Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-10

dom to think, and labor, and worship
God as their consciences direct
Strong are the promptings of liberty;
so strong, indeed, that no despot has
ever succeeded in slnotherihg them
but for little while. You might as
well attempt to dam Niagara; to
quench volcano; to quiet tornado
or stay the mighty pillows of the ma
jestic ocean, as to attempt to crush
the sentiment of liberty out of the
human soul. / trust there is not a
teacher present who has the DISPOSE
ton to act the tyrant; but if there is
one, let me say to that one, your
cause is utterly hopeless.
1t requires a higher order of talent
to govern school through kindness
than through fear, for reason, tact,
judgment and real kindness of heart
are absolutely necessary; whereas, to
govern through fear, only finely
developed muscular system and few
lessons in pugillsm arc required
Brains in the fore part of the head
are only hindrance in this kind of
government.
Let us presume there would be an
occasional disturbance if the rod was
dispensed with entirely for those rea-
sons, the many preccdents of the old
system would be constantly before
us to delude, and then parents in ma
ny cases would not cooperate with
teachers; and then again, the school
laws, being faulty, would have to be
amended. 1t would not, perhaps, be
expedient, at this time, to abolish
corporal punishment altogether; but
the hearty cooperation of parents
with teachers would do much toward
softening the igors of school gov
eminent, and the determination on
our part, as teachers, to govern our
tempers, let the provocation to anger
be never so great, and that exalted
quality called patience being allowed
to have its own perfect work in all
things pertaining to our schools
would, without doubt, practically
abolish corporal punishment without
the intervention of Legislative enact
ment.
Every teacher as uHit in society
has something to do in giving char
acter to the institutions of society
His influence is good or evil accord
ing to his example and character in
the school room and elsewhere. If
he is cross and grabbed his pupils
will become in some degree like him,
unconscious to themselves, for chill,
dren are susceptible creatures, and
learn by example more readily than
by precept. If the teacher rules by
violence, his pupils will catch the
evil spirit and be likely to quarrel
and fight among themselves; where
as, those pupils who are ruled in
justice and moderation, will be pleas
anter and kinder to each other
Young and inexperienced teachers
generally use the rod more freely
than those of experience. The rea-
son, | think, is because the young are
more ardent and impulsive, aud con-
sequently less patient. They are apt
to be more eXacting, and each mem
Der of the school must obey on the
instant or blows follow. They get
excited when they should remain calm
blows follow the commission of
very slight errors. This injustice
rouses vengencc in the heart of the
pupil, and he resolves to make the
teacher all the trouble he can He
will try to influence other pupils
against the teacher, and thus a rebel
lion may be inaugurated through
single injudicious act on the part of
the teacher. Every blow the pupil
receives is direct appeal to his com
batlveness and destructiveness, which
in nine cases out of ten are too large
already, and should be kept quiet in
stead of being cultivated by being
aroused. Every time we appeal to
child's combativeness and destruc-
tiveness, we appeal to his selfish and
animal nature, while, Oh the other
hand, when we appeal to his sense Of
justice, his benevolence, his reason,
we appeal to what will exalt and en-
noble him. The former plan of gov
eminent will produce discord and de-
formity of soul, while the latter will
tend to symmetry and harmony Of
soul. Whenever we see child no.
torious for bad qualities, we conclude
he has had hard usage from some
body, and though that hard usage be
from parent, associate or teacher, or
all combined, they are teachers to
him, and have their influence on his
heart and mind.
What is education, and who are
our teachers? Education, as | under
stand the term, is very comprehen-
sive one. 1t does not mean instruc-
ton only, for instruction is that part
of education which furnishes the
mind with knowledge.
Education, as usually defined,
means the drawing out or develop
ment of the mind, the cultivation of
the heart, the establishing of good
principles. This is good education.
"A Diu tuuCdolOll 10 tilC StOI tlllS.
Therefore, every influence, whether
good or evil, that Is brought to bear
upon the mind from birth to death, is
an educator and helps to determine
the matured character; but especial
ly upon the young and rapidly-devel-
oplng mind of childhood do these in
fuences have terrible significance.
Two persons may be equally learned,
and one be noble and good, while the
other is mean, dishonest, and vicious.
The first cultivated his heart along
with his mind, while the other neg
lected that culture entirely, or had
been soured in disposition by unllnd
treatment of some kind. Every per-
son is educated in some manner
The vagabond children in the city of
New York, who never saw the inside
of a school-room, are educated to be
thieves, pickpockets and burglars
They grow to manhood clad i'll the
habillaments of beggary, and receive
| l,,t he