Year: 1874

The Hon. Carl Schurz delivered lecture


ON Educational Problems in Plymouth


church, Brooklyn, under the auspices OF the


Franklin Literary Society.


Mr.. Schurz said that he proposed to speak


seriously of serious things. In no country


is the subject OF education discussed more
thoroughly than in the United States. We
are in the habit Of referring to higher or


ler of education as remedy. But when
the question arises Of what particular meth.
cd should be aIiai,sed the trouble beglns


In discussing very few points, - Norlf
have little to say that was new. EducaceA
should not teach as only what we are 70
know. but how 70 live, labor and enjoy,
The circumstances under which we live are
very different to those surrounding our
grandparents. The discoveries Of the nine
teenth century have made the art Of living
very difficult; il man is to succeed IN life,
he must know great deal more than his
forefathers. Yet the time we have 10 10
this is the same. How, then, should the
time be employed The main thing Is 10
kindle and enforce in the impossible brain
the disposition 10 learn more when the
teacher has passed away from his side.
The training and discipline OF the mind
ought 10 be the FIRST aim of intellectual edu-
cation.


What can you DO with nero baby Tbs
putting of John Stuart Mill at three years
of age TO learn Greek was not an objection
able thing. on the usually supposed ground
that it would destroy the brain or over-bur-
den it. The infant brain is a very recep-
tive one. Parents ought to teach their chill
dren how to sec correctly, how to hear cor
rectly, and the art OF acquiring the accn-
rate appreciation and reproduction Of that
winch has been seen and heard. How Is Il,
it may be asked, that intelligent people
who have eyes should not he able 10 see
correctlyl Ii is not the eyes at all; Il is
the education OF the perceptive faculties.
What is true of seeing is equally true of
hearing. Nothing will so lead 10 useful
ness and success in life as the conscientious
turning over in your mind of what you seo~
and hear. II is emphatically the duty OF
the mothers, brothers aud sisters TO prac-
tice this on the little ones. What Is done
with objects seen by the eye should be done
with objects as seen by the mind. Only
let brothers and sisters earnestly try 20 edu-
cate the little ones and they will educate
themselves. This is the FIRST branch Of cdu-
cation, namely, how to learn. The child is
then turned over to the teacher Il is,
am sorry to say, the practice in the school
to teach many things with big names This
is conducted on the system OF question and
answer, and is especially designed for the
development OF human stupidity. To ex
ercise the memory is good, but he who relies
only on the memory runs the chance Of be-
ing very great Ounce. When can you and
say we know such thing Not when
we have merely remembered il, but only
.han
the thing which we have sought to memo
rize.


The effect OF early education is to make
the mind active and receptive; in one word,
to ft men for that self-education which IS
the duty of every man and woman. The
real difficulty is when parents think that
their duty is accomplished II they Keep
their children fat, warm and healthy. or
all hard labor, that of teaching is the most
miserably paid. If teaching is to be well
done it must be regarded as profession
and as life sacrifice. How does all tfiisup
ply to the education Of the female sex3
Neither a woman nor man can know too
much. 1t is certainly true that the educa-
tion of girls should be so directed that they
can earn their own livelihood, without de-
pendence upon others. No system OF edu-
cation should stimulate women 10 work
their way through life dependent and Alone


/ think it is the calling Of women 10 be-
come married. [Cheers. It is as much
the duty of a woman to become a wife aud
mother as it is for a man to become hus-
band and father. Good education should
therefore be directed to this end and es-
pecielly is it more important that this
should be the end Of women, Tor tie
family circle makes the State. Woman
in her homo and as a wife and mother
has the highest duties to fulhll. Our
girls should learn how to inspire and
manage a home. / think the practice Of
married couples living IN boarding houses
and hotels is exceedingly destructive Of
this, and a very large proportion Of the do
mestic troubles we encounter in this coun-
try is traceabIe to this life Of boarding
houses and hotels. Very much OF the rca-
son is this, that our girls have not been
taught to manage q home. For a homo Il
Is not necessary there should be Turkish
carpets and silks, but it does require q wise
economy and good management. A home
does more than any other institution to
make nation wise and patriotic. (Cheers.)
A boarding house can never be this home.
(Cbeers.) Education should then be di-
rected to enforce upon our girls sound
knowledge as to practical economy and
household management. When the habits
of the female sex are such as to cause mar.
rage not to be thought Of because Il Is too
risky an investment, and when the bearing
of children is regarded to be too trouble
some, then the nation is fast decayinR, and
vice will pervade the whole social body.
ICheers. Woman is the natural centre Of
luxury and in her atmosphere Il grows
rankest. Equally true is il with the virtues,
and with woman are the virtues most c9m.
pletely developed. Our girls should, there
fore. be well instructed in household ecen-
omy. This should not be confined merely
to housework There Is much 70 balcarned
as TO the quality Of food.


Mr.. Schurz concluded by summary ol
the points he had dwelt upon.