which he finally succeeded, at Halle in Prussia about the year 1704; and from this first institution of the kind in Europe well qualified teachers were soon spread over all the north of Germany, who prepared the way for that great révolution in public instruction which has since been so happily accomplished under the auspices of Frederick William III. and his praiseworthy coadjutors. Every enlightened man, who since the time of Franke has in earnest turned his attention to the same subject, has been brought to the same result; and the recent movements in France, in Scotland; in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and other states in the American Union, all attest the very great difficulty, if not entire impossibility, of carrying out an efficient system of public instruction without seminaries expressly designed for the preparation of teachers.

Having devoted some attention to this subject, and having spent considerable time in examining institutions of the kind already established in Europe, I propose in this paper to exhibit the result of my investigations. In exhibiting this result, I have thought proper to draw out somewhat in detail, what I suppose would be the best plan, on the whole, without expecting that all parts of the plan, in the present state of education in our country, will be carried into immediate execution. I propose what I think ought to be aimed at, and what I doubt not will ultimately be attained, if the spirit which is now awake on the subject, be not suffered again to sleep.

The sum of what I propose is contained in the six following propositions, namely:

I. The interests of popular education in each State demand the establishment, at the seat of government and under the patronage of the legislature, of a NORMAL SCHOOL,* that is, a Teachers' Seminary and model school, for the instruction and practice of teachers in the science of education and the art of teaching.

II. Pupils should not be received into the Teachers' Seminary under sixteen years of age, nor until they are well versed in all the branches usually taught in the common schools.

The French adjective normal is derived from the Latin noun norma, which signifies a carpenter's square, a rule, a pattern, a model ; and the very general use of this term to designate institutions for the preparation of teachers, leads us at once to the idea of a model school for practice as an essential constituent part of a Teachers' Seminary.

III. The model school should comprise the various classes of children usually admitted to the common schools, and should be subject to the same general discipline and course of study.

IV. The course of instruction in the Teachers' Seminary should include three years, and the pupils be divided into three classes accordingly.

V. The senior class in the Teachers' Seminary should be employed, under the immediate instruction of their professors, as instructors in the model school.

VI. The course of instruction in the Teachers' Seminary should comprise lectures and recitations on the following topics, together with such others as further observation and experience may show to be necessary:

1) A thorough, scientific and demonstrative study of all the branches to be taught in the common schools, with directions at every step as to the best method of inculcating each lesson upon children of different dispositions and capacities and various intellectual habits.

2) The philosophy of mind, particularly in reference to its susceptibility of receiving impressions from mind.

3) The peculiarities of intellectual and moral development in children, as modified by sex, parental character, wealth or poverty, city or country, family government indulgent or severe, fickle or steady, etc. etc.

4) The science of education in general, and full illustrations of the difference between education and mere instruction. 5) The art of teaching.

6) The art of governing children, with special reference to imparting and keeping alive a feeling of love for children.

7) History of education, including an accurate outline of the educational systems of different ages and nations, the circumstances which gave rise to them, the principles on which they were founded, the ends which they aimed to accomplish, their successes and failures, their permanency and changes, how far they influenced individual and national character, how far any of them might have originated in premeditated plan on the part of their founders, whether they secured the intelligence, virtue and happiness of the people, or otherwise, with the causes, etc. 8) The rules of health and the laws of physical develop

ment.

9) Dignity and importance of the teacher's office.

10) Special religious obligations of teachers in respect to be

nevolent devotedness to the intellectual and moral welfare of society, habits of entire self-control, purity of mind, elevation of character, etc.

11) The influence which the school should exert on civilization and the progress of society.

12) The elements of Latin, together with the German, French, and Spanish languages.

On each of the topics above enumerated, I shall attempt to offer such remarks as may be necessary to their more full development and illustration; and then state the argument in favor of, and answer the objections which may be urged against the establishment of such an institution as is here contemplated. To begin with the first proposition.

I. The interests of popular education in each State demand the establishment, at the seat of goverment, and under the patronage of the legislature, of a Normal School, that is, a Teachers' Seminary and model school, for the instruction and practice of teachers in the science of education and art of teaching.

If there be necessity for such an institution, there can be little doubt that the legislature should patronize and sustain it; for new as our country is, and numerous as are the objects to which individual capital must be applied, there can be no great hope, for many years to come, of seeing such institutions established and supported by private munificence. It is a very appropriate object of legislative patronage; for, as the advantages of such an institution are clearly open to all the citizens of the State and equally necessary to all, it is right that each should sustain his proper share of the expense.

