[No. LXXVIII. j THE TABLET. No. LXXVIII. " People never misapply their economy so muik t as when they make mean provision for the education oj children." THE essay, contained in this aild the two fol lowing numbers of the Tablet, points out foine of the most ui'ual defeats of country schools. It was written by ayoung gentleman, some years ago, who in travelling through the country saw, in a very forcible light, the evils he has describ ed. The author calls it one of his juvenile per formances ; but the remarks are judicious, and the expressions clear and pointed. It is hoped it will prove entertaining to the reader. " THOUGH man is faidtohold the lowest rank in the intellectual system, he is still supposed to have a foul, wbofe powers are susceptible of end less progressive improvement. We come into the world with minds totally unfurnilhed with ideas ; but, like white paper, capable of receiving and retaining any notions, good or bad, which edu cation or accident firft happens to impress. The perverse actions of men demonstrate the danger of imbibing wrong ideas and forming bad habits, and the difficulty of correcting or removing them afterwards. This consideration fliould make those who superintend the education of children, particularly cautious that their firft instruCtions fliould be the best. To cultivate the faculties of the human mind, and to enlarge and improve its powers has ever been considered, by the ci vilized parr of mankind, as an objed: of the ut inoft concern. The general institution of schools in this country is a full proof that its inhabitants are convinced of their utility and importance. But from fear of expence, from want of inter est, from careleflnefs, from ignorance, or from some other causes, it happens that most of the schools amongst us are under very defective re gulations. They are placed on so difadvan- a footing, that the design of parents, which is to give their children the best education with the least expence, is unfortunately defeat ed. Having attentively observed the defeats which attend the common method of education, and being fully convinced that much money is expended in that way to little effeCt, I am indu ced to make a few remarks on the fubjed. My observations are calculated more particularly for the common schools in the country. In the firft place, I would oblerve that the houses built tor fchoois are very inconvenient, very expenlive and ill adapted to answer the end for which they are intended. The design of an house seems to be to shelter us from the inclemen cy of the weather ; and one would think, that to ere«ft a building that would not answer this purpose, is to mifpend time and to lavish away money. But the school-houses in the country are, some of them at least, such wretched thin (hells, that in extreme weather, the largest fire that can be built in them will not render children com fortable, at any distance from it. Besides, the extraordinary quantity of wood, which inuft ne cefTarily be consumed, in such houses, is a consi deration that ought to have influence in a coun tjy, where wood is in so great demand. There is another ill confeqnence of more importance, though less attended to by people in general ; which is, that such schools are less beneficial to the children. If the master keeps thdni at their bu linefs, where they ought to be kept, at a distance from the fire, they fit shivering with cold and never look on a book ; and if he permits them to croud round the fire, they will puffi andabufe each other, and the master's ears will be ftnnned with the din of endless complaints. The molt that a master can do, at such a time, is to prevent andredrefs these petty injuries ; and he may think himfelf happy to do that to fatisfaCtion. In such an house, where a child has 110 higher ambition than to get warm, it is folly to expeCt he will re ceive much benefit. As parents fend their chil dren to school for some other purpose than mere ly to keep warm, the house should be so comfor table, that they can have 110 need to approach the fire. A master might than govern them with much less difficulty, and his instruCtions would be attended with better success. Brick houses are muchtobeprefered, not only as they are cooler in summer, and warmer in winter, but because they are less liable to accident and damage from mis chievous boys. Children fliould likewise be furnifhed with drawers, locks and keys, where they might lay their books and papers in fafety : Otherwise they will be obliged, as is too much the cafe, to throw them down upon a table or a bench, where they may be undefignedly bruflied off, trodden on, md tore to pieces. When I mention drawers, 1 A ] U K. D A Y January 9, 1790. iuppofe that