Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-09-10
SHALL CITIZENSHIP BE TAUGHT
p. a5 IN OUR SCHOOLS? .-

As our schools commence again their
work, it is proper time to inquire if
they have been doing in the past all
they possibly can to benefit the State
Or community in which they exist, and
which has SO properly and literally
appropriated money for their mainten-
ance. In the diffusion of general i'll
telligence, it can be said that our
schools have done noble work, but
in the more important work OF teach
ing children to think, or in the more
practical office of teaching them the
principles of good citizenship, there
has been evident sad lack of united
nnd systematic labor. The public
have not demanded this kind of in
struction. Teachers have not felt its
Importance, and yet no one disputes
ll.at free republic must take every
means for its own defence and Selfpres-
ervation. How can State do this
more effectively than by securing the
growth and education of good citizens
to take the place of those who are dali
" laying down the burdens of public
life?
in twenty or twenty-five years be in
the responsible positions of office. A
silent revolution is constantly going
on, which is taking the political power
unt of the hands of those who held it
yesterday, and placing it in the hands
of those who are to hold it tomorrow.
The men who few years ago, at the
time of the civil war, controlled pub
lie opinion, and held the important
offices of this country, have passed
away. Lincoln, Steward, Stanton,
Douglas, Greeley and Sumner are all
gone, and men then obscure, unknown,
some of them just finishing their edu-
cation, are to-day filing their places.
Hon. Joseph White, while Secretary
of the Massachusetts, Board of Educa-
ton, once expressed himself upon this
subject in these forcible words:
Children should come into the
schools where they can fit themselves
for future usefulness by learning some
thing beyond mere reading and writ
ing, something of their duties as citi-
zens of u free republic. We must not
only teach the boy to read, write and
cipher, but we must teach him to think.
We must give him some knowledge of
the relations which he sustains not
only to the physical world around him,
but to the family i'll which he is placed,
TO the community of which he is one,
and to the State of which he is an i'm
portaut member. And all the duties
which grow out of these relations, and
all the rights which centre in them, by
virtue of citizenship, he must know,
and not only these, but so much of the
principles of the government under
which We live that he shall not be
obliged to take his cue from the news.
paper, or from this or that party, OF
from one or another man, until, dis.
tracted by the variety of opinions
urged upon him. he cries out at last
who shall show any good ~
Who doubts that, if the common
schools Of the country had taught the
principles of good government, correct
theories of finance, and true citizenship
US faithfully during the past twenty
years as they have taught the princi
pies of grammar and geometry, It much
smaller number of their graduate
would have fallen into the Greenbacl
and other equally foolish heresies?
is not ignorance il the abstract alone
that is responsible for the Fusionist
of Maine, or the Butterflies of Massa
chusetts, but the lack Of practical in
struction in reference to the duties o
citizens, and the true functions of Re
publican governments. 1t is said tina
Sparta became one of the principl
States of Greece, because the Spartan
children, in accordance with an edu
edtional system established by Lycur
gus, were trained to love the State
and be willing to sacrifice them
selves in its defence" In these mod
ern days of educational reform, W
ought not to be behind ancient Greece
Many children leave the schools be
fore reaching their higher classes
They should he instructed in the prir