true of the public High Schools as of the endowed academy at Norwich, or Mount Holyoke Seminary at South Hadley, or any other similar school where candidates are examined prior to admission. Thus, having shown that this objection lies with equal force against public High Schools, it proves nothing for them over endowed schools. One of the best features of endowed schools, in connection with their permanency, is their excellent government, usually being placed under the direction of the best men of the State.

it

Mr. W. denied the justice of taxing the people for the support of public High Schools, maintaining that the education sought through their instrumentality looked toward a profession, which those enjoying the High School have in view, and by which they hope to gain a more lucrative support. Mr. W. contended that a Commonwealth was no more under obligation to do this, than to provide the means for making mechanics, artists, or fitting boys for any other vocation whereby they are to gain their subsistence. The number that does or can avail itself of the advantages of a public High School in any town, is, relatively, very small; and of this, a large majority would educate their sons at the academies where the parents of more than three fourths of the towns of Massachusetts are now obliged to do it, if they desire a higher culture than that furnished by Common Schools. Only ninety towns in the State are legally bound to support High Schools, and of these only about one half have complied with the law. There is much complaint of the injustice and inequality of the public High School system, where introduced.

It is further urged in favor of public High Schools, that "private schools," or schools other than the public, “with the same teachers, apparatus, and means of educating, cannot give the education the public schools can." This

was shown to be nought but assertion, as seen by referring to what was said of the "merits of the two systems."

At 11 o'clock the subject was laid upon the table, and a lecture was delivered by J. W. BULKLEY, Esq., of Brooklyn, N. Y., upon "Self-Culture and Self-Reliance."

On motion of Mr. Perry, the subject under discussion before the lecture was made the first in order for the afterAdjourned.

noon.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Institute met at 2 o'clock.

Voted, That the discussion of the subject assigned for 2 o'clock, be postponed till 3 o'clock.

The discussion upon "High and Endowed Schools," was resumed.

Mr. WETHERELL continued his remarks as follows:

Endowed schools were regarded by their opponents as 66 necessary evils," "and will be found to be a failure because founded on a mistake." This will be set down as a discovery of the nineteenth century, and must pass away long before it shall close; for endowed schools have existed and successfully flourished for many centuries, as a necessary element of enlightened and Christian civilization. Shall we denounce such schools as have given the world a Shakspeare, a Milton, a Cromwell, and a long line of writers far too numerous to mention, as temporary evils, soon to pass away?" for "such" it is said, "is the experience of Massachusetts."

66

66

Self-reliance," claimed as an important or peculiar feature or development of the public school system, was claimed by Mr. W. as having been most extraordinarily developed independent of all schools, as he amply illustrated; also, that the self-denial practised to provide the means of attending the academy was well calculated to

teach one reliance on his own means and powers. Of the former class, Stone, Franklin, Burritt, Hugh Miller, and Hitchcock, are eminent examples; of the latter, Sparks, Van Buren, and the names of hosts of others will suggest themselves to the reader, as striking illustrative cases of self-reliance.

While Mr. W. admitted that the policy of the public school system of Massachusetts is probably the best that can be adopted in the present state of society, and thus met his qualified approval, he denied the right to tax the people for furnishing more than what is denominated a good common education, such as time and circumstances may allow every child to obtain. All beyond and above this, may and should be regarded as being more or less professional, having for its end such qualifications as give one the ability to "live by his wits." There can be neither equality nor justice in taxing the entire community to support a public High School within its limits, to give one pupil of a hundred this superior education. As well might this doctrine be carried to its extremest point, as it has been by some, that the State should not only make the public schools entirely free, but the colleges, seminaries, universities, and all professional schools, not less of medicine, law, and divinity, than of the art of teaching. Few now go to this extreme; yet taxing the many to support public High Schools for the few, is one step toward such a conclusion.

There need be and should be no conflict nor rivalry be tween public and endowed schools. Each has its own work to do, and let the strife be to see which can do it best. Then there will be neither time nor labor wasted in decrying each other's ability to do the work of its own province, for the praises of both, alike, will be heralded by their generous disciples, provided the work of mental discipline, culture, and training has been well done.

Mr. GOODWIN, of Lowell, expressed his surprise that any one should advocate taking the business of education from the public and giving it to a few. We want a system of education that shall deal with all, that shall go forth with kindly authority into the highways and compel the children to come in. As it was said of Howard, that "he remembered the forgotten," so in a system of schools, that is what is needed. If the parent refuses to educate his child, society may step in, and as a measure for selfpreservation, may do it.

Mr. CHARLES HAMMOND, Principal of the Lawrence Academy at Groton, said he considered the question a very narrow one, having reference only to that class of schools which come in competition, as local academies, with the so-called High Schools, and having nothing to do with that class of institutions, in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, known by the name of academies in distinction from High Schools. It has reference to such schools as the Punchard School and the school in Norwich, Conn. The term "public" does not apply to everybody until the public are ready to avail themselves of the privileges offered; for even in Boston a great part of the population never reach the public High School. The High School is for training the higher class of students, in ability, within a limited territory. So it is in Cambridge; so in Dorchester. But a small town on the other side of the line has no right there. The schools are shut in within certain boundary lines; they are not universal.

The word "academy" is also well understood. The effect of what is said, however, is what the logicians call the argumentum ad invidiam; that because the term "public" is not applied to them, therefore they are not public. But they are public in every sense of the word.

Boston is, but a small part of the public; Dorchester is a small part of the public; but Phillips Academy opens its doors to the world; therefore, as it affects the individual who attends the school, the advantage is in favor of the latter. The academies in Massachusetts are public institutions; they are founded by law; if their funds are diverted there is a remedy in law; and the assumption that they are not public, when brought into competition with High Schools, is an unfounded assumption, and therefore all the arguments resting on that assumption must fall to the ground. The institution at Norwich is a sort of sui generis. That is a territorial institution, confined within narrow limits. It resembles an academy in the fact that it is a close corporation; but it does not resemble one in other respect; for it is just as limited as any other High School.

any

The question is mainly one of political economy, for in either case there would doubtless be equally good teachers, and the pupils would have the same facilities. Take such a school as one of the best Boston High Schools, and that at Andover, and what is the difference on the character of those who attend them? In the one case the students are all from the same neighborhood, and in the other they are from all parts of the country, so that the boy from refined society mingles with those of a ruder sort, and there is a class of advantages from this association, from the triturat

ing processes which work upon each.

Academies are not ancient in their origin, and they are democratic in their tendencies. They were founded to supply a want in the education of the people of the country,— to diffuse, and not to render exclusive, the advantages of education, so that in districts of the country where the population is sparse, there might be as good opportu. nities for education as are given in the Boston schools.