tain cases, should be possessed by parents, teachers, and civil magistrates, and that without the existence of this power, in the present state of virtue and intelligence, order in any department of civilized and social life, could not be preserved for a single hour.

To determine which of these two opposite opinions is conformable to reason and to right, will be the object of a few moments' inquiry.

of "moral suasion," and in ninety-nine cases of corporal punishment is necessary or even justifi. an hundred, he will melt and dissipate his pupils' able; that the very idea of influencing intellecobduracy, as is the hoar frost liquidated and eva-tual and moral action, by means of coercion and porated by the vertical rays of an equatorial sun. physical suffering, is a relic of barbarism which Now if a teacher has secured the confidence of has been transmitted to us from the dark ages. his pupils if he is thoroughly qualified to teach On the other hand, it is maintained that it is inwhatever is required of him-if he always asks, dispensably necessary to the salutary discipline instead of commanding his pupils-if he never of families, schools, and to society itself; that 'manifests any peevishness by scolding and storm-the power to inflict corporal punishment, in cering-if he never makes laws before they are necessary if he makes the studies perfectly intelligible to his pupils-if he keeps them constantly amused and employed, and above all, if he administers reproof in the spirit of gentleness, kindness and love, and always in private if possible, and yet does not succeed in governing his school, what is to be done? In ninety-nine schools of an hundred he will succeed; and with ninety-nine scholars of an hundred of the hundredth school he will also succeed. But what must be done with the hundredth scholar of the hundredth school? An "extreme case." Resort to corporal punishment? No. He will make him two-fold more the child" of Diabo. lus" than he was before;" for if fair, mild and judicious means will not subdue hin, neither will he be permanently subdued, though he were beaten from head to foot, into physical callousness. Those scholars that are conquered through the instrumentality of the rod, are those that were perfectly retrievable by milder means. In these extreme cases” let the teacher solicit the interference of the parents; request them to correct him for misdemeanors at school, and let them punish him corporeally if they please. If this means has not the desired effect, ask the trustees to expostulate with him, and as a dernier resort, expel him the school-house.

Thus I have endeavored to portray the evils of "corporal punishment as a means of school discipline," and have imperfectly suggested the remedy. Now in conclusion, I wish to enforce upon teachers the necessity of their studying thoroughly the work entitled "The School and the Schoolmaster." It is said if a person wishes to become a good prosaic writer, he must spend his days and nights in reading the works of Addison: in like manner, if a person wishes to become a good disciplinarian, and in every re. spect a good teacher, he must spend his days and nights in reading "The School and the School Master."

Were human beings of every age and condition generally well informed and virtuous, no sufficient reason could be assigned for imposing any restraints upon their liberty of action; and were they universally rational and moral, they would need no other mode of government than that which they would voluntarily institute for themselves, by their prompt obedience to the principles of reason and morality. But by common consent, men, even in the most enlightened and cultivated states of society, are not thas generally intelligent, reasonable and moral; and other means for establishing order, without which society could not exist, have necessarily been resorted to. A law to be universally obey. ed must have means of enforcement which can be apprehended and felt by all. While intelligence, reason and virtue, are obeyed, as has been seen, but by a part of mankind, the senses exert a perpetual influence over all; through the senses, therefore, must the observance of the law be enforced upon all who are not sufficiently enlightened and virtuous to obey it from principles of reason and morality. It is, therefore, a fundamental and universal principle of govern. ment, that, until the principles of intelligence, reason, and morality are so far developed and brought into activity as to become of controlling influence, order must be enforced by an appeal to physical pleasures and pains. On this principle exclusively, to a certain extent, the authority of the parent over the child is founded; until a certain age, all appeals to reason and morality, on the part of the parent, are wholly inoperative upon the conduct of the child, and for the very good and sufficient reason that both the princí. ples of reason and morality, and the obligation The present age is remarkable for the boldness to obey them, are necessarily unknown to the and universality with which it interrogates and child. It is true that this power to inflict phyexamines all laws, customs, and usages of the sical pain may be, and often has been abused; past, and for the rapidity with which it pronoun- but it is believed, few would have the boldness ces its decrees of approval, or condemnation, on to propose, for the purpose of restraining the all institutions of former times. A question of abuse, the abolition of the power itself. But much practical importance, in relation to the it will be said that the power of the parent to order and discipline of schools, is now dividing inflict corporal punishment has never been denithe opinions. and eliciting the discussions of ed, or even questioned. Let this be granted great numbers of virtuous and enlightened men, then, and it is confidently believed that it will who are nobly engaged in promoting a general be no difficult task to prove that the very same and thorough reformation in the system of pub-power, and for the very same reason, is investlic instruction; that question is, whether corpo-ed in the teacher. ral punishment is a necessary part of school The office of a teacher is a parental one. The discipline. On one hand, it is asserted that the use of the rod, in any case whatever, is brutal and degrading to both teacher and pupil; that there can never be found an instance in which

