48 DISTRICT SCHOOL JOURNAL. P. S. They would further add, that an investigation is now going on by an indignant and injur ed people, which will in a few days give to the department a refutation of this uncalled for attack. Matteawan, March 31, 1843. A NOBLE EXAMPLE. [For the District School Journal.] MR. DWIGHT-I send you for publication in your Journal, an extract from a letter dated at Paris, Indiana, on the 11th inst., from a lady whom I have known from my youth, and who has resided many years in the State of Indiana. She is now more than seventy years old; and it is within my personal knowledge, that from the time she was fifteen years of age, until within two or three years since, the greater part of her time has been employed in teaching a common school. It is certain she has been a school teacher for more than half a century. She says: for, and a refusal, to have the use of the room We have in this district, which is now composed of districts No. 11 and No. 35, 411 children between the ages of 5 and 16: of this number 172 have attended the District School, 95 have attended private schools, and about 100: have been employed in and about the Factories. On the Mountain, (formerly District No. 35, now added to this,) are about 30 scholars, who attend school at certain seasons of the year, at which time the district open a school in a suit. able room, erected for the purpose by private expenditure, which will accomodate about 60 scholars. This District has raised this spring between 48 and 50 dollars, to pay the schooling of poor children. The business of the schools is carried on wholly independent of the Mattea wan Company. They never attend the meetings, or attempt to dictate in any way; neither are they consulted or spoken to about the business of the District, except when our Collector calls for the tax levied by the district for contingent expenses, and to pay school bills of the poor, &c. their portion of which amounted this spring to $99.16. PHILANDER COPELAND, Trustees. BENJAMIN W. BEACH, } "When I was young, I ardently desired that might be of some use to the world, and might not live in vain: and in one respect, God has granted my request. I have done much for children. I question if there is a woman in the United States who has devoted a long life more exclusively to children than I have. You know my labors with them and for them, from the time I was fourteen years old till I came here. In this country I have instructed thousands. I made it my business to teach them virtue and morality, and endeavored to enforce my precepts by example. To this, all my scholars can bear testimony. I also inculcated kindness, benevolence and humanity, and endeavored to con vince them of the deformity of vice and its certain consequences-the beauty of virtue and its bright reward-and God has blest my labor of love. At this day, I cannot reckon one among my scholars, who may be said to be vicious. Ought I not to be satisfied with what Heaven has pla ced within my reach to do?" In view of the results of the labors and expe. rience of this lady, and of the lasting benefits that have accrued to the hearts and morals of thousands" on whom, her "labors of love" have been bestowed, who will say that the se lection of suitable teachers of our common schools is not a matter of the highest impor tance? Who can fail to perceive that the cha racter of the nation and the happiness and pros. perity of future generations greatly depend up on the ability, virtue, and faithful discharge of the duties of the instructors of children? And who among us, however elevated their position in society may have been regarded, have rendered more real service to the community, than this lady in the humble vocation of teaching a district school? Let the young teacher" go and do li ewise." Yours respectfully, JABEZ D. HAMMOND. Cherry-Valley, May 1, 1843. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Various communications of much interest, have been necessarily postponed, to make room for the important Exposition of the new School Act. "T" will find in the January No. the information he asks in reference to plans for rural district school houses. Will he forward his address to the Editor? TERMS-Fifty cents per annum. DISTRICT SCHOOL JOURNAL, VOL. IV. OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK. ALBANY, JULY, 1843. No. 4. STATE CONVENTION OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS. [Taken principally from the Albany Argus and Evening Journal.] The Superintendents of Common Schools for the that he was indebted for the honor of presiding, several counties in the State, convened in the As- rather to the circumstance that he was last year sembly Chamber on Wednesday, May 17, at 10 o'-selected to take the pince of the eminent and good clock. Mr. Dwight, of Albany, called to order, and on his motion, Henry E. Rochester, of Monroe, was appointed Chairman pro. tem., and On motion of Mr. King, Mr. Frazier, of Broome, was appointed Secretary. At the suggestion of the Chairman, the business of the convention was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Kip. The list of Superintendents being called, the following answered to their names: man, (Judge Hammond,) whose retirement from the post, before the close of the Utica session, was so unexpected and so much regretted, than to any merit of his own. At the same time, he would not inflict upon the convention the matter-ofcourse (though not always matter-of-fact) remarks on such occasions, implying diffidence and unfitness for the place, and thus reflecting upon the choice of the convention. He should discharge the duties of the chair, relying upon the kindness of those who placed him in it, to support and adS. S. RANDALL, Gen. Deputy, Albany. vise him in all things necessary to the orderly and Francis Dwight, Albany. H. E. Rochester, Monroe. prompt despatch of business. He went on to alGeorge