Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-09-24
German In our Public schools
10 the Editor Of the Mfeiiigencer:
trLo t...i.:,, nr f%Sar,nu. tuutruuon

U l
the Editor Of the Mteiiigencer:
The teaching or Gerinan Language
IN our public schools has been dis
russed for q number of years both
~ a matter of eeomomy and strict jus.
tice to our Anglo mcricnn popnla-
ton. LII ST. Louis, where the Ger
man population Is. almost equal t"
the American, the following concln-
sion seems TO have been reached al
last. ms the result of long experience
and careful consideration. IL is so
Just aud SO we'll adapted to our local
i,y that we commend IL to orr
Board of Education as Il wise su2-
gesiion. and hope 10 sec some change
of the Kind Tor the better IN our cit!
q .hools. II wonld reduce our school
expenses very materially and would
advance tho pupils in an English ed
u%caiion in no small degree:
We do not undrrratc the value oi
the German rs n language possessing
attributes that recommend u TO al
who ran afford To acquire IT. IL j.
rapidly growing in esteem amongst
Americans, as an accomplishment.
and may ut no distant day ocrury III.
position that the French is censinr
to occupy. Put W. cannot teach MI
valuable things in a system ct com
mon schools; we cannot afford even
to teach all useful languages. Ii We
could, we should have TO introduce
the French along with the German.
aud. alter n while, probably The
Italian. Swedish. and even the
Chinese. too. 1t is the misfortune. il
misfortune il be, Of our German fell
low-citizcus that they do not live III
Gcrinanv-as surnr of them ut time,
seem In1lincd tn persuade themselves.
They live in America. and h ham
HUa-c Of this country Is English.
This is the language of cn'nino''
schools. and it. ought to he strictly
miintaincd as the sole anti exclusive
language of them. No foreign tongue
Gn-ilt to be permitted to share it,
ri"Iiiui and necessary empire in on!
system OF public primary education,
for this would iniroducc confusion
and lead to mischief. Onc Of Nh
first duties Of The GGrmruS in this
country is - insc their language a.
an CNclrs,rc method OF CnminH;i.c.t
tiUu. - well as their naiiUns!,ty-
al. HIS they will surely DO, Ill spite
Iof all the efforts of I'll" German pres
AID Gcrmnn-born Germans TO pre-
vent it. The effort to prevent ca;
result in nothing but irritation. l"caI
"<iran9emicli, aud failure III last
The iauguagr il winch tic laws ol
the country and its pubi:c documents
are written is the onlI oii" tina
should be taught in the publ,
-chcn!+, ami the sun!Icr tH!- tact Il
tarIniuScrr! il, the more easily anr
successfully ciil the franstorinn'io,
of natiuEa.ities going on here b'
a:taCicti.
HE teaching of German in tn
~-r.ianiS, exc 10 the prc~"E; !i;nl'e'
extent. is attended viii, ii III 'nlil
and srii!- arrangement, - we icart
from ;a.scp ~criiiie,rtcni's las! report
THESE result partly from HE attemI
to impress ,Go languages On tit
i.:i.Ls OF young pupils ut the sau,'
li,u,", aud partly from the difler"n
auiltu,icS OF American II German
scholars for the respective languages
AmrrIc.a chil,irru nave air"a y az
IIirru he arbitrary habit OF think
unm and speaking in IN !lr-GaEr
md many a. Ne trrm"n ciilt:ici
have acquires; 81 arbitrary ha'.i %
thinking and spe"SiiG in aa"thc!
an.! the classification u. !a,-r pupil
and the arrangement ct lessons $
that German Instruction SHALL no
C nfl,c, with Eugii>u, are r%lit:irul'i"
which. after seven wears ctt,,t. hay
mot vet icrn surInnuutra. Th">
difiicli,ics inc-cx>. with TIE nunh-
of Au.ricin lui l. VIII" desire. +
stud, German. 1hc superintendent.
i'll lis last report says:
II am sorry la say HAT the fnrina
ton Of Ar-lu-.AIucrican GvrEar
classes in tHc four lower grades !
> likely TO destroy al. that inS bee,
gained in CLASSIFICATION up 10 this iiun,
lErrInau-A n:nrirrn ;lil.ii, speak i:"I
.nan :ts Il native tongue. and hence
i easy tor ;h"m To pass over fro;
this Hnire u~iic"r.rinus use al III
Language to Il reflective knuwtrdg
: of It's structure as learned in tn
:. -ram,nar. The Anglo huc,ica
pupil, whose ,iatiyc nigne l. Eng
lisl,, ~aa,rnachi> the study Of III" :irl
man language a- Il foreign tCHgat
which lie must learn reflective.
/ through Il study of is g~rammaati":
character. lis accir!cncr is quite dill
: :icu!t tor him 10 acquire. In" arb!
= TRACY system of "rudrrS and the dt
uemirur. Of The forms OF the ~ar;icl,
=: and %adirrti,rs upon the sane r"ndc