New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-27
A TEXT BOOK ON MORALS.
CONFLICT AND cuuac1EhmrLDING.

CONDUCT As a FINE AFT INC Laws oi o. piu lycrEg
Wi.ii Diyf; nv Edward Payson Jackson o'o
3D. po' Vi. 10; vii. go Houghton, MdiIn a Co.
IN ,bc outumn OF 1850 the American secular unioh
an association in no way committed 70 any sys 80 ~
religions belief or disbelief, offered prize vi "'VV
for tho best essay treatise or manuhi ha"P.eo - o.
and assist teachers in free pubic schoois, anu ~
Tho ,ynrd College for Orphans and other puDhc ihs"
r,ions protesting TO be upsec,arIan to thoroughly Nv
struet children and youth In the pures' p,'".P ~
morality without intoxicating religious oo'"i"' 90
"a In the opinon OF the examining commune, W ~
OF the Mss fully met oil tho requirements .'v pr,
,os cou,,,y divided between Aessrs. Gilman 'hni'or Va
The Literary World" Of Boston, ana Jachso" 'on. ~
a., r,osters Of tho Boston Latin school. Such >" uio
encs,s NJ the two excellent tcatiscs wmoh are "co
Issued in one volume under the somewhat unS >,
factory title Conduct rs q Fine Art" Mt "i'''""
essay consists OF fifteen short chapters ''c""ns ~
such elementary though important topics rs LILO
r,,der Iow the significance OF moral law ana oDcu'
ence the need OF self-contro, truthfunes'' lus0.e
and Kindness the meaning Of conscience ana duty III
ber relation 10 home work. honor and PATRIOTISM anu
en- on And while there is nothing either onslh'i VI
nrofound I'm the authors esplcatlon OF these VoP,
there is nothing that IS not worthy OF inc suoIc'.o
I'm keeplng with the conditions imposed Dy INC -''
can secular Union. lie has given us concise anu
wellconsidcred textbook on morals, free lrV"i any
sectaran religious teachings that would MAKE ~ oo
iectjonable TO some and yet at the same time ihcui
eating lessons Of conduct TO which no teacnc, y, ~
gion could possibly object To have successfully uo"o
this much Is no small achievement when VIC .on''ue.
the difficulties 10 be met ami overcome. NV "'
least OF these difficulties was the fact that he ""'
pioneer in the field. H. preparing for his uiSn hc
was unable 10 find any book In English french VI
German constructed on tho lines which nc haa u
follow There are books enough ana 10 sp'hc' VI.
The philosophy OF ethics, and, OF course, ho Gnu "a
books which enforce morality with the sahcuohS Vi
Of "a
law OF life aside from the more sacred, ana as VIC
believe higher commands OF religion. ii Shouiu p'
added that Mr. Gilman does not desire his tfeatise
TO be used in a slavsh fashion. The best results, no
thinks will be attained by the teacher VINO aDsoros
the principles laid down and then gives t@fh ioi'i
tnctured with his own personality ANY strihips
occasion in school life' he says lifted LOT driving
home moral precept ought TO be improved at once
without regard to the place Of given duty III hau
book very free use OF this volume VIII DC INC
best use so Ing its method and spirit are acoepe
and followed" ..-
Mr.. Jackson's essay which he entities Character
Building, takes the form OF a conversation between
master and his pupils on such very practical subjects
nc Good BOYS and Fun "ClcverneSS and courage,
When the Good Boy VIII and VIII Not right
" Goody-Cioody and Goof," and so on AS may DC
inferred the ground covered by these discursNe uf
oc,les IS somewhat different from that covered Dy
Mr. Gilman's abstract essays, though, OF course inc
principles enuncated by both writer's are exactly the
same Moreover the dialogue method mas certain
manifest advantages In impressing moral lessons Oh
the mind which all great teachers have recoehLeu'
and which, doubtless, Mr.. Jackson had in view but
while these conversations are "meaty,' ana IN many
places interesting the moralls we cannot say Una.
they are entirely successful The dnmatis personae
arc too vague and misty and there Is altogether too
little flesh and blood about them 10 commend lh'ni
10 the average healthy boy girl who may be supposed
to listen TO their talk In addition 10 this, or perhaps
because Of this, their remarks are often 100 academic
to be appreciated by those for whose instruction they
are meant. DR.. Dix, the teacher Is wise ana good
man. almost painfully 50; and the way in when MS
pupils play into his hands In making their remarks
gives the conversations an air OF unreay that oos
them of much Of their strength The good pupils are
30 perfect In their armor OF virtue, that we almost u
consciously sigh for outburst from some bad boy
and the bad pupils, rather those who are MADE 10
advocate principle opposed to true virtue are SO
manifesty men Of straw, and so obviously say only
what can be at conroverted, that we lose sooo
deal of our interest In the discussion We must con
fess too that the awless grammar ana the uniformly
elegant style of all the takers, wearies US Just niue
We should he much more impressed II Mr. Jachsoha
pupils had been little like other pupil; In their
disregard of the niceies of speech and even In their
muddiness of thought. Doubtless SIR Jachs0ns method
Is the more dignifed one, and much more In keeping
with the elevated traditions of literature But We
do not understand that he had so much in MIND the
making of a literary brochure the writing OF q
practical textbook Of morals that would at once
interest and instruct. Under such circumstances
correct literary form is of much less importance than
such a verlsimilitude of actually will arouse the
interest of those who use IL.
But in spite of these defect the treatise is well
considered In its plan and scope, and forms fitting
companion piece to Mr.. Gilmans more philoSophic
treatise Taken together they will prove to be both
useful and acceptable to those instructors Of the young
who have the gifts of intellect and imagination so
necessary in mpartng truth Of any kind. For pupils
TO commit the chapters of this book to memory by rots
would be worse than useless If it possible
Imporant and true the lessons they teach, they
need the Illuminating personality Of the teacher to
| give them that human interest without which no
abstract truth is really acceptable.