north america-1-第77节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　efficient　system　of　common　schools　throughout　the　State；　but　no　religions　or　other　sect　or　sects　shall　ever　have　any　exclusive　right　or　control　of　any　part　of　the　school　funds　of　this　State。〃　　In　Indiana；　admitted　in　1816；　it　is　required　that　〃the　General　Assembly　shall　provide　by　law　for　a　general　and　uniform　system　of　common　schools。〃　Illinois　was　admitted　next；　in　1818；　but　the　constitution　of　Illinois　is　silent　on　the　subject　of　education。　　It　enjoins；　however；　in　lieu　of　this；　that　no　person　shall　fight　a　duel　or　send　a　challenge！　　If　he　do；　he　is　not　only　to　be　punished；　but　to　be　deprived　forever　of　the　power　of　holding　any　office　of　honor　or　profit　in　the　State。　　I　have　no　reason；　however；　for　supposing　that　education　is　neglected　in　Illinois；　or　that　dueling　has　been　abolished。　　In　Maine　it　is　demanded　that　the　townsthe　whole　country　is　divided　into　what　are　called　townsshall　make　suitable　provision　at　their　own　expense　for　the　support　and　maintenance　of　public　schools。　Some　of　these　constitutional　enactments　are　most　magniloquently　worded；　but　not　always　with　precise　grammatical　correctness。　　That　for　the　famous　Bay　State　of　Massachusetts　runs　as　follows：　〃Wisdom　and　knowledge；　as　well　as　virtue；　diffused　generally　among　the　body　of　the　people；　being　necessary　for　the　preservation　of　their　rights　and　liberties；　and　as　these　depend　on　spreading　the　opportunities　and　advantages　of　education　in　the　various　parts　of　the　country　and　among　the　different　orders　of　the　people；　it　shall　be　the　duty　of　the　legislatures　and　magistrates；　in　all　future　periods　of　this　commonwealth；　to　cherish　the　interest　of　literature　and　the　sciences；　and　of　all　seminaries　of　them；　especially　the　University　at　Cambridge；　public　schools　and　grammar　schools；　in　the　towns；　to　encourage　private　societies　and　public　institutions　by　rewards　and　immunities　for　the　promotion　of　agriculture；　arts；　sciences；　commerce；　trades；　manufactures；　and　a　natural　history　of　the　country；　to　countenance　and　inculcate　the　principles　of　humanity　and　general　benevolence；　public　and　private　charity；　industry　and　frugality；　honesty　and　punctuality　in　all　their　dealings；　sincerity；　good　humor；　and　all　social　affections　and　generous　sentiments　among　the　people。〃　　I　must　confess　that；　had　the　words　of　that　little　constitutional　enactment　been　made　known　to　me　before　I　had　seen　its　practical　results；　I　should　not　have　put　much　faith　in　it。　　Of　all　the　public　schools　I　have　ever　seenby　public　schools　I　mean　schools　for　the　people　at　large　maintained　at　public　costthose　of　Massachusetts　are；　I　think；　the　best。　　But　of　all　the　educational　enactments　which　I　ever　read；　that　of　the　same　State　is；　I　should　say；　the　worst。　　In　Texas　now；　of　which　as　a　State　the　people　of　Massachusetts　do　not　think　much；　they　have　done　it　better：　〃A　general　diffusion　of　knowledge　being　essential　to　the　preservation　of　the　rights　and　liberties　of　the　people；　it　shall　be　the　duty　of　the　legislature　of　this　State　to　make　suitable　provision　for　the　support　and　maintenance　of　public　schools。〃　　So　say　the　Texans；　but　then　the　Texans　had　the　advantage　of　a　later　experience　than　any　which　fell　in　the　way　of　the　constitution…　makers　of　Massachusetts。　There　is　something　of　the　magniloquence　of　the　French　styleof　the　liberty；　equality；　and　fraternity　mode　of　eloquencein　the　preambles　of　most　of　these　constitutions；　which；　but　for　their　success；　would　have　seemed　to　have　prophesied　loudly　of　failure。　Those　of　New　York　and　Pennsylvania　are　the　least　so；　and　that　of　Massachusetts　by　far　the　most　violently　magniloquent。　　They　generally　commence　by　thanking　God　for　the　present　civil　and　religious　liberty　of　the　people；　and　by　declaring　that　all　men　are　born　free　and　equal。　　New　York　and　Pennsylvania；　however；　refrain　from　any　such　very　general　remarks。　I　am　well　aware　that　all　these　constitutional　enactments　are　not　likely　to　obtain　much　credit　in　England。　　It　is　not　only　that　grand　phrases　fail　to　convince　us；　but　that　they　carry　to　our　senses　almost　an　assurance　of　their　own　inefficiency。　　When　we　hear　that　a　people　have　declared　their　intention　of　being　henceforward　better　than　their　neighbors；　and　going　upon　a　new　theory　that　shall　lead　them　direct　to　a　terrestrial　paradise；　we　button　up　our　pockets　and　lock　up　our　spoons。　　And　that　is　what　we　have　done　very　much　as　regards　the　Americans。　　We　have　walked　with　them　and　talked　with　them；　and　bought　with　them　and　sold　with　them；　but　we　have　mistrusted　them　as　to　their　internal　habits　and　modes　of　life；　thinking　that　their　philanthropy　was　pretentious　and　that　their　theories　were　vague。　　