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hearing them recite it. Indeed I should regard it as a much more certain method; for they may recite without understanding it, but they cannot answer judicious questions, without understanding it. This plan would enable him to save a great deal of time, now lost on unnecesary details. Besides it has this capital advantage. It does what the whole system, as now administerd, is radicaly defectiv in, it draws out the minds of the pupils, and givs them an activity of exercise, which is sadly neglected in the present plan. Now, conversation is decidedly one of the best means of improving the mind, by putting in requisition all its powers, not seperately, but happily combind together in their action. The coloquial intercourse of inferior with superior minds is an admirable species of education for the great majority of them, having the tendency to raise them gradualy above their own standard. To cultivate such minds also in this mode, cannot but create as a necesary consequence more of self-reliance, because it givs a readier command of their own powers and resources. Nor can we fail to see, that the efect of a change in this respect in education, would be, thro' the influence of pupils thus traind, to improv conversation in its style, materials and spirit. May I conclude this part of our subject by an ilustration? Conversation is to the mind like daily exercise to the body; while composition and extempore speaking are like long journeys. These are indispensable to the few, tho' for the sake of the many; that is indispensable to the many, for their own sakes. Hence the obligations of teachers to cultivate those three branches assiduously. Certainly "the people's school-master," if he rightly understands and duly appreciates those obligations, should not fail so do so: and yet he does.

9. The ninth objectionable feature in the present system of education is, that while there is some apparent attention paid to English grammar, (and taking the whole scheme of school, academy, and colleges together, it is more apparent than real,) yet there is no attention whatever paid to speaking good gramDoes it not seem strange, that so much pains should be taken to teach a boy the rules of grammatical speaking, and yet that he should never be exercisd in them by actual practice?

mar.

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Is not this another error in things as they are, precisely analagous to that which teaches declamation, but not extempore speaking. Does not each of them teach the THING to be applied, without teaching How to apply it? Now, it is the plain and undeniable duty of a master, not only to take care, that no bad grammar be spoken by the pupils at any time, within his hearing, a thing of more constant occurrence than most instructers are aware of, but to make instruction in grammatical speaking a regular exercise of the school. This end is at once attaind, in the most simple and beneficial form that can be devisd, by recitations in the form of conversation: and by critical examinations in the same mode, of the compositions of the class. Now, if the master would make this a daily business, he would accomplish far more than he now does, with all his theoretical instruction. Grammar then would cease to be, as it now is, the useless torment of children and boys, and would become, as it ought to be, the study only of youth sufficiently advanced to understand it, with little or no trouble. In this mode, all the time now wasted on grammar would be saved: and more would be understood and known of it in six months, than is now attaind in sevral years.

I hav thus completed my survey of things as they are in education: and hav endeavord to show you, that the schoolmaster, who is abroad in our land, is not the schoolmaster of our age and country; that he is not a wise, observant, practical schoolmaster; that he is not the people's schoolmaster; because he does not consult their best interests in the best modes. I hav presented to your consideration nine objections to our existing schemes of education. I recapitulate them briefly.

1. The system is not decidedly religious. 2. It is not decidedly American. 3. It suits equaly well other ages and countrys, forms of government, states of society, and literature. 4. It does not fill the mind with valuable and entertaining knowlege; because the mathematics and classics, which occupy so large a portion of youthful time, do not furnish either. 5. It does not create and preserv the love of study and a taste for reading. 6. It does not furnish the disciplin of mind which our country needs. 7. It neglects, strangely and unhappily, the study of

the English language. 8. It teaches composition very imperfectly, and extempore speaking and conversation, not at all. 9. It does not teach pupils to speak good English. However much it may be doubted, whether all of these objections are of equal avail against the existing order of things, it cannot be denyd, that there are both truth and reason, in a greater or less degree in all of them. They deserv then the serious consideration of all, who are engaged in the instruction of youth.

I proceed now to the second grand division of my subject: and propose to lay before you the correctivs to the nine objections, which I hav made. In doing this, I shall present to you things as they should be, in my opinion, contrasted with things as they are. It will be perceiv'd, that the heads already presented hav been examind, some very briefly, others extensivly. Thus will my labor be diminishd in this second division; whilst it has had the efect as I hope, of deversifying the subject by varying the mode of treating it. The reasonings offerd so much at large under some of the topics, will render very little necesary beyond a statement of opposit views.

