EDUCATION OF THE FAllMER. 223 



CUpying our present position, would roam the plains and the for- 

 ests nomadic hunters — rude barbarians! In an esthetic civiliza- 

 tion, the ancients absolutely surpassed us; in Imuch that constitutes 

 modern civilization, in moral, intellectual, political and physical 

 science, we stand in the same relation to them, that the grown up 

 child does to the parent. The child aided by the parent to a cer- 

 tain point, ought, in obedience to the law of progress, to advance 

 beyond that point. Each succeeding generation is bound to con- 

 tribute its quota to civilization. But let not the last therefore 

 spurn its predecessors, or lightly overthrow their works ! 



I have been led into these reflections by considering some of 

 those propositions, ill-advised I cannot but consider them, for an 

 improvement in our system of popular education — which also sug- 

 gested the remarks of the Quarterly Journal. 



It has been much the fashion, latterly, even in high places, to 

 advocate a material education — an education having for its end the 

 investigation of the law of physics, to the nearly utter neglect of 

 those of psychology, ethics, and social polity.* This has been 

 done in obedience to the maxims of a certain narrow utility ; an 

 futility wdiich refers everything to the standard^ of pecuniary profit 

 and loss ; wdiich regards" man as an animal, whose prime object 

 and chief good is to be well fed, well clothed, and well lodged ; 

 and w'hich would therefore train him with nice care to so apply his 

 energies and means to the attainment of these, that no jot or tittle 

 of those means should be lost or mis-applied. 



Our phase of this materializing tendency in reference to educa- 

 tion, in the public mind, is exhibited in that assumption so popu- 

 lar among farmers, (since the impulse received from agricultural 

 Bocieties and journals has roused them into attempts to improve 

 Itheir knowledge of their art,) that our system of elementary edu- 

 cation should be "practical," — that is, that it should give them 

 ^and those in other avocations of industry ?) that direct knowledge 

 )f the scientific principles upon which the processes of their art 

 hould^be conducted, that they will derive tangible and "practical" 

 )ecuniary benefits from it in after life. I recently had the honor, 



• I have said in " high places.'' In the State Normal School, where teachers are 

 ducating to mould the whole young mind of our state, neither of the last named sub- 

 lets, are, so far as I am advised, taught. But singing-- '■''■'"'^"'' r'—'-'-'- - " - 

 re taught, carefully, and well taught ! 



