New-York tribune., 1875-02-24
THE PENN MONTHLY.
o,,nsox nv NArroNAI EDUCATION.

nnor THOMPSON ON NATIONAL EDUCATION
40. THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF the fk'SoSN'' J
Pun ApEIPHIN, Feb. 16.-ln the Muoh nun
ser Of The Penn Monthly appears the seoono v -
:, excellent articles by Prof Thompson OF tne CuE %
.itv Of pennsylvania on National Euecsuon' -,
.sper the importance OF incorporating ih our - .,
school system such studies and training as wiz .hor
s,.ate men for their place In the body pohc Is o
.nghv discussed Tho writer complains ina. '"e io ~
t,on of the character Of the young tne ~ ao'oiop =.
them of the love OF righteousness, anu '"0 'o
ma, law order and authority Is only very
and merely incidental part OF the traui"k @'o'pN
sNr. n line of teaching which concerns mst'ors
:, ,,o,o importance TO society than all the or
..- nranehes Of KNOWLEDGE put together, Is
xnentIv allowed to occupy the very lowest piaoo
=, tho list anu 10 have no formal provision msoe ior
Ar and nothing is attempted but incidental teaening'
h,oh Is introduced omitted at the pleasure oi 'he
instructor. and which lie probably more generally omit
red than introduced. The development Of the ethica
Aaea IN the child IL argued be best
.ot nv pouring into his mind vast quantity OF mora
information Ibut by awakening IN the mlno lseh 'ne
anception Of righteousness and clearing away, as iar
"A possible the eOnfusons and miss that surround 'ha
and the true textbooks for such teachings
win not be in manuals OF morality but In the exam
MES Of lust men, As materials for such teaching Pro
Tnompson strongly recommends Plutarchs Lives when
he says are worth all the moral eompendiums the woro
has ever SEEN There should also. he says De s'uou
and read in schools some similar body OF ploHi"
phies OF the great and good men OF the moueih
world written with the same breadth Oh sym
patty and love Of all things excellent ana oi
GOOD report. Such work might pe coh-
ped by recoating and careful treatment from BOOKS
bke Assers Life of Alfred" Eadmers OF Anselm Elm
aards OF Karl the Great Joceyns story OF Abbot samp
son Roper Life OF More" the three biographies Dy
Isaac Walton. that OF Luther by his friend Mattnesus
that Of Feneon by Ramsay that OF johnson oy boswell
xtanleys Life Of Arnold" the Life OF Nlebuhr anu
Bulwer would have add, that OF Robert Hall py DE-
Gregory Materials for others would be found In Ful-
lers "worthes Of England" the Bollandist LIVES OF
the Saints" the works OF Thomas Carlyle, ChaIles
Kingsley, John Henry Newman, and indeed, & every So
without her quota, for the auto99grapGGy OFT Gy,,d, Ts
Life OF Isaac T. Hopper" are among the most 19ngI, ~
fHl and instructive OF biographical WORKS the
the od Testament for such rs Is az once
more effective attractive IN style more popuiaL
more profound ana YET Scis apS pncpe that this
education aims to give, than any ancient Putarcn ever
exclusion OF the Old Testament from the schools ns
earnestly protested assSSE sHo in his course
the eA study Of Righteousness. 1t should be not not
only read by the principal bnt stna!eu " y1s ,no
The same large and wide attention TO each book as
whole the same effort to foster the friendship OF books
MIion should receiye Next to IL as the best teacher
of national morality Prof Thompson would put history
of this nation, written the principles ana win
the sympathy The present school histories he con
dems part Of that pernicious literature Of oragSa
pdOcio "by which our brief but very honorable
history has been made ridiculous and divested OF al
mower over the Imagination, SO that our CULTIVATED
classes driven to Europe for the scenes OF historic
Interest and association which they no longer ma al
home"
Other valuable articles IN the present number OF me
Penn Monthly are " The Hygiene Of the Eve considered
IN reference the Children in our Schools BOIoglcaI
Research in the United States" and Epoehs OF HIS
tory" The nOticeaOy clear and intelligent discussion
of The events the day in department called Ihe
Month";" is of the best features OF the magazine