children have books at i'chool ; for ihofe that have none will have no need of draw erS' . Sculling but the absolute impossibility of obtaining books will render negligence in this relpe<fl excufeable. How odd does it appear to fend a child to learn to read, without a book, in expectation that he will be furnifhed by others ! Would not a man appear exceedingly ridiculous and foolifh, who should go into the field to work without tools ? And if he fliould go, in expecta tion that his neighbor would furnifn him, I dare fay there is not a person who would not laugh at him. It is an ill judged piece of economy to supply children wirli implements for writing, that are bad or indifferent. Coarse paper, pale ink and flawy quills are the common fare of lads, while they are learning to write. The expence in the firft instance is lessened by such pitiful provilion of materials ; but they are dearest in the end, even if it should be practicable to make improve ment in writing, under such disadvantages. This pratftice should not be continued, but the articles used at schools should be the bell that can be pro cured. The pupil should have nothing to dis courage him ; and I appeal to every pevfon who is accustomed to writing, how vexatious it is to write with a bad apparatus. The tables used at schools in general are too low, and they are often so rough that paper cannot be kept fmooili. This is another inconvenience that hinders the ill fated lad from making progress. It will oc cur to every person, who has tried the experi ment, that writing-delks are preferable to tables. 1 aper, lying horizontally, txpofes the person, who writes, to an aukward situation, and if this mode is persisted in, by one who writes much, it will injure his health. Such remarks may apper trivial, but they are of much greater importance, than will, at firft view, be imagined. (To be continued.) What tones, when genius strikes the lyre ! ExtraA from the New-Year's niijb of the Carrier of the American Mercury. [Hartford.] t! T?AIR Liberty, whose gentle sway J/ First blest these ihores, lias crofs'd the Cca, " To visit Gallia, and inflame, " Her fonj their ancient rights to claim. " From realm to realm Ihe still lhall fly, " As lightning [hoots across the Iky, And tyrants herjuft empire own, 11 And at her teet lubmit their crown. " Go, tell your country, (he is still *' Heaven's care ; and happy, if the will " Hut all mud firft their (lation fix, I N'or craze their (kulls with politics ; " His proper calling each pursue, " And thus his worth and wisdom Ihcw. " Let Tailors tempt the watery main. " And peasants urge the foil for gain ; '' The merchant at his counter stand ; " The artist keep his tools in hand ; II Thecobler ply his lajl and atul; " To patch old kettles tinkers bawl ; u Smiths at the forge their temples rub ; " The cooper rattle round his tub ; " Aftrouomers makes almanacks ; " And fills and purges leave to quacks j 11 Wife pedagogues their pupils teach, 11 The parson be content to preach. FROM TIIE GEORGIA GAZETTE. THE FEDERAL OATH. " IA. B. do solemnly fuisar or affirm) that 1 willfupport the Constitution of the United States." FEDERAL OATH. THIS oath is very simple, and yet there is a hue and cry railed against it. Whether igna ranct or design generated the objection I know not. [t is, however, objecfted, that " this oath obliges [lie oath-taker to comply with and obey alt the laws of Congress, although some of those very laws may be so framed as to deprive the citizens of their breeches and petticoats, and other civil rights and privileges to which th<*y have a natural or a federal claim." This is so strange a sophisticated inversion of the words of the oath that fomerhing besides ig norance appears to have had afliarein the inver sion ; for their true intent and meaning do not pass Wcomprehenfion. The Constitution of the States, and the laws of their Congress. are inherent ly, as different as the aforefaid articles of dress ; and, as decency moll politively commands all her fubjedts to cover their nakedness, so does this oath positively oblige all Federalists (who take it) to cxpofe the nakedness of that law which has anything in it contrary to the Constitution. Should it ever, unhappily be the curse of these States, to have a Congress, weak and wicked enough to enatft laws everfive of one single lec tion, or even clause of the Constitution, the Mem bers of that Congress, by enabling such laws, will betray the great trnft reposed in thein by their fellow citizens, and consequently become traitor! [Publijhed on JVednefday and Saturday.] to the States. Can Jolly conceive, or credulity be lieve, that this oath enjoins obedience or support to such laws ! As well may you believe