[Extract from the Report of Jas. HENRY, Co. Superin

tendent of Herkimer.]

object of its institution was to perform a part of the parental duty, for the obligation on the parent to educate the child, is not less imperative than to provide food and clothing. If therefore

COMMUNICATIONS.

[For the District School Journal.] GREENE COUNTY.

the teacher is to co-operate with the parent, or The views here expressed are supposed to be to use the better and more definite language of in perfect accordance with the teachings of the the law, if the teacher for certain purposes, is, Inspired Volume, and they are known to be in the place of the parent," it necessarily fol- strictly in harmony with the laws of all civilized lows that he must, for those purposes, be in- nations and the general experience of mankind. vested with the authority and power of the pa. It is cheerfully conceded that well informed and rent. If the infliction of corporal punishment good men hold and express opinions precisely upon the child is justifiable on the part of the opposite to those here advocated, but it is posparent by reason of the child's inability to be sible that even such men may entertain and proinfluenced and controlled by the principles of pagate error. Good men not unfrequently, reason and morality, will it be for one moment though unconsciously, deceive themselves by contended that the child's character is so essen- supposing that all other persons are like themtially modified and changed, simply by entering selves in their motives and actions. Every a school-room, that a mode of discipline indis-man measures the character of his fellows by pensably necessary to order while in the parent's his own. Hence the strictly honest are always charge, becomes barbarous and absurd when the slow to believe in the existence of obliquity and very same reason requires it for the preservation fraud, and the knave is equally slow to admit of order in the school? But teachers cannot the possibility of honesty and fair dealing. The know the character of the child as the parent best of men, however, have just reason to disknows it, they do not comprehend its feelings, trust the correctness of their opinions, however they lack a parents' patience, sympathy, and ardently and honestly entertained, it on examijudgment. If all this is true, what a farce does nation they are found to be in opposition to the it make of the whole school system. If teachers doctrines of the Bible, and the general experiare thus inferior to parents in the necessary qua- ence of mankind. lifications for forming aright the character of the child, why are they employed at all? Suppose the teacher divested of the power to inflict corporal punishment, and suppose instances to occur in which all appeals to the reason and moral feeling of the pupil shall prove wholly ineffectual, how shall order be maintained and the DEAR SIR-Having just closed, my official performance of duty enforced? Must the teach-tour through the county, perhaps it will not be er make a written complaint to the parent? improper for me to make known through the There are thousands of cases in which the parent medium of the Journal, the result of my lawould believe the statements of the child in oppo- bors. I have visited one hundred and thirty sition to all that the teacher could speak or district schools; being the whole number in ope. write. Shall the refractory pupil be reported to ration at the time of my visitaiion. Thus far, the town superintendent? Then that officer my visits have been received with the utmost must grant that pupil and his friends a fair hear. cordiality. The opposition to the office of ing before he can decide upon his conduct with County Superintendent, that formerly existed, justice. This mode of preserving order would has nearly subsided; and judging from the prebe found in practice altogether too dilatory and sent state of feeling that seems to prevail geneexpensive. Shall the idle and disobedient be rally throughout the county in reference to comsummarily dismissed from the school? Hun- mon schools, the efforts now making in their dreds and thousands of ignorant children would behalf are, with few exceptions, universally delight above all things in such a mode of dis-approved. I found the majority of the schools cipline. Is it not wiser, rather than encounter in good condition. Some are of the first order; these and other difficulties by no means imagi- not inferior to the private schools and acade nary, which would be consequent upon abolition mies in their vicinity, either in point of disciof the teacher's power to inflict reasonable cor- pline or instruction. There are ladies and genporal punishment, to continue that mode of dis-tlemen engaged the present season in the busicipline to which we have been so long accus-ness of teaching, whose highest ambition in the tomed? Is it not better to say to the teacher, literary world seems to be. to acquire the repu. for certain purposes in relation to the children tation of good school teachers. Wherever I of your school, you are to occupy a parent's found teachers of this description, I saw deplace, and for those purposes you are invested with a parent's authority. The law will sustain you in its proper exercise, but will hold you strictly responsible for its abuse?

