The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-10

The teacher in republic must be the high
priest of our republican nationality. What,
says Emerson,
For what avail the plow or sail.
Or land, or life. If freedom fail?
And doubt not that freedom will fail IL all
of us do not give to her our best devotion
Our fathers gave their blood for her; we are
degenerate sons indeed If we do not give at
and interest to her Liberty is no indiffer-
ent goddess. She will not abide where she
is not appreciated She is not to be courted
by neglect. She will not tarry where she
is not loved. And the love of words is moth
ing to her. She must have the love OF
deeds.
NATIONALITY SHOULD BE TAUGHT.
$50 our institutions of learning, from the
humblest country schoolhouse to the great
est university, ought to give some portion
of hour each day to the teaching of
nationality, to instruction in the priceless
ness of our institutions. to exhortation that
the highest duy of every boy and girl is to
live and die for the Republic The method
of doing this is the business of the teacher.
But whatever the method, 1t must be done.
Woe to us If our appreciation of free in
situations failsl
1--WE expect our Nation to lead the world.
But America will not lead the world unless
the sense OF civic duty is as keen as in
stinct, as exalted as faith And to make it
so is the duty of every teacher. In re-
of the school. With that the school is
Gods grain of wheat feeding the world and
multiplying itself from this principle of life
chemists grain of wheat, mere lfeless
imitation.
And patriotism can be taught. Other
nations are teaching it. Education Is the
finest thing in the world if it increases in
terest in the Nation-if it produces pure,
brave and effective citizens. What is so
- ~.
acter serving the Republic. whether in OBJ
scure ward or Presidents chair-for the
Republic must be served In the one as well
as in the other And to produce such serv-
Ice is the office of the school in the Nation.
Education Is a baneful thing If il DESTROYS
interest in citizenship.
II say the national spirit can be taught
in the school, Take an humble example
One day in certain city in the interior of
Japan the words of a song filled the air
There were hundreds Of voices. Even in
the distance one could tell that they were
| the voices of youth. The musical sounds
drew nearer. Soon the head of a column
of school children appeared Scores, hun
dreds of little boys marched by singing
with all their might song of their dear
japan, caroling of their flag of the crimson
sun. They. were voicing in music the ambi-
| ton of their lives to serve their country and
| their hearts hope some day to die FOR their
full of soul. Japan is without religion as
men have made devotion to the empire the
religion of its multiplying millions.
so we see that even little japan has
| its lesson for us. There can be no substitute
| for religion; but the next highest phase of
| human thought and feeling is that devotion
| to ones land which we call patriotism.
| Real education does not destroy pride in
| the Nation OF weaken our conception of the
| duty of the citizen. But in republic real
| education means that the sense of citizen
| ship must be the beginning and end of it,
1 can think Of nothing so admirable the
| product of the American school whose prac-
| tcal devotion to the Republic has been in
| tensified by his culture; of-nothing so glor-
| ious as the American refined by educa ton
| and yet whose national spirit has been
| strengthened by his learning.
| MUST NOURISH THE NATION.
$50 the American school must be the
| great nourisher of the Nation. The Nation,
the Nation, always the Nation! The school
| for the Nation, All education for the
/ Nation! Everything for the Nation! When
you write beneath your calculation in high
| er mathematics, 'puod erat demonstran-
dunn 1t must be our Nation Of which these
| words are written. When you prepare an
historical thesis it must be our Nation for
| which your studies tell you that God has
| been preparing through all the ages. The
\ test tube must reveal something more than
| the mysteries of force and matter; through
| all the gases of the laboratory you must see
| our Nation-God's great agent of righteous
ness in the world.
'Tn a republic too the school must teach
conservatism. In monarchies the university
has always been the generator of radical
ism. In a republic the reverse must be
true. because the republic Is the reverse OF
| the monarchy. No government can be good
| unless ii is steady, moderate, sane. The
| ballast Of monarchy is the unchangine
form Of its administration; and so, despite
its defects, it sails steadily. But the ballas,
| of a republic must be the sober second
thought of its citizens. We will end in
confusion, may be in anarchy. If We are
swept off our feet every now and then by
unsound agitation. by gusts of passion by
storms of prejudice. On shipboard L never
tire of hearing the command from the
for ear see Is tht
that our national policies are right and
then, steady as she goes Let our course
as a Nation be determined by the fixed
| stars of the highest ideals and then, steady
as she goes. Yield not to the selfish pur.
poses of any man or class of men. but con
slider only the good of the whole American
people, and by that high national wisdom
keep the ship STEADY as she goes Con
| servatsm then, instruction in the spirit OF
moderation is the second great duty OF
the school as an agency OF our nationa
life. Prove all things, hold fast to tha
which is good and then, STEADY as SHE
goes
''Yet all these will not suffice Education
is nothing If the spirit of nationality is ex
tinguished; and even the spirit of nation
atty cannot save us If We are variabl,
and eccentric people. therefore cOnSerVa
Ptism. But even something more than thi
is needed. and that something is righteous
ness. There Is the final word In all educa
ton. And the highest formula of right
eousness which the world has ever pro
duced is that philosophy of life and deatl
which we call the gospel of Christ. Tha
| statement Is not accurate, for the worlt
did not produce Christianity. Ii has
higher origin. 1t is Gods word to the world
He who understands 1t has the secret o
good thinking and good doing. And so IL
| the last analysis, considering the schoo
| merely as an influence In national life w
| rise on the steps OF reasoning to the eterna
throne of all real power. The old r1othe
who has had neither time nor opportunit,
tor learning and yet knows by a highe
| evidence than learning can afford that Co
| reigns and rules the world and all tn
/ worlds Is wiser than the most culture,
| professor who sits in the seats of knowl
| edge but who question that greatest fac
In the universe. Speaking of the mission O
| the school in nation we may paraphrase tn
sacred word and say, And now abid
| hut the greatest of these IS righteousness!
DO NOT FIGHT "A FACT.
This has definite connection with tn
duty of the school to teach nationality; 70
history tells US that in spite Of occasona
exceptions to the contrary, the highest ex
preston Of the national spirit. the stronges
manifestations of civic ideals have bee
among peoples whose faith has been sim
pie, pure, profound. There Is no time 70
analysis or this tremendous fact i merel
point you to the fact. And whatever yo
do. do not fight fact Truth is the one uu