that the robber, who knocked you down, and took your money, did the one to relieve you from care, and the other to cure you of the headach. We /hall here, perhaps be told of the excellen cies of Jealousy, which (fay its advocates) is a certain prefervarive of our liberty, and has done such great things for our political welfare, that it is boldly asked, What has it not done ? Be it even so, my good trumpeters ; but, in run. ning over the beadroll of you>." guardian's virtues, you forget, or pass unnoticed, loine of her molt remarkable achievements. This patro-theos, or tutelar faint, of yours, had well nigh wrested Independence from the States : They were floating,in atempeftuous sea, 011 the last plank of the wreck, and, to prevent finking, they were forced to solicit aid from their new alliance : By this aid, it is true, they were enabled to regain the rtiore of fafety ; but the re quisition left a foul stain* upon the States ; be cause, in the beginning, an army fufttcient for the great pili poses of the Union might have been rai led, and kept complete to the end of the war : But, it seems, this tender eyed guardian of our liberty could not behold a [landing army ! Such, Jealoufy,are thy mighty works i for which let the United States extol thy glorious name, and the inhabitants thereof obey thy wife commands ? From tliefe premises, then; this conclusion is clear, that jealousy is an excellent centinel, but a very bad commandant. Arm it, then, as a centinel ought to be armed, at all points ; but make it forever obedient to the orders of Reason, which the SU GREAT PREME hath been pleased to make Commander in Chief in the Republic of Man.— If you fupercede, or disobey great comman der, instead of laurels you will secure to your selves disgrace, perhaps ruin. In the delightful realms of Hymen, if Jealousy be ever admitted, it turns to bitternefa the choi cest sweets, poisons the delicious banquet, and revels in mifcliieflike a devil unchained : So like wise, in the world of politics, if it ever gain the ascendant, it throws every thing into a ferment, destroys mutual confidence, ana rages like Luci fer, with all his imps at his heels. The dignity, the order, the happiness, of such a government, are obvious ; and, if they enchant the wife and good, where lies the wonder ? But tho ill-founded jealousy, or jealousy con trary to reason, should be considered, as in fa(ft it is, the fruitful source of evil, yet it is by no means prudent or fafe to repose on the pillar of f'ecurity, when the ax is laid to the root. The advice of Apollo, " All extremes avoid,"f merits general adoption ; though filort, it is com* prehenlive,and applies to every cafe ; for all ex tremes are vicious, and there are certain boun daries on neither fide of which is it pollible to a - void error.f It is the region of Folly, and amidst the infinite variety of her slower-strewed paths there is not one in which the man of rectitude can walk. Such a country as this of Folly's, is that in which Jealousy reigns supreme : Yet this differ ence should be ■ bferveJ : In the suite of Folly, Malice is but rarely seen ; but, in the suite of Jea lousy, theie are numberless fpiritsas malicious as old Belzebub can make them. Scorn then, my countrymen, to commit your selves to such a ruler: Consult Reafen, and hear ken to the voice of Experience. A Conttitution all-perfedt and complete is not to be expecfted, and aLegiflature instantly reprobate toevery good work, for which it was created a Legislature, is not to be apprehended : Like the Lindamira In damora of Scriblerus, they are both "ov? of nature. But suppose the worlt, however improbable it may be ; suppose that, contiary to the usual pro gress in villainy, you should have a Legislature that shall violate their oaths as soon as taken, and pounce with the rapidity of an eagle upon your precious quarry, yet why despair of the Commonwealth ? Such conducfl might and should alarm you : But, if you will be but just to your selves, I mean, if you will be but true to your oath, much mifchief they cannot do to the States ; for, you being their political creators, you have in your own hands an effe&ual remedy : You can clap an extinguisher upon them, and put them out. A FEDERALIST. NOTES. * This remark applies only to the troop! of France : Her ships were essential ; for a naval force it was not in the power of the States to ejiablifh. A (landing army ! IVas there ever a more absurd idea conceived even by Folly ? It was to Hand only during the conflict, and that, every one knows, u ne cessary to in fur: success. f Medio tutiffimus ibis. Ovid. i. Eft modus in rebus. Suntctrti denique fines y !?c.
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