New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1901-03-09

| Journal
"Nascitur, non fit,' may by sal
as truly of the teacher as Of tn
poet, for both are as chimericall
fallacious as Parson Jasper's ulti
matum, "The sun do move
A perplexing meditation upo1
the many Inconsistencies an,
paradOxes of our calling, in
fluences me to discourse on "Peda
gogic Potpourri.''
The "bOrn teacher and specia
talent pupil are always found il
the same school, and neither evel
achieves material results.
Every element of positive knowl
edge in every sentient being has
come from the external worlG
through the senses; and every ele.
ment of speculative knowledge has
been elaborated from the material
obtained through perception. Hence,
with normal nerve organisms and
normal sense powers, the same de-
gree OF attention to impressions
will yield the same measure of
mental products. To teach a child
that he is made of different clay
from that of his class mates, or
that he has inherent talents that
they do not possess, is cruel
fatalism that will harm him, and
dwarf his fellows; and who poses
as "born teacher and neglects
the means Of fitting himself as an
instructor, is a charlatan whose
course is little short of criminal.
The born teacher goes to his
classes daily depending upon the
marvellous inspiration vouchsafed
him alone, and. instead of develop
ing mind in accordance with we'll
wrought and well-tried methods,
he squanders the recitation period
and befogs child mind in an aim
less tumble of eloquent flights of
verbal nothings and school interest
lies under this fatal and insidions
'palpitation of the tongue and
IS laid to rest under the "pompous
tombstone of his pauper thought. F"
Preliminary to a classification of
;eachers, wish to state few
;ruisms. The world says, through
Carlyle, that 'genius is talent
'or hand work and persistence.
In the International Prison Con-
yress of '99, conscientious investi-
gators met from every nation. Many
If these had spent ten years in the
PRACTICAL study of criminology in
police courts, prisons slums.
Ten years ago the Prison Con-
,ress was committed to belief in
phrenology and
but the last ten years.
lose study of criminal classes
n all lands, has left but two
f this Congress, who are pro-
lounced advocates of criminal
raniology,' and but few cham
ion heredity. There was a practi-
al unanimity in the belief that
nvironment, with education for
ood or ill, moulds individuals
nd communities; and that the |
ocial condition of our lower caste
ould only be bettered by changing
nvironments; and this body of
eformers resolved, as teachers,
reachers and philanthropists, that
hey would bend their energies to
hange the surroundings in the
lums, and give the inmates an in
piration by affording glimpses OF
higher life that is their possible |
eritage. So heredity should be
buried in the tomb of the Capu-
IT'S"
In the light of history, no candid
tudent can say that talent and
enius have been transmitted. The
lose student of the lives of the
atoms great HEROES, statesmen,
'holars and poets is impelled to ex-
aim, "No great man has given
le world great son!" This un-
alatable truth does not teach non-
eredity; but shows the futility Of
tempted son growth by reflected
ght. Paternal epaulets worn by
sons insure so much poll
c praise that manly growth is a
Ossibility before the fatal truth is
nown to the puny sons of potent
res.
/ follow this historic fact with
le physiologic fact that prenatal
fe has no material nerve cornec-
on, and therefore no pathologic
utuality or dependence. Blood
of bread and meat is
le only vital connection. Post
ltal aliment and influences can
it be classed as environment.
Now, in candor, disprove this
lysiologic fact, or reject the thorn
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