The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-12-21
THE REAL CAUSE OF THE REBELLION"
SLAVERY ONLY AN INCIDENT.
a Practical Teacher i'm Laurens
County Answers the Question
Her Method of Imparting Know
ledge to Pupils.

n County Answers the Question
Or Her Method of Imparting Kno,
n ledge to Pupils
k To the Editor of The News and Courier:
a Being the teacher of history in th
: graded school o. my town, | have rea
with graf interest the editorials an
= communications in your paper relatin
, to one OF the questions asked at til
r recent examination of teachers: "Whs
was the real cause Of the rebellion i
1861 :" Please allow me the space
; your columns to make to others anon
5 your readers, likewise interested
the subject, few suggestions, fror
my own experience, about u way {
teaching United States history in on
school.
1.-THE ultimate purpose of all his
torical instruction should be the in
culcation Of u spirit of patriotism,
broadening OF the child's ideas ; also t.
develop more thorough understand
ing Of human nature and Of the prin
ciples of political economy" Tru,
patriotism must rest upon something
frmer than clap-trap words. 1t mus
be founded upon II belief in and desire
to maintaino the honor of our country
This belief should be rooted in know
ledge Of first principles. We teachers
should carry our pupils minds to the
starting point OF question, lead them
to trace cause and effect, and incite
them to individual research. II all
| the facts necessary for this study oi
| first principles are not contained in
| the text book, they can be given by
| means of blackboard exercises and
note looks, For several sessions | have
pursued the plaa OF giving the class
many lessons, not in their text book
by having them to copy in their note
books exercises given on tho black
board; and at stated times they are
reviewed upon their note book facts,
and are required to be prepared upon
them for examinations just as If they
were in the text book.
According to this method the text
book is laid aside at the close Of the
French and Indian war period, while
the class learns, from the black board
the growth in Englan OF representa-
tive government and OF the principle
of taxation only through representa-
ii n, from AnglO.Saxon and Norman
times down to l775; reviewing the
Colonial Assemblies and their powers.
Thus the children realize that Wash
ington was lighting for a principle that
had heen distinctly contended for by
the English PEOPLE during five cen
turios. The tea-parties of Boston,
New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington,
Savannah and Charleston are re-
cognized as rightful protests against
tyranny. The suffering men OF the
armies OF Washington in Pennsylvania
and of Greene in South Carolina are
truly martyrs. And the children re-
aliZe that a freeman's vote is precious
heritage, gained by the blood of pa
triots on both sides of the Atlantic
Should it ever become, in their hands,
an article of barter?
While studying the Revolutionary
period, in the text book, we learn from
the black board that one by one most
of the colonies, If not all of them, de-
clared their independence and esta-
blishcd each her own State Govern
ment before the Continental Congress
was intructed by each and all the
States to declare independence. At
the close of the Revolution the text
book is again laid aside for the class to
study many facts connected with the
formation OF the present Union. In
some of our school histories, Barnc 5
and Montgomery, for example, this
period OF the formation of the Union is
given only brief attention, but, if the
child is to learn first principles, q
knowledge Of this epoch is not only i'm.
portant, but necessary
From books of reference the teacher
can gather many facts and illustra
tions that, taught from the black
board, will give the children know
ledge of the principles upon which our
forefathers formed ,he Federal Union.
The following are some of The facts
noted F.:
/. In the Philadelphia Convention
of 1887 two parties arose. One favored
single National Republic" the
other, a " Federal Republic OF distinct
States" Four plans were submitted as
outlines for the Constitution. Each
plan was fully discussed. The anti
centralizing party was in the majority
T, and the plan proposed by Mr.. Charles
Pinckney, of South Carolina, was in
tho main adopted, being the one by
which the States would be "one naIion
as TO all foreign concerns" and still ce-
main distinct rs to all domestic ones
2. In many of the State conventions,
called to approve and ratify or to re-
| ject the Federal Constitution, there
was great opposition to the Constitu.
tion by the anti centralizers in those
States. Massachusetts,, New Hamp.
shire, Virginia and New York ratified
only after hard fights and with small
najorities. Massachusetts posed
Article 10 as one of the conditions
upon which she ratified. Her example
was followed by Now Hampshire
| Virginia. SouGh Carolina and New
York, and later by Rhode Island
| 3. Not fully satisfied with this, New
York, Virginia and Rhode Island de
clared in their ratitications, That
the powers OF government may be re-
sumed by the people whenever it shall
become necessary to their happiness.
Throughout the proceedings of the
Convention in Philadelphia, and o
those In the States, and In the speeches
and writings of individuals, we arc
impressed by the care taken by oul
forefathers In every section of tht
Union to preserve the equality Of al
the States, and to prevent any as
sumption of powers by the Genera
Government that might detract from
the dignity and rights OF any State o
States.
The relation OF State and Fedora
Governments was compared by one /
: Connecticut to "a vast and magnifi
cent bridge built upon thirteen stron,
and stately pillars" In addition t
this illustration, and following 1t
idea drew on my black board thirtee
different triangles In u row, and abov
them crown; next the crowL wa
erased and the triangles were cor
, nected by series of dots (articles {
confederation.) The question arose
9 should there be substituted for thes
r dots line across the top OF the triar