Year: 1868

Report OF the Examining Com


mittee.


EXERCISES IN THE BLOOMSBURY LITERARY
| ..H INSTITUTE.


1t is sincerely to be regretted that the
Chairman of the Examining. Committee,


Hon. q. r. CoBURN, could not report
to you tonight, the result Of observation
and examination of classes, at the close OF
this second year Of the Bloomsbury Literary
Institute. In his absence, am pleased to
give myself little latitude, as long an oh
server Of the growth Of this place, and well
acquainted with its struggles, for many years,
in the cause Of education. j may be allow
ed to express my surprise, as compare the
present with the past. What a contrast
The old Academy on Third Street and the
Institute upon this beautiful hillside, stand
lit symbols Of the systems OF education prev
alent then and now. In dimensions, Local
tion, surroundings, interior, facilities and
telicitics, the former in its dilapidatcd con.
dltion and dingy appearance, suggests the
prison rather than the educational hall: to
look back at it is like looking unto the hole Of
the pit from which the cause Of education
has been digged. The spirit of education
has taken effect upon all the incidentals of
noble enterprise in your town, and the
rising generation has been brought out of
scenes i'll suited to its development and cul-
turc; upon this Hill Of Science more fitting
accomplishments are secured, better appli.
ances for culture are at hand, force of cd
ucators we see grouped here that promises
for your people, and for surrounding COM
munitics, that for which many older towns
are too patiently waiting. for which the
greatest advance Of our noble State may be
heard to call, that her physical resources
may be suitably matched by her mental cul-
turc and her moral elevation.


"What constitutes Statc?" is still the
question for our earnest consideration, and
for our political ambition, to answer by re-
doubled energy and. effort, that VIC may
form bulwark Of educated mind and
thoroughly cultivated moral susceptibility
around our domestic, religious and political
institutions.


1t may reasonably be asked "Iiow has
this town reached this commanding elcva-
tion, secured so cnviablc distinction for its
educational enterprizc and lnstitutc?'--
While would duly regard the deiicacy of
the topic, and the modcsty Of the one who
deserves such public reference, ! am yet in
duty to the subject bound not to pass his
unIuestoned worth and excellence without
tribute. The Committee must congratu-
late you upon the intellectual ardor and
thorough culture of your Principal, Prof Fl.
Carver, whose call to this work seems to be
found in his special aptitude, his creative
imagination, his executive energy in apply
ing resources that his inventive genius
brought to his hand, his determination not
to acknowledge the possibility Of defeat, his
deep moral conviction of the claims Of
higher order of opportunities for the young,
and the necessity for such in our common
society; but, above all, his confidence in
your sympathy with him in his nobly ambi-
tious effort, your appreciation of the value
of such enlarged schemes for the education
Of your children, and therein the better cul-
tire Of society. How few would have been
sustained by such confidence in your ability
and disposition to come nobly to the rescue,
when only new and enlarged demand upon
your patience and your purses followed the
application of his noble schemes! But the
compliment, nay, let me rather call it the
delicate truth plainly spoken in the ear of
this large assembly, takes a twotnld dircc.
tion. How much is due your common citi-
zenship, that there should have been so
enthusiastic a reception of his propositions,
so hearty welcome to the educator, and
such devotion to the work of erecting this
elegant building, the provision of these am
pie grounds, the selection of this hillside as
Of a very Parnassus Let it be sounded to
your praise along this beautiful stream that
waters so many towns, yet far behind you in
educational entcrprize whose population |
and wealth exceed yours, whose early his
tory would antecedently have led us to ex-
pect their preceding you in the cause Of
education. But, thus INDUCED, | pass to
the more immediate and special duty to
bear testimony to the results of this enter
prize the fruits of educational effort by the
corps of teachers, in the training ofso many |
pupils, as presented in the examination just |
closed


The first test of the teachers work must
be in respect of thoroughness 1t pleases
the Committee thus formally to assure the
public Of the carclulness with which the
foundation appears to have been laid in the
pupils rudimental training, the conscienti-
ous watchfulness by each teacher to whom
have been committed the discipline and cul-
ture Of the tender and susceptible mind. 1t
appeared in the teachers demand for exact
ness in the pupils recitation, in the syste-
matte prosecution of the pupil into the
rationale of the subject, in the analysis Of
principles without any neglect OF the prac-
tical bearings of the science. Very crcdita-
bly, did the pupil bear the pressure, meet
the quostioner, with no little independence
lead off in the analysis of the subject to the
development Of the principle, and also show
clear view of the drift of the study, as
bearing upon utility as well as beauty, as
not mere abstraction but fitting for the con-
crete of life. 1t was gratifying to the Com
mittee to observe so many evidences Of
symmetry in the course, while fully appre-
hending the tendency ITO give undue place
to the study of mathematics as appearing
in so many schools: here very many pupils
presented themselves, now in one class,
again in another at one time in physical
science, next in mathematics or in languages
ancient or modern, as well as in the gram
matical analysis and composition in our
own native tongue, At these several trans
itions, pupils acquitted themselves with no
little success. The Committee regard this
symmetry as one Of the severcst tests of a
well graded curriculum, well balanced
course, resulting in well developed mind,