interruption, the opening or shutting of a door, the moving of a dog, the fall of a book, will divert and distract the attention of the most anxious and serious. Now, in the school I have mentioned, continued he, I could call up a class of girls, from eight to twelve years old, disciplined by Colburn's Arithmetic, and lecture to them for half an hour on any subject suited to their capacity, and, though the rest of the school should pass out and in, to and fro, the attention of the class would not be distracted for a moment, nor my subject lost sight of. Continuing to dilate on the subject, the advantages of such a discipline appeared every moment in brighter colors to the speaker, till at length he concluded with the very sentiment he had risen to controvert. "I give it," said he, " as my decided opinion, that Colburn's Arithmetic has a tendency to produce quite a revolution in our morals, politics, and religion." Having now completed my examination of the first principles of education, allow me to revert to the question with which I began, and ask, whether it is preferable to go on as we have done, patching and extending our present system, or immediately to commence the erection of a new structure, where everything really valuable of the old may be incorporated, but into which nothing shall enter without a thorough examination into its soundness and fitness. But, should the latter be decided on, who shall be the architect? Shall this important duty be entrusted to an individual, or shall it be conferred on a committee? and if the former, shall the plan rest entirely on its own merits, or shall it be submitted to the officers of this society, or a select committee, for revision and approval? These are weighty questions, which I beg leave to submit to your serious consideration. To such of you as are teachers of primary schools, allow me to say, that I trust you will think that I have sufficiently compared the new mode with the old to show, that the one is well calculated to teach children to read understandingly, and to think, while the other, at best, can only make them expert puppets. If this has been done to your satisfaction, if you are convinced that this new system will have a strong tendency to awaken the energies of the infant mind, will teach it not to rest contented with dogmatic assertions, whether delivered orally or through the medium of books, but to examine for itself, and demand a good reason for every thing if you are convinced of this, I say, no entreaties of mine will be necessary to cause you instantly to set about reform. Do not be deceived, however; opposition, violent opposition must be looked for. Some men are not capable of examining the subject; others do not like the trouble, and are rather disposed to shut their ears than to give it a fair examination: and it is not to be wondered at if men are stirred up to resistance, when those principles which have from early education struck deep into all their habits of thinking, are torn up by the very roots. But the object to be attained is so precious, that we should not allow ourselves to be deterred or frightened by opposition. This object is nothing less than to make the whole of the rising generation (and of course their posterity for ever, for education can never retrograde) a thinking people. By the present system we know this cannot be effected. A few superior minds to be sure, in every age, will rise, in spite of the trammels of a defective education. But the great mass of the community are led, blindly led. Surely this ought not to be, in a country, where the government is really, substantially in the hands of the whole people; in a world, where the happiness or misery of immortal souls so much depends on their present training. The time allotted for this address has not been sufficient to allow so complete a detail of the improved mode of teaching as I could have wished. Had I not been afraid of trespassing too much on your patience, I should have been pleased to have taken up the proper books, and given practical illustrations, and also to have pointed out the errors which experience has shown that teachers are apt to fall into in changing from the mechanical to the intellectual method of instruction. I should also have been pleased to have given examples in elucidation of the proposed mode of simplifying written arithmetic. If the hints I have thrown out, however, be thought of any value, I may, perhaps, have the privilege granted me of offering a few of those practical illustrations at one of our evening meetings. GENTLEMEN OF THE INSTITUTE, I thank you for the kind and patient attention with which I have been favored. I am fully conscious of the disadvantages under which a plain farmer, from a remote section of the country, must labor, in addressing a body accustomed chiefly to listen to the valuable lectures of our most learned profes sors, divines, and lawyers. I am also sensible, that my distance from your metropolis, whence so much light on the subject of education is constantly emanating, may have caused me to form too low an estimate of the improvements already introduced into your district schools. Still, however, I flatter myself with the hope, that your time has not been entirely misspent in listening to the results of long and anxious study, and ardent practical investigation of this important subject. If my labors shall prove the medium of introducing any, even the slightest real improvement into the system of primary education, most amply shall I consider myself rewarded. |