T. Frazier, Broome. W. Hough, Montgomery. lude briefly to the harmony which characterized E G. Storkes, Cayuga. William L. Stone, N.York. the previous convention, to the important subjects Nathan Tidd, Chemung. Elon Comstock, Oneida. which would come up at this sitting for deliberaD. G. Woodin, Columbia. Aug. G. Hopkins, Ontario. tion, and to express the hope that the convention D. McFarland, Delaware. Jacob C. Tooker, Orange. would prove to be not a talking, but a strictly bu Asa S. Clement, Dutchess. D. P. Tallmadge, Oswego.siness convention-advice which the Chair would Ed. J. Shumway, Essex. Lewis R. Palmer, Otsego follow up by his own example, and say no more. D. H. Stevens, Franklin. Flavel B. Sprague, Fulton. Mr. Woodin reported the following rules for the C. C.W. Cleveland, Greene. government of the convention, which were adoptB. Holcomb, Hamilton. ed: Jas. Henry, jr., Herkimer. Ira Mayhew, Jefferson. Theo. F. King, Kings. Ira Patchin, Livingston. E. Manchester, Madison. N. G. Blauvelt, Rockland. Aldea S. Stevens, Wyoming. 1. The business of each day shall be opened with prayer. 2 Committees shall be appointed by the presiding officer, unless the convention otherwise direct. 3. The business committee shall report all business to the convention, but after the acceptance of their reOn motion of Mr. Woodin, the Chair was di-port, any member may present any resolution for the rected to appoint a committee of one from each senate district to report the names of officers of the convention. The Chair named Messrs. King, Myers, Fonda, A. Wright, Comstock, Denman, Hopkins, and (for) the 8th, no one being present except the Chair,) Mr. Patchin, of Livingston. On motion of Mr. Hopkins, a committee of three was appointed by the Chair to report rules for the convention, viz: Messrs. Woodin, Dwight, and Tidd. Mr. Fonda, from the committee on that subject, reported, recommending the appointment of officers, as follows: President, THEODORE F. KING, of Kings; The report was agreed to, and the officers named took their seats. The President, on taking the chair, said he felt action of the convention. 4. All resolutions shall be submitted in writing to the President, and at his discretion, submitted either to the business committee, or laid directly before the convention. 5. No member shall speak more than fifteen minutes at any one time, or more than twice on the same subject, without unanimous consent. 6. The morning session shall commence at 9 o'clock, A. M. and close at 1 P. M.; the afternoon at 3 P. M. and close at 5 P. M. and the evening session at 7 P. M. 7. Gentlemen present interested in the subject of the floor with the convention, and to speak in its diseducation, are respectfully invited to take seats upon cussions, but the right of voting is restricted to the members. The President appointed the following business committee: Messrs. W. L. Stone, J. C. Tooker, S. S. Randall, F. B. Sprague, E. Manchester, J. S. Denman, A. T. Hopkins, H. E. Rochester. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. Col. Stone, from the business committee, submitted a resolution, which had been sent down from last year's convention, declaring that as a general rule, a teacher who could govern himself, could discipline a school without corporal punishment, and that a person who could not govern himself, was not fit to be entrusted with the sacred duty of the instruction of youth. Mr. Tidd spoke of the action of the convention of last year on this subject. He thought we should recognize the right of the teacher to inflict corporal punishment upon the scholars, when necessity required it. While he would recommend to all to endeavor to govern schools entirely upon the principle of moral suasion, he would yet let the scholars understand that there was something behind the desk, which would be used, if good government could not otherwise be enforced. School Journal was read, the more happy would be the influence exerted. Such had invariably been its effect in his county. He was no advocate for the rod. The best schools that had come under his supervision were those where the rod was used the least, or not at all. But let the scholars know beforehand that the teacher has no right under any emergency to inflict corporal punishment, and he might as well lock up the school house and quit at once, to save being turned out of doors by the scholars. Mr. Frazier explained that he did not mean to attack the Journal. Its influence generally had been most salutary. All that he had said was that he believed the recommendation to dispense entirely with corporal punishment, had had a deleterious effect in some instances. Mr. Henry did not understand the resolution as denying the right to inflict corporal punishment. It only asserted a general principle. Mr. A. Wright said the resolution did not deny the right of the teacher to inflict corporal punishment in cases of necessity, but only asserted as a general principle, that flagellation was not the proper means to govern the mind. There undoubtedly are cases where the rod must be applied, but, as a general principle, he insisted that it was true, that a teacher who can govern himself, could go-ciple that corporal punishment is in no cases nevern his school without the rod. Mr. Holcomb renewed the amendment which was offered last year, which in substance declares that while the right of the teacher to inflict punishment is recognized, yet the convention recommend to use moral suasion as the best mode of governing schools, &c. &c. He thought it would be absolutely dangerous to let the scholars know beforehand that, whatever might be their conduct, no correcting power was lodged in the hands of the teacher. Col. Stone, after explaining under what circumstances the committee had reported this resolution, remarked that he dissented entirely from the prin cessary. At times it is the only resort of the Teacher. He spoke particularly