The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-21

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1877.
We have had reason for boundless
contentment in Washington this week,
for, besides the common blessing of
congress, we have been favored with
the presence of a national convention of
pedagcgues, and Bob Ingersoli, all har-
bingers of sweetness and light. | say
pedagoS ucs advisedly, for, while many
Of them aspire to be pedants. few have
sufficient learning for that distinction.
Our public schools. In so far as they
teach the poor boy or girl to read, write,
aud compute, deserve to be sustained,
but as all asylum for quacks who have
failed, or never dared to compete i'm
those walks of life where attributes of
robust manincss are required, the
schools take precedence even of the Ma
lional Treasury department. Concciy-
ing il to be the duty of your correspond
ent, have attended some of the meet
ings of the National Convention of Edu-
cation, and have always come away
with disgust rs deep rs that which a
healthy man feels after listening to bun
conbe in the House of Representatives
They read iutcrininable papers on school
discipline, methods of teaching, super
ntcndcnce, courses of study, ETC., and
then they have what is called discus
sion on the subject of the last paper
read. Tho papers, as a rule, are so
hnckneyed and pointless, that no editor
could afford to publish them; and the
discussions are little more than cant
about moral suasion, and moulding per-
feet men and women. Heaven pity
these narrow-chested, scant-brained,
slim-souled journcymcn educators, and
protect, as much as possible, the rising
generation from the influence of such
models and such artists.
A man from Boston read paper on
teaching mechanics in schools. The es-
say was weak, and full of the common
est truisms about tho mechanical pow
ers. He demonstrated, as though it
were something abstruse, how boy
was taught to make scrcw-how he
used the vice, and how he filed the
thread. The whole mystery was about
this: When n great philosopher desir-
ed to eat cherry, he took it between
his thumb and fingers and opened his
mouth Ginagine "a man from Boston
initiating the action of a phlosopher) g.
The rationale of which was that cherries
were made to eat, and the mouth to
open. And yet, half score of asses
pretended to be interested in the matter
and inquired with affected earnestness,
'How long did II take the boy to make
he screw" What kind of screw did
he make at firstr" And other ques-
lions of like Stiffness; the discussion of
which involved i'll deeper confusion the
next question, as to how, how long,
whether, why, and wherefore, a boy
would convey cherry to his mouth. |
would not make the impression that all
the men of this convention are as petty
as the prophet from Boston, and the ma.
jority. There were present, men of
broad and general information, men not
merely of one book nor of mere text
books, but of other books. Some of
these men were here, but they sat silent
and kept up deal of thinking. 1t
seems to be fatality of our age and in
situations, that only 9uacks and pretend
ers come to the front; demagogues in
politics, pedagogues in education. If
we had no more encouraging landmark
of progress than the average claptrap,
public school educator, we might doubt
whether the world had made much adj
vancement since clustered philosophers
racked their minds OH the question as
to how many souls could stand on the
point of a needle.
Bob Ingersoll delivered his lecture on
LIBERTY" to a large audience in Lin
coin Hall. Judging from the cabinet
ministers, members of congress, litera-
teurs. ladies and lawyers, that went to
hear him, and from their close attention
and finrucnt applause, his lecture wns