New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-01
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

| 1uere are TWO SIDES 10 every question
and it should be no matter of surpris,
that in this question of compulsory educa
ton. we find that it has both its advo
Gates and its opponents-equally earnes
i'll their efforts. honest in their convic
tons, arguing for or against with equal
ability. and sustaining their respective
positions with powerful arguments. sup
ported by we'll attested facts.
Henry Ward Beecher says that "educa'
ton develops men and trains them: bu,
education and training never create any
thing. All the education in the world
does nothing but that which is in you. :
It will be admitted that 'the natural
faculties Of mind are Independent OF cir
cumstances. and where they exist as the
gift Of nature, their ultimate development
is certainty, and mere matter Of time.
4 gifted mind will overcome all obstacles,
and assert its supremacy over surround
ings no matter how unfavorable. :
The greatest minds that have Illuminated
the world have. in general. had the fewest
opportunities tor mental culture. The
projectile force Of intellect enabled them
to master and attain higher results than
any tedious system Of routine education
ever accomplishes."
The opponents Of popular education
argue thus: IA little learning is a dan.
gerous thing" and it may perhaps be
doubtful whether the average mind of tie
masses. inoculated on compulsion, with
the smattering which too often arrogates
to itself the name of education, is in real
ity benefited by it. Minds whose pre-.
dominant attributes are craft and cunning
imbibe just sufficient knowledge to sharpen
vicious propensities and make education
a stepping stone to further advancement.
The education which the masses are
capable of receiving is calculated to con-
vey false Impressions that can not be
erad4cated save by higher cultivation and
more profound thought than prevail.
among the populace. Weak intellacts,
cultivated, seek the gentle
manly professions of law and medicine,
casting fictitious glow in the halls O.
Congress and the chambers Of Justice.
pursuing a course for which they were
not designed by either nature or capacity.
while the worlds great workshop is
cheated Of competent laborers, fitted by
the dexterous hand for the artisans bench,
or By brawny strength for the black.
smiths shop. Thus the laboring fra:er.
nifty lose valuable members, and the pro.
fessions are disgraced by incompetent
lawyers and ignorant quacks.
From these and similar arguments they
infer that universal education indiscrini-
nately applied is rather detrimental than
beneficial to public morals, and that it is.
in fact, to this indiscriminate education of
the masses that may be ascribed the pres.
ent prevailing corruption. Educated GRIM
mails are the worst criminals, and their
power for mischief almost unlimited. It
IS claimed by them tina! crimes are com.
paratively rare among the 1lncivilized.
careless. uniformly isnoran: tribes Of
Africa.
But RICH! :ls.e. from tie very srgin,ent
adduced by the opponents Of compulsory
education. comes III al argumen. for its
advocates. If the uniformity Of igno:-
ance promotes a long grade Of unciyilized
would not an equal uniformity
IF culture promote al equal degree Of
elevated morality? II instead Of wallow.
ing in the sioughs Of ignorance. the
masses were raised to the high level of
intelligence and cultivation. would no: an
equality Of civilized. refined intellectual
morality ensue:
If It'll: .earnin: be a dangerous thing.
hen is it not imperative that that little be
augmented beyond the dangerous pointY
Il it is the sniatter;ns Of education thu:
fosters evil propensities. let that slna,.er-
ing be exchanged for thorough drilling
n some one line. be tina. wha: it may.
All need not seek the professions, adding
20 the ranks Of poor lawyers and incom-
De:ent Iuacks. Education Will impair.
skill and dignity to labor. The same ex-
penditure Of skill! and force. when intel
gertly applied, will produce very differ
ent results from the more muscular effo..
Of unskilled labor and unaducated toll.
By practical and theoretical knowledge Of
and artisan science, tie very
rades themselves may be elevated to the
Lightly o: professions. The combination
If ''brain and Drawn vii! produce very
different results from either one uuaiied /!
oy the other.
The phrase compulsory education" is
IN unfortunate one. People DO not Ike |
o be compelled to do anything; but |
children have rights as we'll as parents; |
md to the constitutional rights of life and !
liberty should be added that of educa-
ion. Parents have no more right to |
'tarve the minds of their children than
heir bodies. Every child has a right
. fair chance in life, but the ignorant |
nan has no chance at all. The doors to |
wealth and distinction are closed upon
1im. and he is doomed to poverty; and
poverty with aiH privations and heart
'u1njpgs and adespairs, too often DIVE |