Many　cities　in　the　States　are　but　skeletons　of　towns；　the　streets　being　there；　and　the　houses　numberedbut　not　one　house　built　out　of　ten　that　have　been　so　counted　up。　　We　have　regarded　their　institutions　as　we　regard　those　cities；　and　have　been　specially　willing　so　to　consider　them　because　of　the　fine　language　in　which　they　have　been　paraded　before　us。　　They　have　been　regarded　as　the　skeletons　of　philanthropical　systems；　to　which　blood　and　flesh　and　muscle；　and　even　skin；　are　wanting。　　But　it　is　at　least　but　fair　to　inquire　how　far　the　promise　made　has　been　carried　out。　　The　elaborate　wordings　of　the　constitutions　made　by　the　French　politicians　in　the　days　of　their　great　revolution　have　always　been　to　us　no　more　than　so　many　written　grimaces；　but　we　should　not　have　continued　so　to　regard　them　had　the　political　liberty　which　they　promised　followed　upon　the　promises　so　magniloquently　made。　　As　regards　education　in　the　Statesat　any　rate　in　the　Northern　and　Western　StatesI　think　that　the　assurances　put　forth　in　the　various　written　constitutions　have　been　kept。　　If　this　be　so；　an　American　citizen；　let　him　be　ever　so　arrogant；　ever　so　impudent　if　you　will；　is　at　any　rate　a　civilized　being；　and　on　the　road　to　that　cultivation　which　will　sooner　or　later　divest　him　of　his　arrogance。　　Emollit　mores。　　We　quote　here　our　old　friend　the　colonel　again。　　If　a　gentleman　be　compelled　to　confine　his　classical　allusions　to　one　quotation；　he　cannot　do　better　than　hang　by　that。　But　has　education　been　so　general；　and　has　it　had　the　desired　result？　　In　the　City　of　Boston；　as　I　have　said；　I　found　that　in　1857　about　one…eighth　of　the　whole　population　were　then　on　the　books　of　the　free　public　schools　as　pupils；　and　that　about　one…　ninth　of　the　population　formed　the　average　daily　attendance。　　To　these　numbers　of　course　must　be　added　all　pupils　of　the　richer　classesthose　for　whose　education　their　parents　chose　to　pay。　　As　nearly　as　I　can　learn；　the　average　duration　of　each　pupil's　schooling　is　six　years；　and　if　this　be　figured　out　statistically；　I　think　it　will　show　that　education　in　Boston　reaches　a　very　large　majorityI　might　almost　say　the　wholeof　the　population。　　That　the　education　given　in　other　towns　of　Massachusetts　is　not　so　good　as　that　given　in　Boston　I　do　not　doubt；　but　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　it　is　quite　as　general。　I　have　spoken　of　one　of　the　schools　of　New　York。　　In　that　city　the　public　schools　are　apportioned　to　the　wards；　and　are　so　arranged　that　in　each　ward　of　the　city　there　are　public　schools　of　different　standing　for　the　gratuitous　use　of　the　children。　　The　population　of　the　City　of　New　York　in　1857　was　about　650；000；　and　in　that　year　it　is　stated　that　there　were　135；000　pupils　in　the　schools。　　By　this　it　would　appear　that　one　person　in　five　throughout　the　city　was　then　under　process　of　educationwhich　statement；　however；　I　cannot　receive　with　implicit　credence。　　It　is；　however；　also　stated　that　the　daily　attendances　averaged　something　less　than　50；000　a　day；　and　this　latter　statement　probably　implies　some　mistake　in　the　former　one。　　Taking　the　two　together　for　what　they　are　worth；　they　show；　I　think；　that　school　teaching　is　not　only　brought　within　the　reach　of　the　population　generally；　but　is　used　by　almost　all　classes。　　At　New　York　there　are　separate　free　schools　for　colored　children。　　At　Philadelphia　I　did　not　see　the　schools；　but　I　was　assured　that　the　arrangements　there　were　equal　to　those　at　New　York　and　Boston。　　Indeed　I　was　told　that　they　were　infinitely　better；　but　then　I　was　so　told　by　a　Philadelphian。　　In　the　State　of　Connecticut　the　public　schools　are　certainly　equal　to　those　in　any　part　of　the　union。　　As　far　as　I　could　learn　educationwhat　we　should　call　advanced　educationis　brought　within　the　reach　of　all　classes　in　the　Northern　and　Western　States　of　Americaand；　I　would　wish　to　add　here；　to　those　of　the　Canadas　also。　So　much　for　the　schools；　and　now　for　the　results。　　I　do　not　know　that　anything　impresses　a　visitor　more　strongly　with　the　amount　of　books　sold　in　the　States；　than　the　practice　of　selling　them　as　it　has　been　adopted　in　the　railway　cars。　　Personally　the　traveler　will　find　the　system　very　disagreeableas　is　everything　connected　with　these　cars。　　A　young　man　enters　during　the　journeyfor　the　trade　is　carried　out　while　the　cars　are　traveling；　as　is　also　a　very　brisk　trade　in　lollipops；　sugar…candy；　apples；　and　ham　sandwiches　the　young　tradesman　enters　the　car　firstly　with　a　pile　of　magazines；　or　of　novels　bound　like　magazines。　　These　are　chiefly　the　〃Atlantic；〃　published　at　Boston；　〃Harper's　Magazine；〃　published　at　New　York；　and　a　cheap　series　of　novels　published　at　Philadelphia