When the time arrives in which the child shall competently understand and obey the principles of reason and morality, and shall be guided simply by those principles into the punctual performance of his whole duty, then may the power of corporal punishment be abolished with safety and for the general good. But until that time does arrive, it is confidently believed that the best good of the child, and the preservation of order in the family, in the school, and in society at large, imperatively demand the continuance and proper exercise of this power on the part of parents and teachers.

veloped the elements of a good school. The first law of Heaven was depicted in every countenance, in every movement, and in every ac tion; and a most thorough system of instruetion carried out in every departmeut of the school. They have a time and place for every thing, and do every thing at its proper and ap pointed time. One subject only is suffered to engross their attention at a time, and that is thoroughly investigated and gone through with, before another is introduced. Could instruction in all our schools thus be reduced to a system, the difficult and laborious task of teaching a school properly, would be greatly facilitated, and the most signal success would crown the efforts of those whose business is, to mould and discipline the minds of the rising generation.

Of this class of teachers, there are comparatively few to be found in the county. Many of the schools. I visited, scarcely deserved the name of schools and the time of many teachers who had been permitted to enter the school-room in that capacity, might be profitably employed in improving their education in a common school for some time to come. There are others whose literary acquirements may be considered respectable, but who have not an aptness to teach. Or, in other words, they lack in judgment in adapting their instructions to the capacities and understandings of children. They are incapa. ble of analyzing a subject and exhibiting its parts separately. The minds of their pupils are not trained to habits of thought and reflection. Mere isolated facts are substituted for ideas. In short, the whole course of instruction is devoid of interest to the scholars, and ill adapted to develop and strengthen the intellectual powers.

guage. If this course is adopted, the exercise cannot fail of eliciting thought and interest.

Another obstacle in the way of improvement in our schools is, there is a want of interest on the part of the patrons of common schools. This indifference is manifested in various ways: in employing cheap and incompetent teachers; in permitting their children to be irregular in their attendance; in neglecting to repair their school-honses; in not visiting their schools. One or more of these practices prevail to a greater or less extent in every school district I have visited. They are among the most formidable evils we have to contend with; and so long as they are suffered to obstruct the progress of instruction in our common schools, the incalculable blessings they are designed to secure to the rising generation will not be realized. Yours truly, J. OLNEY,

County Supt. of Com. Schools. Windham, March 29, 1844.

COMMON SCHOOL CELEBRATION.

HON. SAMUEL YOUNG,

Sir-I take the liberty to forward you herewith, two Cortland papers, giving accounts of the convocations or celebrations which I have called together, since my return from Albany. You have received, through Mr. Randall, the accounts of the preceding ones. There is but one yet unpublished, that of Cortlandville, which in point of numbers far exceeded all the rest. I will forward that as soon as possible.