of the schools in the city of New-York. Let the teacher there be fettered in that respect, and he would be tumbled into the gutter by the scholars in a very short time, and without much ceremony. The great point should be, to obtain teachers fully qualified-not only in respect to their intellectual attainments, but also their habits, tempers, &c. When you have obtained such a teacher, it must be left entirely to his own discretion when to inflict corporal punishment, and when to forbear. He gave a history of the only case where complaint had been made to him of undue punishment by one of the teachers. A mother came with her boy of about 15 years old, and told her story, which appeared to show that too much severity had been used. Upon hearing the statement of the teacher, however, he was satisfied that he was fully justified. The seMr. A. Wright was sorry to hear that the Dis-quel proved the correctness of his decision. The trict School Journal had done injury to the schools mother withdrew her boy from the school on acin any county. Such certainly had not been its ef- count of the flogging, and it was but a few months fect in Washington county. There, teachers who before he obtained such control over her that the some time since believed that a rod five feet long family were obliged to move some four miles was absolutely necessary, had been induced to down town, in order that she might have the assisthrow it aside, and the resuit had been better tance of her father to keep the unruly son in subdiscipline in the schools, and greater attainments jection. in the branches taught, while at the same time the scholars were permitted to keep their backs Mr. Frazier was satisfied, from what had fell under his observation in his county, that the dispensing with corporal punishment entirely had resulted in great harm to the schools; and he believed that the communication of Mr. Randall in the District School Journal, on dispensing with corporal punishment, had done injury in some in stances. sound. Mr. Dwight said he by no means held himself responsible for all the doctrines put forth in the various communications which appeared in the District Journal. But he thought the gentleman from Broome (Mr. Frazier) would look in vain in the Journal to find the doctrine advanced that corporal punishment should never be employed. He believed that the teachers had right to inflict it, but wished the convention to pass some resolution expressive of its sense of the manner and the occasions of its administration. Heretofore it had been inflicted to an extent bordering on barbarity. He would not take from the teacher the right to enforce the laws of his school, yet he would do all in his power to inculcate upon all the expediency and importance of endeavoring to rule by moral suasion and the law of love, rather than by the infliction of corporal chastisement. He did not believe the sentiment of the resolution was strictly true. He had no doubt there were very many persons who could and did govern themselves well, but yet who could not dispense, upon all occasions, with the use of the rod in school. He preferred the amendment to the original resolution. Mr. Woodin believed that the more the District Mr. Randall was firmly of the opinion that corporal punishment was in no case necessary. It was either right or it was wrong. If it was right, then we should pass no resolution on the subject. If it is wrong, then it is all wrong, and should be done away with entirely. There could be no such thing as half right and half wrong about this business. He believed it was all wrong. The business of a school was to develop the intellectual powers of the pupils. Punishment was an address only to the animal feelings, and certainly was not necessary to assist the development of the higher faculties of man. Mr. W. Wright stated a fact which came under his own observation. A teacher who was every way qualified for the performance of his duties, announced to the scholars at the beginning of the school, that in no case would corporal punishment be resorted to. The result was soon seen. Insubordination began to be manifested, and before the term was half out, the teacher was, to use the language of his friend, "tumbled into the ditch." He spoke at length of the effect which the passage of such a resolution would have. It would be most disastrous. Take away from the teacher the power to assert his rights, and to maintain them, if necessary, by the infliction of personal chastisement, and you open the flood gates of insubordination and crime. As a general rule, it was neces Three o'clock. Mr. S. S. Randall presented certain books, with a communication from Rev. P. Eullions. Mr. Frazier presented a communication from Mr. J. Holbrook on the subject of Geology, which was referred to the business committee. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. Mr. Randall called for the consideration of the resolution in relation to the infliction of corporal punishment in schools. The question was announced, on an amendment, declaratory of the authority of a teacher, to be the same as that of a parent over a wayward child. Mr. Hardenbergh remarked that this subject had been pretty freely discussed at the last convention, and the debate had been published in the District School Journal. It had been again discussed this morning; and he had no doubt the convention were prepared to vote upon it without farther talking. He hoped the question would be taken. Mr. Randall did not propose to occupy much of the time of the convention; but he did not agree with the gentlemen in the opinion, that this convention, or the public generally, had sufficiently discussed this subject. He regarded it as one of vital importance as affecting materially the whole system the power to do so. If any gentleman was disposed to take the affirmative side of this question, and argue in favor of the principle of