Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-11-23
Educational subjects.

LECTURE BY SECRETARY NoRrHRoP OF coSSEcT1-
CUT, YESTERDAY.
large meeting Of the Teachers Institute was
held at ~ o'clock, yesterday, at Public School |
No. /, and addressed by Hon. D. G. Northrop, |
Secretary Of the Board of Education Of Connec-
tcut on the kindergarten or ''object' system Of
teaching children. lie illustrated the subject
with number Of objects designed to develop
and train the senses Of young children, and ex-
planned the methods adopted in the Kindergar-
ten schools Of Europe. He closed his lecture At
about half past five o'clock.
III the evening, at West Presbyterian Church,
there was large and apprecatiye audience,
though the house was not crowded. MIR. Nor
throp, who has travelled extensively and observ
ed closely, in Europe, spoke on the topic "The
New Era in Europe, and Its Lessons for U.s.
lie was listened to with the deepest interest, and
all present enjoyed the lecture as rare intellec
tIal treat. In our necessarily brief notice, we
eau only give general outline of the lecture
which nothing but full report could do justice
| to.
Reconstruction, the Doctor said was the spirit
Of the age, and the day OF mere dogmas had
passed away before the general spread of light
and knowledge. The prevailing ignorance
/ amongst the masses Of the English people
deplorable and was exciting the fears of many
| of the leading statesmen of Great Britain, while
the pauperism Of England was in proportion to
| tue ignorance OF the people, and from
| 1860 to 1870, increased one Thousand per cent.
This ID easily accounted for when it becomes
known that the one half of England belongs to
l4l persons, and one half of Scotland belonged
| t. u persons. This could not he the case where
education was properly disseminated, and in hap
py contrast with this picture was that Of Swift
zerland with her free schools. England spent
five times more for the support OF paupensm
than for education. Switzerland paid seven
times more for education than for the support
OF paupers
The Lecturer had fallen in love with switzer-
land the hrst time he ever saw 1t, aud not foi
her lakesgor rivers, her,mounteins or her glaciers
but for the independent spirit OF her citizens,
and her splen1id system Of free schools.
OF her citizens i60, GOO we're landhoders, and
when the Prussiau Army crossed a corner OF
} her territory to invade France, 900 men con
fronted the Invaders, and lUO,00U more were on
the way. The national motto Of Switzerland
I was All for One, One for All"
England found herself outstripped at the Pari,
n Exposition by France, and nearly all others oil
= the Continental nations after which she myes
tigated and attributed the failure to the wan
! ofgeneral education.
Austria learned lesson at the battle ol
, Sadowa, where her defeat was attributed
! more to cultivated brains than TO the needle
= gun. Count Won Beust the Austrian minister
s taking in the situation said Austria defeated il
II arms, it is ours TO cultivate the arts Of peace
II and not, like France seek revenge Austril
was now making more rapid advance in educa
ton than any other country in Europe excep
Switzerland.
The battle Of Sedan set the French to think
ing and they too were now discussing the pow
err of brute force aud education.
E. He then referred to the educational progres
made in Russia, where Is, 600 schools have beel
10 established, and in Italy, where great work i
needed to be done. In concluding, he spok
ie particularly of the handsome specimens of draw
a. ing he had seen at No. school, aud favorabl
referred to the schools of this city.