Another fault in teachers is, they are not thorough in imparting instruction. Children are advanced too fast in their studies. Long and hurried recitations are encouraged. Les. sons are usually recited from the book, without any explanations from the teacher to the scholars, or any illustration given of the exercise; and the scholar leaves the teacher without receiving any real benefit from the recitation. There may be a great deal of labor performed in schools where this course of instruction is pursued, yet there is no progress. No permanent impressions are made upon the minds of pupils; and their understandings remain unimproved. Often children are put into studies that are beyond their capacities; and not being able to comprehend the subject of their lessons, they become discouraged, and their relish for learning is turned into utter dislike. I have found scholars the past winter, who were pursuing philosophy, chemistry, and the higher branches of mathematics, who could not bound their own state, or even their own town, read intelligibly, or spell correctly. In those schools, orthography was almost wholly neglected; the scholars were permitted to pass over the sylla bles of words when spelling, without pronouncing them separately, or even pronouncing the word after they had spelled it. As a matter of course, I found the same schools backward in reading. This exercise is too much neglected in nearly all our schools. Its importance is not properly appreciated by most teachers. A dull, monotonous manner of reading, is tolerated in their schools. If their pupils read rapidly, and speak their words distinctly, they are pronounc. ed good readers. No attention is paid to emphasis, accent or inflections. The ideas the author intends to convey are wholly disregard ed, and little or no interest is taken in the exercise. To read, is the most disagreeable task the pupil has to perform. He looks upon it, as almost hiding the sparkling faces underneath. being almost insupportable; and when he has The churches, where not occupied by schools, performed it, a heavy sigh indicates that a bur- were crowded with the parents and friends of den almost intolerable is removed. Inquire of the scholars, some smiling-not a few weeping the pupil what subject he has read about? and outright for joy! The enthusiasm of both old he cannot give a single idea. Not the least pos- and young knew no bounds. Perhaps, sir, it sible benefit is derived from the exercise. would have been more delicate in me, to have Scholars should be taught to read their lessons suppressed the incident in relation to the preunderstandingly. If time is wanting, they sentation of the banner, at Homer. But I did should read less, and read it thoroughly, and not well see how I could, without exhibiting a then give the author's meaning in their own lan- | false modesty, so long as the incident was so

Strange as it may seem to you, sir, these meetings have encountered bitter opposition. In several of the towns, the town superintendents thought it best not to make the attempt-were quite certain they would fail! I expressed to them all my determination to hold such a meeting in each town at all hazards. You will see the result. As the first trial of an experiment, utterly new in this county, and regarded with dread and distrust by many of the teachers and schools, It ink you will be disposed to regard it as a not unsuccessful one. These meetings have aroused a singular degree of spirit and excitement in the schools; and the same feeling has spread among parents. The dissenters and opposers have been swept away and overwhelmed by a perfect torrent of popular enthusiasm. I wish, sir, you could have witnessed the spectacle at Homer and Cortlandville; the whole streets filled with processions, banners, huge and beautifully decorated vehicles. Some schools preceded by bands of music-others, singing hymns and odes-bells pealing-and, occasionally, a deep and heart-felt shout bursting from the congregated multitude! The spectacle in the churches was gay and animating beyond description. Until the exercises commenced, each was like a dense forest of banners

T. Or by way of abbreviation? P. Transcript.
The same is done when a derivative of the
Latin word 'pes' occurs, as in the words, impe

notorious, and was made to constitute so marked a feature in the ceremonies of the occasion. When the church shook under the deep cheers which burst forth as the banner was unfurled,diment, pedestal, pediment, impede, expedite; or of

I could not but think, sir, of the suggestion
which I presumed to hazard in my last report
to the Department, in relation to a personal visi-
tation to county conventions of schools, by the
State Superintendent. If we may estimate the
feeling and enthusiasm which it would call forth
among our schools and people, by that produced
by it in a minor sphere, by a minor official, it
would be difficult to say where it would end-
to what extent it would not reach. I propose
to hold similar meetings the ensuing summer,
and had we a building large enough in the coun-
ty to hold five or six thousand children, I should
take the liberty to write you to be present.
I have the honor to remain, sir,

Your obedient servant,

HENRY S. RANDALL

EDUCATION IN EUROPE.

the word 'duco,' in induce, produce, traduce, reduce,adduce, conduce,inducement,induction,deduction,reduction, production; and then the names of the agents or persons performing these several acts are given.