Reserving my general argument in favor of these establishments till after a more full development of their object, organization, and course of study, I shall confine my remarks under this head to the subject of legislative patronage, and the influence which such an institution would exert, through the legislature and other officers of government, on the people at large. And in order that the institution may exert the influence here contemplated, it will appear obviously necessary that it be placed at the seat of government.

Popular legislators ought to have some objects in view besides the irritating and often petty questions of party politics. Any observing man, who has watched the progress of popular legislation among us, cannot but have noticed the tendency of continued and uninterrupted party bickering to narrow the mind

and sour the temper of political men, to make them selfish, unpatriotic and unprincipled. It is highly necessary for their improvement as men and as republican lawgivers, that the bitterness and bigotry of party strife should sometimes be checked by some great object of public utility, in which good men of all parties may unite, and the contemplation and discussion of which shall enlarge the views and elevate the affections. The legislatures of several States have already had experience of these benefits. The noble institutions for deaf mutes, for the blind, and for the insane which have grown up under their care and been sustained by their bounty, are not less beneficial by the moral influence they exert every year on the officers of government who witness their benevolent operations, than by the physical and intellectual blessings which they confer on the unfortunate classes of persons for whom they were more particularly designed. Who can witness the proficiency of the blind and the mute in that knowledge which constitutes the charm of life, as witnessed in the annual exhibitions of these institutions at Columbus, during the sessions of the legislature, without feeling the blessedness of benevolence, and inwardly resolving to be himself benevolent? Without some such objects in view, political character deteriorates, and the legislator sinks to the demagogue. When our American Congress has had noble objects in view; when it has been struggling for the rights of man, and the great principles which are the foundation of free institutions, it has been the nursery of patriotism and the theatre of great thoughts and mighty deeds; but when its objects have been mean and its aims selfish, how sad the reverse in respect to its moral character and national influence!

Colleges and institutions for the higher branches of classical learning have seldom flourished in this country under legislative patronage; because the people at large, not perceiving that these institutions are directly beneficial to them, allow their legislators to give them only a hesitating, reluctant and insufficient support. No steady, well-digested plan of improvement is carried consistently through, but the measures are vacillating, contradictory, and often destructive, not from want of sagacity to perceive what is best, but simply from want of interest in the object and a consequent determination to maintain it at the cheapest rate. But an institution of the kind here contemplated the people at large will feel to be for their immediate benefit. It is to qualify teachers for the instruction of their own

children; and among the people throughout most of the free States there is an appreciation of the advantages and necessity of good common school instruction, which makes them willing to incur heavy sacrifices for the sake of securing it. They will, therefore, cheerfully sustain their legislators in any measure which is seen to be essential to the improvement and perfection of the common school system; and that the establishment of a Normal School is essential to this, I expect to prove in the course of this discussion.

Supposing the institution to be established at the seat of government under proper auspices, the legislature would every year witness its beneficial results; they would attend the exhibition of its pupils both in the seminary and in the model-school, as they now in several States attend the exhibitions of the blind and mute; their views would be enlarged, their affections moved, their ideas of what constitutes good education settled; they would return to their constituents full of zeal and confidence in the educational cause, and impart the same to them; they would learn how schools ought to be conducted, the respective duties of parents, teachers, and school officers; they would become the most efficient missionaries of public instruction; and ere long one of the most important errands from their constituents would be to find for them in the Teachers' Seminary a suitable instructor for their district school. Such an influence will be to the school system what electricity is to the operations of nature, an influence unceasing, all-pervading, lightning-winged.

The superintendent of public instruction, in every State, would be essentially aided by such an institution at the seat of government. He greatly needs it as a fulcrum to pry over, when he would move the legislature or the people. He cannot bring the legislature to the common schools nor these to the legislature, to illustrate existing deficiencies or recommend improvements; but here is a model constructed under his own eye, which he can at any moment exhibit to the legislature, and by which he can give complete illustrations of all his

views.

As the young men in the seminary grow up, he watches their progress, and ascertains the peculiar qualifications and essential characteristics of each individual; and as he passes through the State and learns the circumstances and wants of each community, he knows where to find the teacher best fitted to carry out his views and give efficiency to the system in each