be thus mingled and made to co-operate, in order that by the former it may be regularly, efficiently, and profitably governed, and that, by the latter, it may be aided in its earliest efforts, and afterwards supervised so as to exclude party politics, local prejudices, narrow, bigoted, sectarian views on any subject, from ever having an influence in its administration. We consider this union of interests, though not particularly mentioned, nor we believe alluded to, by Mr. Carter, who seems to have merely a private institution in view, to be of vital importance to its establishment and utility. If it were left to be got up by the State alone, it must be delayed, and would probably fall through, as many excellent plans have done, from the variety of the projects proposed, and, even if it were thus established, would be almost sure to be irregularly, inefficiently, and unprofitably managed, and might, at some future day, become the abode of favoritism, of mere sinecures and placemen. If, on the contrary, it were only a private establishment, the evils, which we have alluded to, might still gradually creep in.

An institution founded and governed by an individual will be sure of harmony among all its superintending teachers. If there be one of these who does not agree with the others, in any of its measures, and who cannot convince them that he is right, nor be convinced himself that he is wrong, he will be discharged. This could not be so, were it founded, and governed, and its officers appointed solely by the State. Many of them might have very discordant views, and there would be no little difficulty in making them all act in perfect unison. It is needless, however, to state the embarrassments and the evils, as well as the delays, which must result from this mode of establishing the institution.

But a mere private institution, unassisted by the government, will not be suited to the great purpose for which we particularly want it. It will never prepare nor educate, to any considerable extent, the teachers of the free schools, although it may teachers for other situations. The former cannot afford to pay for being thus judiciously instructed. The state must lend them its aid. They are unable to do without it. With the slender funds allowed to them, they can give very little for unrequired, unsolicited qualifications, however valuable these may be, and how much soever they may desire them, as many no doubt do. It would be a most unproductive investment of their money so to employ it. Cheap instructers are every where sought for. Those, who, from their want of intelligence or acquirements, cannot find profitable employment elsewhere, are necessarily procured. Ought such

to be allowed to assume the high responsibility of forming the intellectual character certainly, if not the moral and religious character, of the great mass of the population? We are condemned to it, unless the government, in some way, steps in to our relief. Let it, then, lend its aid to some enterprising individual, who will start such an institution as we have described, and claim as a compensation therefor, the right, in some measure, of supervision and control. This right should be co-extensive with the means furnished. If there be enough to procure some general instruction for all our common-school teachers, the public ought to have the power of overseeing the investment of it, and of knowing well that it is prudently, and economically, and impartially appropriated. It is by no means to be a mere gift, gratuitously bestowed upon the institution. A full compensation is to be previously made, and before any portion of the fund be paid, the legislature, by their committee, should ascertain that the services, which are to form this compensation, have been rendered fairly and properly.

The plan of the institution, as we have already intimated, and its site, ought to be left entirely to the individual who shall undertake it. If the legislature interfere, or have any thing to do with either of these, there may be conflicting interests, as well as conflicting schemes, to reconcile. Almost every member of influence, who is friendly to it, and we hope all are so, will have some views of his own to propose, or some new modification of those proposed by others, so that, from the very multitude of its warm supporters, there must be much delay, if not a total failure at last, and the measures, which ultimately succeed in such cases, are not always sure of being the best. Let an individual, who has long devoted his attention exclusively to the subject, and who must have the strongest partiality for the place, which will be the most productive to the institution, and thus the most profitable to himself, do all the planning alone. Mr. Carter has in fact done it, we believe. In these Essays he has slightly sketched the outline of a project, which he promises soon to lay before the public more at large. We hope he will do it immediately. There cannot be too much promptitude in the execution of a scheme like this. The principal features of it, thus briefly drafted, we intended to give to our readers entire, and in the language of Mr. Carter. But we have now room to state only two of the most important of them; these are, the library and the school for children and youth; the latter is to be connected with the institution, and to form a sort of

experimental, or rather, we should say, practical department in the system of its instruction.

"A library should, of course, be selected with particular reference to the objects of the institution. It would naturally and necessarily, contain the approved authors on the science of education in its widest sense. It would embrace works of acknowledged merit in the various branches of literature and science intimately connected with education; such as anatomy and physiology, the philosophy of the human mind and heart, and the philosophy of language.

Physical education forms a very essential part of the subject, and should be thoroughly understood. This branch includes the developement of all the organs of the body. And works upon the physiology of children should be added to the library. Books on gymnastics, containing directions for particular exercises adapted to the developement of the several organs, belong to the library of the accomplished instructer as well as to that of the surgeon. Indeed, if the former properly use them, they will enable him to give a firmness to the parts of the body, which may, perhaps, supersede the necessity of the interference of the latter to set them right in manhood.

"The philosophy of the infant mind must be understood by the instructer, before much progress can be made in the science of education; for a principal branch of the science consists in forming the mind. And the skill of the teacher in this department is chiefly to be seen in his judicious adaptation of means to the developement of the intellectual faculties. Every book, therefore, which would aid in an analysis of the youthful mind, should be placed in the library of the proposed institution.