1. Things as they should be, demand then imperativly, that education should be decidedly religious. It is granted on all hands, that religion is the highest interest of man; that it is the cement of society and the foundation of government; that it is the best safeguard of duty, and a fountain of the purest happiness. It is also granted, that nothing can supply its place, that arts and sciences, learning and eloquence, genius and taste are of little value without it. Equaly is it granted, that the great majority who come out of our schools, and colleges, learn nothing in them of this momentous concern. Can this be right any where? How much more is it wrong then, in a country where the people, being and doing evry thing, are uncontrol'd, but by the voluntary restraints they lay upon themselvs. Is not religion incomparably more important in such a case, than where an old establishd order of things, in a good measure independent of them, commands the habitual respect and obedience of the people? It is granted by evry intelligent man, that religion is the chief safeguard of American institutions; that none but a religious people can remain free: that

without morals, there is no foundation or cement for government, and that society must be a chaos, fit only for despotism, aristocracy, or anarchy. And yet, tho' all this be granted, the Christian religion, emphaticaly the religion of the people, is not made a part of the scheme of general education. I cannot but regard this as a great calamity to the country: and it becomes well the people of the United States, to consider whether they are not guilty of a striking dereliction of duty to their posterity, by thus excluding religion from their daily course of instruction. Let the schoolmaster who is abroad in our land, answer then the question, is he a Christian schoolmaster?

I hav said that nothing can supply the place of Christianity. A moment's reflection will put this beyond doubt. It is the only religion that is spiritual, intelectual, moral; the only one that fills at once the soul, the mind, the heart; the only religion that is profound in doctrin, simple in precept, and perfectly practical; the only one that teaches the most enlightend duty and the most enlargd usefulness; and enjoins an inflexible faith in God, and comprehensiv, considerate, tender love to man. Such a religion was evidently given to be the only basis of all character in this life, as it is the only security for bliss in the world to come. It was given as the sole standard of duty; the sole test of usefulness; the sole fountain of happiness, temporal and eternal. This religion was vouchsaf'd to man, to teach him what he can never learn from any other source, the character of God, his own character and necessitys, his relation to God and his fellow-men, and his own destiny, whilst it meets the demands of evry form of government, of evry state of society, and of evry condition of life. It is equal to the most sublime, as to the most humble dutys, to the most extended, as to the most minute usefulness, to all that the public can require, or the individual need. It was given to convert the Pagan into the Christian, by abolishing his system of religion and morals, personal, social and public; by working a thorough change in the principles and character of his relations, public and private; by efecting a fundamental revolution in the spirit of his institutions; by substituting the will of God for the will of man; the

rule of duty for the rule of expediency: and the meek, benevolent, long-suffering virtues of the Prince of Peace, and God of Love, for the proud, destructiv, unforgiving heroic virtues of Grecian and Roman Patriots. This religion was given to work an entire change in the character, habits and prospects of man; to purify, reform and regenerate society and government; to make each distinct people a Christian nation, and of all, a Christian world.

Now, it is impossible that Christianity can ever accomplish its object; unless it be made an element of all general education: and enter into the daily administration of the whole system. The first great reform to be made then in things as they are, so as to make them things as they should be, is to introduce religion into the evry day instruction of school, academy and college. The Bible should become a text book, from the infantschool to the university; not only as the fountain of duty and usefulness; but as containing history, the most authentic and valuable; biography the most instructiv and interesting; the most profound philosophy, theological and moral; the most enlarg❜d yet practical wisdom; eloquence and poetry, the most sublime, pathetic and beautiful. The scriptures should draw along with them, as a matter of course, all the requisit text books to explain and ilustrate their history and biography, antiquitys, manners, customs and geography; as also their peculiar theology and morals. With the great advantages now afforded by the higher order of Sunday-school books, for the selection of such works in the scholastic and academic departments, there could be no difficulty. It would be one consequence of this great change, that the philosophy of Paley could be no longer tolerated: and, when rejected, either the Bible alone would be the standard of moral philosophy, or some work like Jonathan Dymond's Essays, must be adopted as a worthy hand-maid of the Christian Testament. Or, perhaps, such a body of sermons as Dr. Dwight's on the ten commandments, might be advantageously introduced. It would not be difficult, if the demand for them should warrant it, to select from the best English and American Divines, a couple of volumes that would exhibit a very satisfactory view of Christian morals.