Year: 1867

We acknowledge the receipt of State Superin-
tendent Swett's address before the State Teach
ers' Institute, of the present month. The effort
merits publication in full, but for want of room
we are confined to the following extract:


When we consider the generally depressed
condition of business in the State during the
past four years the heavy losses during the
mining stock mania the losses by flood and
drought; the gradual working ont of placer
mines, and the consequent depreciation OF prop
ertv in many place the falling off in the trade
of many mining towns the unsettled condition
of land titles in many of the agricultural sec
tons and consequently the unsettled condition
of the people the slow increase of population
from immigration, and at times its actual de-
crease in consequence of attractive mines in
neighboring territories, and the slow increase OF
taxable property-we have reason to be proud
of the uuexampled progress of our common
schools


In the great work of settling and civilzing a
new Statc--in the building of cities, the con-
struction of railroads, the cultivation of farms,
the development of quartz mines, the beginning
of manufactures and all the varied branches of
industry-the influence of schools is lost sight
of in the figures Of material statistics and it is
only when VIC consider that the fifty thousand
children now in the schools during the next
twenty years will take their places in society as
the workers and producers, that we begin to re-
alize the latent power of the schools. They are
silently weaving the network of mental and
moral influences which underlie civilization and
when the children shall become the masters OF
the material wealth Of the State the influence
of the schools will begin to be evident.


While we may feel gratiiied with our progress,
we must not forget that much remains to be
done. Our schools still fall far short of the
work which is pressing upon them. We need
better methods of instruction ; we need to edu-
cate public opinion to still! higher appreciation
of the value and necessity of education.


| The highest purpose of the public schools is
to train the children to become good citizens. 1t
is not enough that they teach the elements of an
intellectual education They have higher and
nobler duty. Education implies development,
training, discipline repression Of bad teHden-
cies, as well as the culture Of good ones. The
schools should train to habits Of obedience and
subordination, of honesty and integrity. They
should inculcate love of country and love of lib
erty They should teach the duties, rights
privileges, and honors of American citizenship
At present, how imperfecily is this great work
done.


! Fellow teachers the work is in your hands
| All the machinery of school law, all the money
raised by school taxes, all the school house;
built, are of little avail if you fail in the fna
work of actually forming and moulding mind
and character. But your work is not, indeed
limited to the school room alone. You mus
make your influence felt society. Attend the
county institutes, write essays and engage II
debates and discussions. Write for the loca
papers. Subscribe for and read carefully half
dozen of the best school journals in the United
States, and learn what is going on in the educa
tonal world. Instead of complaining about the
/ lack of interest on the part of parents, vis


every family in the district, and wake up the
fathers ard mothers from their lethargy Hole
frequent examinations and exhibitions, for the
purpose of bringing the people in direct contact


with the school and its influences. Start sub
scription to increase the school library. A little
money directly from the pockets of the parent:
will lead to better appreciation of the value
of books. Harass the trustees until they pUr


chase school apparatus, furnish new desks, ol
build n new school house, if one is needed. l


a special tax is necessary, canvass the distric
/ for it with the zeal and earnestness of profes


sional politician. Visit other schools, read new


works on education, and adopt new methods o
instruction. If you wrap yourselves up in youl
own conceit, and imagine that nobody can tel


YOU anything about keeping school, you viii
never rank among the progressiyes


! WITSEssEs.-Few stories relating to witresse.


are more laughable than that which describe


the mathematical process by which Mr.. Baror


Perrot arrived at the value of certain conflicting