, 1877-04-21
Our National Education.

country SIM huldS low rank IN the
scale of education that ignorance has
crown up among US more rapidly than
knowledge that the wise projects Of
the founders of the republic have never
been tulillcd that we are still without
q national system OF public instruction.
Already the European nations are nd.
vlncmg before uS, and arr preparing
themselves for real freedom. while we
liugcr, lost in political and petty con
tests. forgetting the chief requirements
at progress. Even England is now bet.
Ter educated than America, and it is
probable that the new generation of the
English, Scotch, and Irish, and possibly
the Welsh, will all he carefully taught
the clements of knowledge The Eng
Isb government within the past eight
years has devised plan of general edu-
cation tn t has proved signal success.
1t was long opposed by the ruling caste
and the ruling Church, and has been
forced into action amidst the bitter en-.
nifty of the land-holders and the rcac.
tjonary nobility. Nowhere, it is said,
Is the national school master more un.
popular than among the wealthy mag.
natcs Of the rural districts; and in every
rustic village his certain antagonist, with
some generous exceptions, is the village
priest. But the liberal advocates OF the
educational law have pressed on their
measure with wonderful energy, and al
ready there has been decrease in the
criminal population OF the towns. The
English act is still impertect-a compro
mise with It's bitter foes. But it is com.
pulsory, universal is designed to become
wholly unscctarian, and at last, perhaps.
wholly free.
The energy with which the English
educators have pressed on their lavori;e
scheme is worthy of the imitation OF
Americans. We have still an Illiternte
population of 5000 900. We have in
stitutions that depend for their success
upon the education Of the people But
our efforts in the cause of knowledge
within the past eight years have been
clearly surpassed by the educational re-
N Ennlnn1 IL L. Al
for the first time the English Parliament
"A Liberal One--pnssed the law ot gen
eral and public instruction. At that
time it was estimated that two.thirds OF
the English people ot suitable age
could neither read nor write. In Lon.
don, immense, splendid, the commercial
center of the world, at least 100, 900
children, an army of paupers aud Grim
inalS, could find no places in the various
charitable or voluntary schools. 1t was
in London that the School Board began
It's earliest, its unprecedented labors,
and in the course of six years q wonder
tu change has passed over the busy cap.
tal. In the facilities Ofetucation it has
already become almost ms well cared for
as New England village. From utter
destitutlon it has risen almost at once to
unrivaled prolnsion. The London School
Board, composed Of the representatives
ot the various classes of the metropolis,
has performed series of labors that
seem almost incredible. Week after
week, day after day, its energetic mem
hers have assembled to carry out their
plans and perfect their work. They met
for several years in richly decorated
room in GuiIdhall The walls were
crowded with portraits and pictures,
hut they were neurly all the symbols of
medieval warfare, of princes and con.
qucrors, and seemed to look down with
harharic distliin upon the earnest men
who were planning only the modest vic
tories of peace, A meeting of the Lon
don School Board was always a striking
and instructive scene. It's various castles
mingled harmoniously iii their common
aim. There were one or two Liberal
lords who lent their ren talents to the
cause OF knowledge There were two
members Of the working class, quick, in
telligent, active, polite, who never sui
iered the interests Of the people to be
intringcd without a vigorous protest.
Mr. Lucraft and Mr. Potter were not
surpassed intellectually by any OF their
as,ocntcs. Several cultivated and dig.