The National tribune., 1894-02-01
THE RELIEF CORPS.
Gleanings from National Headqnar-
terS---NOteS from The Departments
TEACHING PATRIOTISM.

l
Corps May Begin.
In numerous places, as has heretofore been
| noted, the Woman's Relief Corps has enlisted
in the great work of teaching patriotism in
our public schools.
The hosting of flags over school buildings,
the placing of flags within the school rooms,
and the effort to introduce systematic patriotic
instruction into the daily school routine, are
all n part of the present movement.
How shall we secure elementary instruction
il the question reaching US. And another IS,
What shall we do il our school authorities are
indifferent to our appeals?
To the first question we would say. Address
Comrade Wallace Foster, indianapolis, Ind,
for information. And, should you want print
ed matter bearing upon elementary training
In American citizenship, address Col. George
T. Balch. 80 East Twenty.second street, New
York City.
Col. Balch has prepared "a Patriotic Primer
for the Little Citizen; "The Salutation of
the Flag and the Use of the Ballot Concretely
Taught; 1.-THE Declaration of Independence,
July d. 1776" with history and chart, which
should be in every school.room, as well as
every GA. r. hall in the land and Bleaching
Patriotism in the Public Schools"
To the second question we would say, Do
what you can with the school authorities, but
do not wait for them. Get up Saturday after
noon "Schools of Patriotism" in your Corps
rooms; invite all the children who will come,
the more the better: secure the services OF
the best instructor possible, in or out of the
Corps; have music, marching, the flag salute.
and a little elementary instruction, each after
noon; and, our word for it, you will he the
means of giving more pleasure and profit to
the children of the community than can be
combined in any other way.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
Col. Balch, in description of his historic
chart of the Declaration of Independence,
quotes William Won Humboldt. the great Ger
man educator, who said that whatever we
wish to see introduced in the life of nation
must first be introduced In the life of the
schools" In the course Of his remarks he says ::
The millions Of children who have heretofore
been educated in our schools. never had the
great privilege of seeing the Declaration in
its original form. For the first time there
fore, in the history of our Government the
youth of this Nation have the opportunity
charter Of our liberties, just as it was signed
by the So representatives of the ID colo
nies-who, IS Ben jamin Franklin remarked
at the time, ''wouid hang separately, if they
did not hang together but Of having before
them. OF the same sheet the yeritabie history
of the venerable document.
When il is borne in mind that revolt against
the Government Of Great Britain was treason,
and that in that day. rs was proved by many
cruel examples, the penalty of treason was Con-
6scatiOn of al! worldly possessions. attainder Of
blood, hanging accompanied by beheading, dis
embowellIng. cutting out The heart, and quarter
ing the body OF the traitor, in accordance with
the savage penal code OF brutal age; we can
better understand how deep is the significance
of the language in which, in subscribing to the
" Nations title Decd" those courageous repre-
sentatives thereby pledged their lives, their
fortunes, aud their sacred honor" to the cause
they had espoused.
With knowledge Of these facts. and with
the sign manuals of those noble men ever be-
fore them, the vast army OF our school children
will appreciate, as they could in no other way.
the words of the poet Whittier in his ode to
Gov. Bartlett, one of the signers in which he
says:
In that great honr Of destiny
Which tried The souls of sturdiest stock;
Who knew the end alone must be
free land or traitors block,
Amidst those picked and chosen men,
Than his. vino here first drew his breath,
No firner fingers held The pen,
That wrote for liberty or death.
Not for their hear,hs and homes alone
But for the world, the deed WAS done;
On ri! The winds their Thought has flown,
Through ali the circuit Of the sun.
TEACH vEgMoHT's BOYS AND GIRLS.
We are glad to find the following in the last
General Orders Of Department President Jones,
Of Vermont since with Vermont to hear is to
heed: Attention is called to National General
Orders No. 3, giving the decisions Of the I1th
National Convention. / especially ask you to
notice Nos. 40, so, and 81, relative to Teach
ing Patriotism in our Public Schools | here
by urge the Corps Presidents in this Depart
bodied in these decisions, and send to Head
quarters reports OF your plans and experiences.
Teach Vermont's boys and girls the glory of
their birthright-loy TO the flag"
CALlFoREIA's CHEERFUL COMPLIANCE.
From General Orders, No. 6, of Department
President johnson, of California, we extract
the following:
In cheerful compliance with Decision No so
promu gated in National General Orders No 3
Nov. 20, 1893 hereby instruct each Corps Presi-
dent in this Department 10 appoint a COM
mittee Of three influential Indies from her Corps
membership, TO petition the supernteBdents of
and teachers in our schools to recommend and
bring into use some form of patriotic salute to
the American flag, as part OF tie morning exer-
cses in our public schools. The Department
President recommends that these committees
use their influence to have the salute prepared
by Col. George Il. Balch Auditor Of Public In
struction III New York City, introduced in the
schools in this Department.. This manual of
patriotic salute will be forwarded to the chair
man of each Of these committees upon applica-
tion to these Headquarters.