"The human heart, the philosophy of its passions and its affections must be studied by those who expect to influence those passions and form those affections. This branch of the subject includes the governinent of children, especially in the earliest stages of their discipline. The success of the teacher here depends upon the good judgment with which he arranges and presents to his pupils the motives that will soonest move them, and most permanently influence their actions. The mistaken or wicked principles of parents and instructers, in this department of education, have, no doubt, perverted the dispositions of many hopeful children. If successful experience has been recorded, it should be brought to the assistance of those, who must otherwise act without experience.

"Lastly, the study of the philosophy of language would be essential to the scientific teacher. The term, language, is not here understood to mean a class of words called Greek, or another class of words called Latin, or even that class of words which we

call English. It means something more general, and something which can hardly be defined. It embraces all the means we use to excite in the minds of others the ideas, which we have already in our own minds. These, whatever they are, are included in the general definition of language. This is a great desideratum in our systems of education. We do not possess a language by which we can produce precisely the idea in a pupil, which we have in our own mind, and which we wish to excite in his. And impatient and precipitate teachers often quarrel with their pupils, because they do not arrive at the same conclusions with themselves, when, if they could but look into their minds, they would find, that the ideas with which they begin to reason, or which enter into their processes of reasoning, are altogether different. Every book or fact, therefore, which would do any thing to supply this desideratum, or enable the teacher better to understand precisely the idea which he excites in the mind of his pupils, should be collected in the instructer's library."

"A school of children and youth of different ages, and pursuing different branches of study, would form an essential part of the institution, In the early stages of the education of children, the discipline should consist almost wholly of such exercises as serve to develope the different faculties, and strengthen all the powers of the mind. And in the subsequent education of youth, when the discipline comes to consist partly in the developement of the mind, and partly in the communication of knowledge, the course of instruction would be the same, whether the pupil were destined to be a teacher or not. The objects of the institution do not, therefore, become peculiar, till after the pupil has acquired a certain degree of freedom and strength of mind; nor till after he has made the acquisition of the requisite amount of knowlegde for the profession of teacher. Though a pupil would necessarily imbibe a good deal of clearness and method in his intellectual exercises, by submitting the direction of them to a skilful instructer, the study of the science of teaching cannot properly begin till he changes relations with those about him; and, instead of following a course prescribed by another, and exhibiting the powers of his own mind without an effort to take cognizance of them, he assumes to look down upon humbler minds, to direct their movements, and to detect and classify the phenomena of their subtle workings.

"After the young candidate for an instructer, therefore, has acquired sufficient knowledge for directing those exercises and teaching those branches, which he wishes to profess, he must then begin his labors under the scrutinizing eyes of one who will note his mistakes of government and faults of instruction, and correct them. The experienced and skilful professor of the science will observe how the mind of the young teacher acts upon that of the

learner. He will see how far and how perfectly they understand each other, and which is at fault if they do not understand each other at all. If the more inexperienced teacher should attempt to force upon the mind of a child an idea or a process of reasoning, for which it was not in a proper state, he would be checked, at once, and told of his fault; and thus, perhaps, the pupil would be spared a disgust for a particular study, or an aversion to all study. As our earliest experience would in this manner be under the direction of those wiser than ourselves, it would the more easily be classed under general principles for our direction afterwards. This part of the neceesary course in an institution for the education of teachers, might be much aided by lectures. Children exhibit such and such intellectual phenomena; the scientific professor of education can explain those phenomena, and tell from what they arise. If they are favorable, he can direct how they are to be encouraged and turned to account in the developement and formation of the mind. If they are unfavorable, he can explain by what means they are to be overcome or corrected. Seeing intellectual results, he can trace them, even through complicated circumstances, to their causes; or, knowing the causes and circumstances, he can predict the result that will follow them. Thus every day's experience would be carefully examined, and made to limit or extend the comprehension of the general principles of the science. Is there any other process or method than this to arrive at a philosophical system of education? If any occurs to other minds, it is to be hoped that the public may soon have the benefit of it."

pp. 51-55.

We need say nothing in favor of these two parts of the plan of Mr Carter. They must recommend themselves to the minds of all our thinking readers; it seems to us, that, if judiciously managed, they are sufficient of themselves to secure to the institution a most successful and salutary influence. The only doubt which can arise, will be on the first; for some may suppose, that it is refining too much, and carrying the qualifications of the teachers of our common schools a little too far. But let it be remembered, that education has been confined too long to the school room; that the instructer ought, at least, to acquaint himself with every branch of it, both of the body and of the mind; that he may have an agreeable influence over his pupils, in their hours of relaxation and play, as well as in those which are to be devoted to serious study. It is by reasoning on things as they are, and have been, rather than as they should be, that people are apt to err. The whole system of free-school education ought to be reversed. It cannot be done at once, nor speedily. All great improvements must be slow; and Mr. Carter here looks