The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-07-29
EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP

An Address Delivered by the Rev. w. |
c. Merritt at the Central Union /
Church. Friday Evening June 81. |
1890. at the Oahu College Closing |
Exercises.
In 1905 when Prussia was PROSTATE at
the feet OF Bonaparte, William Won
| Humbolt was made the first Minister OF
! Public instruction for the Kingdom. OF
him, Talleyrand the great French diplo-
matist said: Europe does not possess
three statesmen OF such power"
l wish to quote one single sentence
from Won Humbolt, which will, think,
serve to emphasize Talleyrand's estimate
OF hum. and it will, at the same time in
troduce my thought this evening. 1t is,
whatever we wish TO see incorporated
| into the life of nation must be first in
troduced into its schools"
The high craftsmanship of this propo-
sltion is demonstrated in the exalted
position OF Prussia as the head of the
German empire of to-day. What spec
tacle in the history of this century is
more kindling in It's influence than that
of defeated and Inundated Prussia bend
ing herself to the reconstruction and re-
nationalizing OF her life along these lines:
and at the end TO see her triumphant
and exchanging places with her tradi-
: tional enemy? And II is, L think, gen.
, erally accepted that this remarkable
| 4 in nd -eAr
, has been more actively promoted by
adopting and adhering to this principle
of Won Humbolt than by any other one
thing. / am not alone in the anxiety |
| feel for the future no less than for the
) present of this Hawaiian nation. There
:, is no question in my mind but that the
. sorest need of Hawaii to-day is intelli-
! gent, patriotic citizenship. Pause a mo-
D ment and note the real character OF the
: problem that is being worked out here.
In the first place it is new and almost
9 unheard of experiment to take nation
: in a savage state, its common people
essentially serfs, in a condition OF utter
{ and absolute ignorance, without writ
: ten language, having no knowledge OF
n liberty or representative self-government
: with the self-restraint and self control
- implied in it and essential to its success
l, and to give to that nation in the short
v space of twenty-five years all the power
g and responsibility OF enfranchised free
: men. Anglican liberty and representa-
y tive self-government come as the fruit
age Of centuries of struggle and discl
u pine, untold suffering and uncountet
l. treasure.
e 1t will be the miracle of the nineteenth
n century if similar or approximately
of cor
achieved in the life time of one genera
% ton, and self-government improved sue
IL cessfully upon people so slightly pre-
pared But that is not all. AS If III
20 difficulties were not great enough with
;. single race and comparatively simple
conditions, other races as ignorant ant
IL inexperienced were brought in compli
1t eating and involving the problem beyon
ID all precedent. And now the question
If can representative elf-government b
~ carried forward and made a success
: under the complex conditions that hold
p viz, a nation made up of five races hay
n ing widely divergent traits and charac
a teristics, while in the midst of thes
10 there is springing up or has sprung up
~ mixed race, or properly spea ing mike
~ races, for even this is not homogeneous
ST So far as my knowledge goes there
SO no land or country upon the face of tn
w globe of equal area and population wher
to similar conditions of life are found. This
~ then, is the problem that confronts tn
~ thinking men and women of Hawaii M
ne to-day; our only hope lies in the use W
re make of the instrumentalities at hant
e. And among the most potent Of them a
Of is the one indicated by Won Humbol
viz, whatever you wish to see introduce
y into the lie OF this Hawaiian nation
re make haste and introduce just that int
az your public and private schools. An
Id the demand must be made here as it
no being made in the United States, tn;
an important if not chief place in OF
w courses of study be given to that whic
ne will directly fit the children to becom
Id not merely intelligent men, but founde
b. as well in the principles of good moral
nd and with knowledge of the duties n
~ quired of good citizens.
lc- A great deal is said, and rightly sal,
Nv about the methods of introduction in OIL
n schools, but after all cit is the substanG
of what is taught rather than the metho
% of teaching which molds the minds
III children" and fits or units them fl
~ citizenship. Methods are important, bt
Is the matter taught is essential and abs
a lutte. That this is so requires no arg
MS | uleuJ. MetllOQ 10 SILipiS tuC iudhiC
ed the way of presenting truth, and ma.
~ nay does, change, while the truth
Se abiding "Let me write all the balla(
ST OF people, and ! care not who make
r. their laws" says wise man; "Give n
IL the first ten years of a child's life," SAL
of another, "and will determine the cha
acter of the man or the woman"
~ These and kindred sayings have con
en- to have the force of maxims, becau:
to they have foundation in fact, viz, tt
impressions made upon the mind durir
~ the receptive years of childhood are e.
=. during; the mind of the little child is wa
~ to receive, but marble to retain. F,
EST these reasons 1 would urge that instru
he ton pertaining to the principles ar
e. duties of citizenship be given place
# the primary and grammar grades OF Of
=, schools.
y Says a recent writer of note prof. I
y III. Boyesen): 1.-THE bias given to Il
mind of the child in early childhood
teaching and environment largely dete
!. mines the political sentiments of you
!e and manhood" He uses political in
LII good sense-not OF party politics. Ar
an this remark comes as the result of pr
"A longed and careful study of the schoo
ed of Germany, France, and the Unit,
ore StateS Rr1t not alone hacauSe the lie