New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-07

child that has to listen every day to such q
profusion Of emptiness becomes hardened
by this scOlding process, and will readily
indorse the recommendation of the black
smiths son. A blacksmith, it is said, who
had been accustomed to scold his family
quite too freely, was one day attempting to
harden a piece of steel; but failing after
two or three attempts, his little son, who
had been an observer of this as well as
other operations of his father, is said to
have exclaimed, "Seold it, father scold it;
if that won't harden it, nothing else will
But we close the list of improper pun
ishments without saying anything of ridi-
cule, which should never once be men
toned among school punishments; nor Of
badges of disgrace, which tend to break
the spirit and demean the pupil; nor of
any other punishment which alienates the
affections of the child. 1t will suffice to
say that they are all highly improper, and
we gladly turn from them to "a more ex-
cellent way"
I'VE would persuade their hearts to obey.
With midest zeal proceed;
And never take the harsher way
When love will do the deed.
l hasten now to proper punishments.
Among the first OF those punishments
which should denominate proper is
The Sympathy of Numbers.-This is
measure that, prudently used, will do in a
school what, without such principle, the
parent can not do at home. If, for in
stance, at the cOmmittal of a transgression
of moral kind, such as stealing, lying,
evil speaking, which are common among
children, the teacher, before the infliction
of punishment, will secure the sympathy
of the entire school by forming kind of
Jury trial, causing the pupils to sit as
Jury in the cause, and to convict, if convic-
ton is the result, in their judgment. of the
transgression, it will be felt q most severe
punishment to the culprit, and a barrier to
the commission of such offenses to all.
Another plan for the punishment of ordi-
nary misdemeanors is to threaten the child
calmly, yet firmly, that he will be taken
from his desk, or eeat, and made to stand
by himself on the floor while the exercises
proceed This ia sometimes felt severely,
and almost uniformly the culprit ceases his
misconduct, but if the offense is repeated
and he be actually ordered out from his
scat, it is rare, if the process is calmly and
properly conducted by the teacher, in pres
ence of the school, that the child is not q
penitent, before he reaches the floor; and
then may be q proper time, tenderly, yet
firmly, to exercise the whole class, or all in
the school, as well as the offending party,
on what is the otfense and the cause of
punishment.
After remaining for a certain time ac-
cording to circumstances, the child is per-
mitted to return to his seat, the otfense of
oLe atfording an opportunity for morally
training the whole.
3 And Reproof.-This is method which
doubt not will be admitted by all, for re-
proof judiciously administered is one of the
most etfectual punishments that can be
used, especially so when administered
privately, for though the child's spirit of
obstinacy is likely to exhibit itself some
times in the presence of his feEowe, yet in
private the conscience is free to act, and
the child very readily submits. | have
known reprOof administered in this man.
ner to have the same salutary effect even
on adults. Taken by themselves, We spare
their reputation, and this very circum-
stance gives access to their better feelings.
Therelare also other mild kinds of punish
ments, such as deprivation of privileges,
humiliation and restraint, all appealing to
the pupils higher nature. rarely harming,
but on the contrary admonishing him to
cease to do evil and "tO learn to do well" "
But then, there are cases that demand
severer punishment; as, when the teachers
authority is questioned, or he is set at
defiance, or disobedience is willful, and the
like, then actual chastisement with the rod
NAV be necessary, and have no hesitation
in numbering this among proper punish
ments. The teacher should, however, ex-
ha ust ali other means, have care to be
cool and -possessed-shOuld have no
other motive than the child's good-a
proper instrument and proper mode OF
infection should be adopted. No heavy and
hurtful weapon should be used-a light
rule or strap for the hand, and a rod for
the back.
We tread carefully on this ground, for
we know it is debatable, and We admit that
there may be schools that may be govern ed
and teachers that may govern without the
use of the rod, and we fully and heartily
indorse that clause OF the school Law that
awards preference to the teacher that can
govern his school without resorting to the
rod. But when we consider the many and
adverse influences that pervade the COM
munity and that press upon the schools.
the common disregard there is for law and
order. and the recklessness of youth every
where-when we think of the great respon-
sibility we take in training the youth OF to-
day, and how that in after years they shall
cherish our memories, and condemn or
approve the course we took with them. We
can not, think, cast away the greatest of
restraints, nor pronounce the continuance
Of the rod impracticable.
This mode of punishment, however,
should be the last resort, and the teacher
should not apply the rod on every trivial
offense-nOt until he is convinced that 1t IS
stern necessity, and that the nature OF the
case demands it.
There are in our schools as much diver
sity of character and disposition as there
are Of features, and while some might, by a
look, be awed into submission, or melted by
reproof, or made penitent by loss of privi-
lege, or sOftened by restraint. there are
others who would stand the test of all these
Ordeals and yet remain iDtiexible.
1t is, then, with the teacher to restrict or
continue the use of the rod as the gardener
using the pruning kn,fe-only as it is nec-
essary-"training up the child in the way
he should 60, SO that when he is old he may
not depart from it,"
What noble work to be engaged in!
How high q calling! Very truly, teachers
are patriots. The teacher that makes him
self sacrifice and his life work an offering
at the altars Of humanity lives when he is
dead-lives in the man, the scholar, the
statesman whom he trained in his school,
academy or college; lives in hearts that
will never forget to beat in gratitude to
his memory, and in breasts that have
raised q monument to his memory more
enduring than brass or marble, more valu-
able than all the wealth of Cr9sus, and
more truly precious than all the diamonds
of Queen Charlotte. His name is laden
with honors, and "children's children shall
rise up to call him blessed"
Mr.. L. Bourges was the next speaker. He
believes that punishment has different et-
tects on different pupils. As the world
grows older the rod disappears, the same
as capital punishment is out of favor in the
minds of many, and milder forms of pun
ishment are adopted. The rod should be
the last resort, and in any case he prefers
expulsion from school. Inflicting punish
ment entails good and bad consequences.