooks, the eommlLss
being al O. loss whether course % 9cc l,l,y
i full or half.time q. e., daily or trl-We9P ~.
recitattons) was desired, named two sets-on us
for long and the other for short ~ coufse -
three years., They recommend,
vi Sacred History: For short ,c conIsss &
smiths smaller Scripture History; for.. 2
IongI course. Smiths Old Testanlent HIS
torvt ana Smiths New Testament History il:tf.r
Ini Aacsent History: For short COURSE,
smiths srr,aIIer Ancient History OF Jne
E.st' and Schmitz's Manual OF. Ancient bis
tory Greece and Romeo; for long purse,
! SMITHS smaller Ancient History or tne
East, Smiths Greece, and LiddeIps Rome,
IN Modern History: For short course,
co1Iier,s Great Events Of History ana tne
Students Hume; for long course, tue Sts STU
DENTS Gibbon aud the Students Hume.
The presentation Of this report; elicltea an
| interesting discussion, shared Dy TIoies.
sor C.. L. Cooke. of Rollins InstitGte
DR.. F. Horuer, of -Fauquier; James VI; oai-
nett, NJ. A., President OF St: Johns Colless
i Annapolis; Professor. n. b. ep3tei, u
Norfolk; Colonel c. S: Venable; Oh !ne onat
yersity of Virginia; Mr. b: /; Jannes,, .,
the District of Columbia; Mr.. H. L, Carne
and Rev j. Little, of Alexandra; ffole TS.Ii
r :. Jovnes. of Washington and Lee UNI
ver.ty,: Mr.. J. X. Taylor, Of the Virginia
Norma, Institute, Loudoun; Mr. a., L.
Davies. of Bedford and Mr.. L, M., Black
ford! of the Episcopal High School,.
cnlopel yENABLE desired TO hear an ex-
preston of opinion as to the possible Faple
IF fiction. as in the Wayerley novels or
. Shakspeare's historical plays, ia intoxicating
the truths of history; and also to know IT
I ANYTHING could be done in this connection,
l. or otherwise, for The proper direction OF that
| fictitious reading id which the young are
sure to indulge q ''.'.,} - -, -r...
Messrs. *IR. L. sCARNE and L. n. BLACK
FORD agreed with Colonel Venable in think
ing the question raised by him among the
! most imuortant which those having charge
of voutb should consider. Mr.. 'Blackford
| was skeptical as to the value of historical
novels. He might accept Scott as useful m
this! connection, but was doubtful as to
Muhlbach.
Rev. j. LITTLE did not think any set of
textbooks could be chosen to suit all pupils
of the snnie age, though for the average pu-
/ nil those recommended by the committee
might answer. He thought any Textbook
| ia the bands of an incompetent teacher of
i little worth. .-.-
Professor N. B. WEBSTER spoke at some
length in favor of historical study, and
named various textbooks of value. His re-
marks indicated wide experience and enyia-
BILE familiarity with the subject unde" con-
sideration. f...
n MIR. B. II. JANNEY had heard the report OF
the committee with great interest, but wanted
information as to a judicious' course Tor pu,
pils less advanced than those contemplated
BY the report. ora ~ 'l..,. A.
i elimination made in the report just one,
and that the committee had discharged It's
functions in highly satisfactory manner.
Ar n. DAWES also liked the report,
hnt was very doubtful whether fiction could
in any way be made the helper OF historical 4
teaching.
professor JoYNEs was happy to hear the
noint rnised by Colonel Venable, and hoped
q committee would be appointed TO Report
| upon the subject at the next meeting OF the
| Association, It was useless to say children
Isho,,ld not read fiction. Imaginative ltera-
t,lre is AZ essential part Of their education,
they crave it, and will have it IN one form
or another. The true question for educa.
| tors is how to regulate this imaginative In.
| stiuct. to direct it into proper channels, and
to make it subsidiary to the intellectual and
moral education of the young, instead OF a
1 source of mere dissipation. Colonel Vena-
| BILE and himself could appreciate the impor-
| tancc of this subject with reference to their
own chidren-a view Of the subject which,
unfortunately, the author of the report under
consideration had never enjoyed.
With reference to the present question
the study of history-Professor Joynes said
we must distinguish between two stages Of
education-the stage Of information and the
stage of culture The first stage embraced
the purely elementary education, in which
the child must be furnished with store Of
necessary facts for future use or study. The
/ second involved the correlation and co0rdi-
.nation of such facts 2ins the course of philo-
]sophica study or culture. In the first stage,
! the study of history should begin with the
shistOry of our own country, and pass to the
other important facts of modern history as
/ mere matter of useful information. But in
the SECOND stage,-that contemplated in this
report-the stage of historical culture-all;
cient history should precede modern history;
and the reason of this, he would say, I'm
answer to Professor Cocke) was not only pc
lcause ancient history Is the foundation ,t OF
modern history, but because it is essentially
easier. It's elements are simpler; 1t IS more
| complete, more objective, and more lntelll-
1 eible. The best training for, the study OF
| modern history. which is so complex, IS
Efound in the simpler philosophy OF ancient
history. So. TOO, with respect to language.
In certain sense, for practical use and IN
| formation, English is the first language we
must study; in another sense, it is the last,
because 1t is for US the most difficult. He
who would study English or modern Ian.
guages philosophically must make his prepa-
ration in the study of the ancient languages,
lin which the general principles OF language
lare so much more clearly exhibited. Pro-.
lessor Joynes elaborated this point ut some
length. IN conclusion, he said the question
| as to epitomes would find Its answer, here.
For the elementary stage. epitomes are
| necessary as mere collections OF facts. For
the higher stage--that Of culture-they
| should as fur as possible be avoided. :1.i .a.
The report of the Committee on Histori-
1 cal Study was, on motion, received and the
committee discharged. .. 'a.'i.~'S 3. '.>is
| MATHEMATICS IN SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS.
The next report was from q committee
" On the ertents to iohtGh the mathematics
ought TO form part Of the curriculum in
schools for girls" The chairman, Professor
Il ~