The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-17
The Future of our Children.

FEths InielhEsDesT
When frat came into this country, u
vas the idea, that the German Language
should be the first taught German children
born in America. But IeonieSs ms luea
was 4 prediction Of our own, aprele!ehee
Tor our mo!her-tongue, and e1PeIleHls
has taught Us that it was an error 'e'!
grave and vital error.
The English language Is the mother,
tongue Of our children. II Is the accepted
and legal language Of the country. Every
5aed and document recorded in the courts,
eyerv bill and measure enacted by Con-
rress and the Legislature, every tEansae-
lion OF commercial character is framed
in the English tongue. For this reason,
and many Others Of a social nature this
dialect should receive the preference in
the education OF our children, and II
should be taught first and thoroughly BY
the method pursued in some hrst-class in
sti.utiou. 4 Smattering Of the language
with American. bOrn children on the
street, or at school, will not suffice; but to
prepare YOUR children Tor usefulness in
America, their knowledge Of the language
OF the land must be thorough and perfect
The English, not German, il the mother
tongue OF your children, and as they have
to DO with the institutions Of this eoun-
try, not the institutions Of their fathers,
that parent Is guilty OF culpable neglect,
who, in the tuition Of his sons, fails to
bestow upon them a thorough English
education.
The fire, chief and paramount object
attained, then may follow the study OF
German, French OF Italian, as the parents
or scholar may elect.
We have addressed ourselves more
particularly TO those parents WhOse
mother.tongue is the German, whose off
spring, born on the new side, must ma
turally adopt the English, because il Is
the common recognized Language OF the
country. ,,,
Do mol deprive tie future Of your ehildreal
nor your children Of he future. Do not
close the open doors Of high place and
preferment against them. This you do II
you permit their education TO lack this
fundamental pre.reqisite An intimate
knowledge Of the English tongue. Adieu
church.schoolsI 1t Is necessary as me-
dium Of correct business and social inter.
course; 1t is indispensable II you would
have your sons fill the honorable and In.
cratiye positions OF the country, TO which,
having claim in common with al, they
can only attain to by their ability to dis
charge the duties Of such positions with
credit to themselves and profit to their
employers.
But the subject has 4 wider scope, and
Is applicable to every language spoken
BY the different races Of men and taught
In our schools, that Is TO say by good
method The nations Of the earth no long
er exist apart, separate and distinct, com
municating at long intervals. They have
been brought nigh to each other by the
ocean telegraph, the steamship, and the
railroad. Commercial houses 10 America
have their branch agencies in every great
city Of Europe. The American In Ger
many must have knowledge Of the Ger
man; in France, Of the French, and So on
through the cosmopolitan range. In years
gone by, when there was less intercourse
between nations, which time ] recollect
yet, the study Of the languages might
well have been termed a genteel accom-
plishmeut Of little practical utility but in
this era Of close connections and constant
communication the accomplishment has
become a necessity-An indispensable
branch Of education as imperative IS the
branches OF reading writing, &c.
For so rapidly and far has the intel
lectual world progressed that young
man ignorant Of some language beside his
own Is rs helpless az he who is ignorant
Of the first rIdiments Of an English edn'
cation. NJ.