Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-06-27

Some llh vile copper prize to exa!i on niei
And sons entice with piltsnce small Of praise
And other ,ome with baleful sprig she Trays.
With us as elsewhere the notion has
been too prevalent that a very small
amount Of education suficed for the
conduct of district school; that these
schools are the legitimate support O
Young lneu and women while preparing
for some other vocation; the natura
aud appropriate asylum for broker
down professional men, aud indolen'
citizens. This idea takes 10 note OF
the early ard striking development OF
many children of the same age. know
it has been customary from the days OF
Roger Ascham to the present time to
decry youthful precocity, to pronounce
any unusual and early manifestations OF
mental power as unnatural aud prema-
ture, a precursor Of early decay aud un-
likely to bear final and heathful fruit.
- . And while do not deny that
many of the greatest minds IN human
history have been slow in their develop
ment, aud that unusual industry and
natural vigor do frequently make up in
after life the early waste of time aud
want of culture, ] do avow without
qualification that every field OF intellec-
tual effort abounds in names Of men
whose subsequent greatness was early
toreshadowed by the most astonishing
precocity. Among orators, see Demos
themes gaining his first laurels at the
age Of Il, in legal contest with fraud
uient guardians, behold the boy Ciceros
astonishing brightness and see his play
fellows drawing their parents 10 the
village school by the marvellous stories
which they carried home of his great
mental teats. Recall the glorious mill
tary successes Of Alexander, Hannibal
and Napoleon in their opening man.
hood. The greatest names in modern
Philosophy, Physical and Metaphysi-
cal, are Francis Bacon and Rene Des
cartes; the first was the wonderful boy
of the court of Elizabeth, who threw oil
the bonds OF the Aristotelian system
and struck out the main ideas of his
Novum Organum before he was l6
years Of age; the latter was equally not
ed as n youthful prodigy and was dub
bed the young Philosopher at an age
earlier than many children learn 20 read.
Grotius the father OF international law,
distinguished counsellor, Ii. d., and
member OF the French Academy at
16. William Pitt was leader of the
British Parliament at 20, aud Macaulay
wrote his celebrated essay on Milton
while law student; Ovid Pope, Chat
terton, aud Coleridge, all known TO
fame before they were as old ~ many
of our primary scholars, and John Stuart
Mill tells US that he began the study Of
Greek at 8, and at ! years OF age had
read most of the Latin Classics, These
instances taken at random from hosts
of others show that genius and intellect
NAV sometimes blaze forth in the merest
child and warn us Of the necessity OF
committing our young minds to those
who may discover and appreciate Its
first indications, whethe, ii be the faint
spark or the full flame. This was well
understood by Philip of Macedonwhen
Immediately upon the birth Of his son
Alexander he wrote 10 engage the
great Aristotle rs bis tutor, saying, Il
am not so thankful TO the Gods for Civ
ing me a son as for having given him
to me in the time Of Aristotle.
Hence, We see the dignity and impor
tauce OF early instruction and how com
pletely the success of our school system
depends upon her elementary schools
Now the great want OF West Virginia
to-day is teachers for her primary
schools. Read the reports Of every
State Superintendent, consult the local
officers and while you may hear that
this need is felt in one place and that
difficulty encountered in another, the
the Macedonion cry that comes up from
every mountain and valley in the State,
that is echoed from Jefferson to Green
brier, and from Greenbrier ~ the Pan
Handle is, "Give us more good, trained,
earnest, educated teachers. When
over 2000 school houses were suddenly
opened in the State it created 4 demand
for teachers for which there was natu-
rally no supply; material good, bad, and
Indifferent had to be used, and the same
demand, owing to the increasing mum
Der OF schools, remains to-day but little
abated. If then the hope OF our people
is their district schools, the success of
our district schools is involved in the
measures taken to provide them with
teachers. What these means should be
l have no difficulty in answering. The
answer of common sense and the expe-
rience Of every State in which public
schools have proved successful are that
seminarics for the education and train
ing of Enthusiastically called Nor
NAL Schools-are as necessary and in
dispensable adjuncts of the system as
are school houses aud books Of instruc-
ton. This is the testimony Of Prussia,
France, Scotland, aud every State in
this country in which public schools
have prospered and attained any high
level OF usefulness. Shall then the
State of West Virginia expcnd over
half million dollars annually upon her
district schools and with false economy
and lack of intelligence refuse the pal
try thousands necessary to maintain in
situations which are the very life and
springs of her district schools 2 If we
were called upon TO appropriate hun
dreds Of thousands rs other States are,