So ofthe words in which the Greek ‘grapho' is an element, as geography, chirography, graphic, paragraph, telegraph, graphite, (a mineral,) &c. The same exercises take place in regard to hundreds of other words.

The Scotch teachers, the great body of whom are graduates of colleges, or have attended the university before beginning to keep school, are perfectly competent to instruct in this thorough manner. I think it obvious, however, that this mode of teaching may be carried too far, as many of our words, though wholly or in part of Latin or Greek derivation, have lost their ety. mological signification, and assumed a conventional one.

But all this,-admirable in its way,-was

[Extract from the last Report of Hon. HORACE MANN.] hardly worthy to be mentioned in comparison

SCOTCH SCHOOLS.

with another characteristic of the Scottish exercises were conducted, both on the part of schools, viz. the mental activity with which the teacher and pupils. I entirely despair of exci

vivid impressions of mental activity or celerity, which the daily operations of these schools produced in my own mind. Actual observation alone can give any thing approaching to the true idea. I do not exaggerate when I say that teh most active and lively schools I have ever seen in the United States, must be regarded almost of the Scotch schools; and, by the side of theirs, as dormitories, if compared with the fervid life our pupils would seem to be hybernating animals just emerging from their torpid state, and as yet but half conscious of the possession of to say, that there are six times as many queslife and faculties. It is certainly within bounds tions put and answers given, in the same space of time, as I ever heard put and given in any

But a few preliminary observations are necessary to make any description of a Scotch school intelligible.

THERE are some points in which the schools of Scotland are very remarkable. In the thoroughness with which they teach the intellectual part of reading, they furnish a model worthy of being in any other person, by a description, the ing copied by the world. Not only is the mean. ing of all the important words in the lesson clear ly brought out, but the whole class or family of words, to which the principal word belongs, are introduced, and their signification given. The pupil not only gains a knowledge of the meaning of all the leading words contained in his exercise, but also of their roots, derivatives, and compounds; and thus is prepared to make the proper discriminations between analagous words whenever he may hear or read them on future occasions. For instance, suppose the word 'circumscribe' occurs in the lesson; the teacher asks from what Latin words it is derived, and being answered, he then asks what other English words are formed by the help of the Latin pre-school in our own country. position 'circum.' This leads to an explanation of such words as circumspect, circumvent,, circumjacent, circumambient, circumference, circumflex, circumfusion, circumnavigate, circumIn the numerous Scotch schools which I saw, stance, circumlocution, &c. &c. The same thing the custom of place-taking prevailed, not merewould then be done in reference to the other ety-ly in spelling, but in geography, arithmetic, rea mological component of circumscribe,' vizding, defining, &c. Nor did this consist solely 'scribo'; and here the specific meaning of the in the passing up of the one giving a right an words describe, inscribe, transcribe, ascribe, pre-swer above the one giving a wrong. But if a scribe, superscribe, subscribe, &c., &c,, would be scholar made a very bright answer, he was progiven. After this might come the nouns, adjec-moted at once to the top of the class; if he made a tives, and adverbs, into which this word enters very stupid one, he was sentenced no less summaas one of the elements, such as scripture, manurily to the bottom. Periodically prizes are given, script, &c. The teacher says, Give me a word, and the fact of having been Dur,' (that is, at which signifies to copy. Pupils: Transcribe. the head of the class,) the greatest number of T. To write in a book, or on a tablet. P. In- times, is the principal ground on which the priscribe. T. To write upon, or on the outside of, zes are awarded. In some schools an auxiliary as on a letter. P. Superscribe. T. To write stimulus is applied. The fact of having passed beneath, or under. P. Subscribe. T. A man up so many places, (say ten or twelve,) entitles goes around to obtain names for a book or newspaper; or to get promises of money for stocks these tickets is equivalent to being 'dux' once. the pupil to a ticket; and a given number of or for charity. What does he want? P. Sub- When this sharper goad to emulation is to be apscriptions. T. And what are those called who plied, the spectator will see the teacher fill his give him their names? P. Subscribers. T.h and with small bits of pasteboard, and, as the And what is a copy called? P. Transcription. recitation goes on and competition becomes