corporal punishment, he should be happy to hear him, but he hoped he would go one step farther than to advance the mere assertion that schools could not be governed without it, because he should meet that with the counter assertion, that the failure only proved the ineficiency of the teachers. The best schools in this and other states, were governed without corporal punishment. The argument of gentlemen would forever preclude the general introduction of female teachers, which all acknowledge to be desirable; for females had not the physical ability to cope with refractory pupils. had had some practical experience in visiting Mr. Rochester thought, if the General Deputy schools, it would bring his mind to a different conclusion. It was not alone in literary qualification, that teachers were generally deficient. There was a want of training in the capacity to govern. True, there were some men "born to command" whose countenance enforces obedience. Such men can govern better without corporal punishment than others can with it; but they are exceptions. Take the large majority of districts-particularly in cities and the larger villages, where there are many children who have not the benefit of proper parental training-and an ordinary teacher who should attempt to govern merely by moral suasion, must fail. When every district was furnished with such a teacher as he could desire to see, then corporal punishment might be dispensed with. Such a state of things would be greatly in accordance with his feelings; but he apprehended it would take years to arrive at it. Mr. Tooker said it was clear to his mind that the proceedings of this convention were to be felt tone to the public mind on the great subject, to throughout the whole community; and tend to give discuss which they had assembled. Those who would retain this relict of barbarism-the infliction of corporal punishment-went upon the supnot govern a school without. He would say, in position that there were many teachers who could such case, let the officers take away the credentials. Was there no other mode of enforcing obedience to rules than by blows? It has been said that there was biblical authority for the use of the rod; and he admitted that the wisest man that ever lived, could be quoted for it; but there was a difference between a parent's correcting a child, and a teacher, who may not have the power to govern himself. If a child should prove hopelessly refractory, reference might be had to the trustees. There was no obligation to keep such a child in the school. Many teachers were not judges of the manner and degree of punishments. Instances had been known, where the brain had been affected by a blow upon jured, by a blow on the side of the head; and thus the head-the tympanum of the ear ina teacher might inflict an injury in a moment of heat, which his whole lifetime would be unable to repair. Teachers should work with the minds of their pupils; convince them that they are wrong, and that was the very best means of preventing a repetition of the offence. Mr. Dwight moved the following amendment to the resolution : of school education." He had been amused at the shifts which the advocates for retaining this relic of barbarism, (as he regarded it) resorted to. The Resolved, That while we recognize the authority of a resolution, as it came from the committee, took the teacher to be similar to that of a parent over his child, broad ground that a teacher who could govern we believe that corporal punishment should be the last himself could govern a school without corporal resort, and when inflicted by a teacher, should be in punishment. The corollary, he supposed, follow-private, and never without serious and friendly aded, of course, that one incapable of governing himself was unfit to be a teacher. He supposed no one would think of granting a certificate to such a person. But to adopt the proposed amendment, would be to say that teachers ought never to inflict corporal punishment, yet that they ought to have inonition. Mr. Dwight said that in this form, the resolutio would meet most of the objections that had bee urged by those who opposed the amendment. H agreed with those who argued that the governmen of a school should be similar to that of a well go. sion of such influence and discipline as shall elevate the moral sentiments, form virtuous habits and prepare for the various duties of life. Whereas, a daily and simultaneous recapitulation of some of the most imperative moral precepts by the pu pils of some of the schools in this State, has been found by experience to be very salutary, Therefore, Resolved, That the general adoption of this or some similar practice be recommended by this convention to the favorable consideration of the trustees, employers and teachers of our common schools throughout the Exemplified State. I must not be angry." "I must be pleasant and kind to all." verned family; and he believed that corporal punishment was sometimes necessary in families, for the benefit of a child-perhaps not necessary to be resorted to but once in a lifetime, and with some children not at all; but there were instances, where to spare it, would be to trifle with the welfare and happiness of the child. It had been said that the refractory children might be turned out of school; but would the inhabitants be satisfied with that mode of breaking up the school? Would they not say it was the duty of the teacher to govern his pupils? There was much in the manner of inflicting punishment. Let time be given for reflection, and then let the delinquent be told of his fault in private, and he will probably fall on his kness and confess it, whereas if he had been called out before the school, he would have stood up and played the hero. His friend the General Deputy, urged that this doctrine was inconsistent with the general employment of female teachers. Mr. D. believed there was no one so Quixotic