The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-22

medal sometimes for weeks and weeks.
Now this may be small thing in itself,
but it contains the element which pro-
duces great results in young minds.
Unfortunately, at the end of two years
my father was not very well satisfied.
He thought L ought to have learned
more, and in order to teach me more
he carried me to Washington.
"Ofall the schools that came into my
experience the school at Washington
was the most droll. 1t was kept in a
branch of the Treasury Department by
very worthy gentleman, a Scotchman,
very excellent gentleman; but after
leaving the Latin School / was a little
surprised when l saw that in the school
every boy did pretty much as he liked.
As to lessons, why, that was a matter of
no consequence. As to the boys, they
were walking up and down the room
entirely unconscious of the master, and
the master equally unconscious of them.
| can conscientiously say that during
the time | spent in that school | never
learned anything at all A few months
later the school broke up of itself. Then
my father proposed to me that | should
90 to DR.. Ironside's house, and 90 as a
private scholar. In that way spent
about six months, and the only profit |
had in regard to that matter was con-
versation that l had in a friendly way
with him. When | remarked to him
that did not. think his order of disci-
pline had been very good, he said:
My dear sir, l could not have kept
those scholars one day if l had been a
man of any strictness, because their
fathers would have taken them all
away From Washington was trans
ferred to Cambridge, and there | spent
four years which constitute the college
term. | shall not 60 into any analysis
of the system. will say that, though
the teachers did not teach me, l learned
a great deal, and | think in this a good
rule is seen-not to drive person who
is not disposed to learn some studies
which he cannot comprehend, but leave
him to take his own choice of the
studies which he can comprehend. DR..
Kirkland reported to my father that !
was strange sort of person; that in my
studies L was very good in one or two,
classics particularly, but very bad in
arithmetic and mathematics, and that
he had had occasion to observe that
was great reader in the college library.
Well, now, you see, under these circum-
stances, what can l say about educa-
ton? Therefore declare myself unable.
| have no doubt that the President has
had experience enough already-though
he has not been long time in his place
to speak of the great diversity in
which it is necessary to apply the prin-
ciples of education to the persons to be
taught. do not believe in the posi-
bility of drilling classes as you drill
soldiers. The true mode of teaching,
in my humble opinion, is, as far as it is
practicable for the teachers themselves,
to apply to each individual those ele-
ments by which he can himself prosper
and carry on the studies which interest
him with success. Having thus gone
through this experience, can only say
that | look back now, and | shall to my
dying day look back, to the two years
that | spent in the Latin School as the
two years which have saved me from
not being anything during life"