The Newtown bee., 1879-05-27
OUR GALA DAY.
Clergy, Professors and Teachers, with their Friends, Meet at
 NewtOwn.
WHAT WAS SAID AND DONE AND HOW THE CITIZENS ENTER
TANNED THE GUESTS.

brtSht,the night dewS seemed to nave uls- appeared sooner than usual, about the streets the little knots of gossipcrs fore told that something was to happen some more than ordinary event was to take place. And when old Sol had reached the zenith of his glory, and all the quiet village had concluded that the day would certainly "keep up, this fact was fully realized.
 The little school boys, who to all ap- pearances during the sehool-days take delight In receiving and studying lessons, scanned moro at ease, and some, uncon- seious of the mission ofso many dissemi- nators of knowledge to the youthful wished their stay prolonged, or in fact anything that would tend to have them ''ioose from school"
 shortly baforo 10 o'clock the special train from Bridgeport arrived, bringing about l20 teachers, male and female. All loohed we'll and seemed to enjoy the very mir as soon as they alighted from the steam cars. And no wonder, Newtown looked more beautiful than ever; and with the kind hospitality and friendly groeting extended the visitors indeed tho day must have seemed to them one of real pleasure.
 At about 10 o'clock the greater portion of the teachers with their friends and many wcll-wishers of the rapid growth of education had entered the basement of tho Trinity Church and few minutes 1x,, sl,s. Chairman, NIT. Somes, after which Roy. Mir. HnskinS delivered the following OK qulsite address of welcome: .rr Ladies and Gentleman, Teachers of Faira old coun- ty.-In behalf of the teachers of Sewtown. come you to our hills and homes, and we trust also to haads and hearts IT we fail in ef- forts to ,ko your short stay agreeable and prof itAble as you ought to expect. wc trust you will undorst uG thatit is be auscour heads are not as large as our hrarts. and that thoy want educating Aui developing. An if our home accom s,odat tious arc not as extensive our hells-I believe New town has tho honor oT being of the largest ter rtorialy in the Statc- is possibly due to the fact tn t our fathers tn uRht m rc of their stock than ofthcr children. But wo of Newtnwn born to 1.-Two anI learn, anal rust that all before arc convinccsl or that they will be if they continue in
 
 Please consider us in ignorance and mpcrfcc- tiona your humble disciples and teach Rbetter way. Bu certainly do not wish one of you to go home disappointed dissatisfied or without hay ing reoeived all you came for. If therefore you find nothing in ts old town whose is now a misnpncr, worthy of exercising vour Initiative fac uty. trust you will not neglect the inqnisitive no"h you don't see what you want ask for 1t. aud n you dJn't understand the why of anything Sou soc. ask the req on why" Tho inquisitiy, faculty is of higher intellectual grade than the ni tiative. which may he ouc reason why the Yankc, inind stands where il does. Was n Yankec-a Coapss.ifp te e aRRSa RG df. fir Gsir . ,A nj
 Dat serious,y my dear Christian friends teachers of fairnsld County, and other friends We arc all trust glad to see you, because selfish cnough to believe that we shall be benefited by what you VI to impart. Ton have come together to con siisr some questions in an interest the importanca "f which it would hardly be over esti mated. Tho future of 50.0O00Op of peopIe-undoi tsbd. always God and His son-depeud upon A. teachers of this country. What the next will think, say and do. will dopsEi' upon how and wat wo srs teaching ths,hildr,u ,o.lav lp,a,,,. gent persons tstiiiost always govern th.mscye. bv What they know to be real facts. But how can ihe rising generation know of facts that are past unless they taught them with the aceompany- ing evidences Mn would not lie, steal cheat blasphems and hoard unless they were acting on tha groater probabilities present to their under standing. of escaping detection anl punishment. They would not act if they were never to render m account of their actions to any but themselves or society. If they taught by prlccpt and OK ample Co the contrary. "'.
 was much impressed few years ago by n cut which appeared in of tho monthlies It repre-. ssntol vast army of school boys--all in rank and file. In the foreground staiwart youths of l6 or is years. each with hs satchel of books slunp over hia shoulder. The wings stretched far ou, on either hand. Then extending far into the back. ground. rank succeeding raak. pushing on growing smaller in the distance. until far over the hills il appeared like clouds made up oi human heads
 should like to exercise my inquisitive faculties Are the teachers of this country hired to convert that vast multitude of Gods into mere intel lectusl and mathematical machines; hired merely to train their mental powers or is their occupation 70 educate and devcopo all the latent and God given is'u ies of tho man. Honly tho former then our schools arc worse than useless. unless ,very Chris tAn parent in the land understands 1t. 1.-the lat ter then tho teacher Is bound to incorporate into tha branches taught the historical facts of revealed truth as well as the facts and deductions of scien tih, truth
 Bscsuso we sds.gree upon the merits and princi. pies of tho late War of the Rebellion we care faliy suppress from histories and schools all knoslcdgo of the fact that such man as Lincoln lyedi Or shall we suppress the clements of Arith- motto boHause we not agreed upon some ques lions of astronomy. That fs tiie custom of such dospoislns AS Russia. It suppresses all knowledge of historical facts which reflect upon the rening house. Because this Christian people. and claim it ia . Christian people and Christian teach CTS dsAgrees upon the moaning of certain sayings of the Carpenter of Nazareth and His witnesses shall VIC carefully suppress from the coming generation, by ruling out of the schools the historical facts of nation that existed tor thousand years. and the historical evidences of tho events that have said haze accompanied the life of Jesus of Nazarath2 If Ho thoa it requires prophet to foretell that we shall soon cease to be Christian people. and the coming generation will be an intellectual and cul. tursd animal.
 We may bo told by some in authority in State or School that this K neither aiquestion for the State or such associations this; but for one-and spaak only for myself-do not believe a word of it: anl you can't prevent a Yankee from asking ausstionr.
 Hon. B. G. Northrop followed with an address-"M Memory: Its Use in Educa- tion% Regret cannot In any way make amends for our feelings that sovaiuable, bright. versatilo-now serious. then com icaI--all logical. combining volumes upon volnmss in few words. should be crowded out. We have not space. and we admit 1t with sorrow. But to those who partici- patsd In the exercises--who listened to the learned discourse of Mir Northrop