as to suppose that our schools were now in a condition to admit of the universal introduction of what he certainly regarded as the best influence in teaching. He should be happy if they reached that point ten Whereas, Precept without corresponding example on years hence. Mr. D. urged the convention to take and whereas all didactic lessons in duty ought to be the part of the preceptor, is often worse than useless: no action which they could not sustain, and be sus-illustrated in the individual treatment which pupils retained in by the community. Better advance slow-ceive at the hands of the teacher, as well as in the gely and upon firm ground, than incur the hazard of neral management of the school:" a retrograde step. Therefore, Mr. Denman took similar grounds. He believed if all parents would do their duty by their children, corporal punishment would not be necessary for the government of the schools. But they do not, and it is absolutely necessary for the teacher to use the rod. He dissented from the principle of the original resolution, that a person who could govern himself could in all cases govern others. There were very many exceptions, and he stated some that had fallen under his own observation. "God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." "God always sees me." "I should depart from evil and learn to do good." Resolved, That a daily lesson on moral duty, in which the teacher should orally by question and answer, by anecdote and argument, illustrate and enforce the child's various social relations and responsibilities, would be very desirable, and if judiciously given could not but prove eminently useful. Resolved, That the attention of teachers is earnestly and affectionately invited to the great and pressing necessity of exemplifying the true principles of morality in their personal deportment, and in the administration of discipline. such exercises, to avoid every appearance of secMr. Tooker said great care should be taken in tarianism. If the lessons were confined merely to the decalogue, or to general and cardinal moral duties, probably not even a skeptic could object to it. Mr. Tidd wished some action taken on this sub Mr. D. H. Stevens supposed one object of punish-ject by this Convention. The question had frement to be the reformation of the pupil. This he was satisfied corporal punishment would not do. As an offset to the case cited by Mr. W. Wright, he would state a fact which fell under his own observation. A teacher in his county was in the habit of inflicting corporal punishment to a very great extent. The result was that the children turned him out of doors. Another teacher was then hired, and he told the scholars beforehand that he should in no case inflict corporal punishment. He (Mr. S.) not long after visited that school, and a better regulated one he never saw. The teacher had succeeded admirably with his new system. He could not sustain the idea for a moment that corporal punishment was necessary in our common schools. Mr. Randall offered a substitute for the amendment of Mr. Dwight, declaring that as the object of education was the development of the intellectual and moral qualities, the application of physical force was not the proper means to attain that object and that corporal punishment in Our schools ought to be discountenanced by every intelligent friend of education. The discussion was further continued by Messrs. Randall, Dwight, Woodin, W. Wright, Henry, Denman and Mayhew. The amendment of Mr. Randall was lost by ayes and noes-ayes 6, noes 25. The substitute of Mr. Dwight was then adopted by a large majority. MORAL DISCIPLINE OF THE SCHOOLS. Mr. Dwight, from the committee on Christian morals, reported the following resolutions: Resolved, That whereas knowledge without virtue is no guarantee of private or public happiness; and whereas our schools are too generally occupied with the former to the neglect of the latter: therefore resolv. ed, that we will give earnest and immediate attention to the introduction into the schools under our supervi quently been put to him by teachers in his county, who felt it to be their duty to open and close their He had uniformly told them to follow the dictates school with prayer, whether it could be permitted. of their own conscience on that point. Still he wished the Convention to take some action. He was in favor of the resolution, and hoped the plan recommended would be adopted in every school in the State. There was one case in Chemung county, where the trustees objected to the opening of the school with prayer. The teacher told them that such was his method, and unless he was permitted to do as he chose in that respect, they must look elsewhere for a teacher. He was so well qualified to teach, that they did not discharge him, and eventually he was sustained in his course by the dis trict. Mr. Dwight said the proposed lessons on duty there would be less difficulty in carrying out this were such as all could unite in, and he thought He had adopted similar exercises in a number of recommendation than was generally anticipated.schools in Ontario county, and in every case success had attended the effort. He found that the parents of the children would co-operate with him. tants were followers of Tom Paine, and who taught There was one district where many of the inhabithat had ever lived. They called a meeting of the distheir children to believe that he was the greatest man trict to protest against Mr. D's. act in introducing similar exercises. But when called upon singly to say whether they had any objection to permit their children to be taught in the way which had been the negative. So would it be generally found. advised in the school, every person replied in The story of Ethan Allen was in point. On his death bed, in answer to the inquiry of his daughter whether he desired her to follow his precepts or those of her pious mother, he answered, "fol |