I replied that I thought there should be a Botany Bay for some teachers.

Mr. Palmer, of Winchester. I am but a layman in the cause of education now; but I am so recently from the field, that my sympathies are yet with teachers. I have paid the utmost attention to the discussion; and I have been utterly astounded at some of the remarks, and at none more than those made by the gentleman from Boston (Dr. Ordway) yesterday. He said that three fourths of the teachers were not competent to fill their places. If that be so, I thank Heaven that I am not one of them. I listened attentively to the paper read by Mr. Lincoln, and I could adopt every word. I hope action will be taken upon the original resolution. We should do what we do, not in a doubtful manner; and let those not directly interested in the schools know where we stand. If we go down, let us go.

Mr. A. J. Phipps, of Medford, thought that if the paper of Mr. Lincoln could go out with the resolutions originally offered, there would be no objection to it. He indorsed the views presented, but he would prefer something more definite than the original resolutions.

T. D. Adams, Esq., of Newton, wished to adopt the second resolution. He then called up Dr. Ordway, by inquiring whether he had ever taught school a day in his

life.

Dr. Ordway, in reply, said: I have not taught school; but for many years, in Boston, I taught one branch of study, and I found the same motive might apply there as in schools. I taught music. I never saw any motive equal to that of teaching children to love the art.

Mr. Stone, of Woburn. I taught school sixteen years and never struck a blow, and yet I go for the resolution. I did not succeed so well the seventeenth year.

Mr. Adams. I claim that I have an advantage over the Doctor from Boston. I sung myself through college, and taught school at the same time. I, as well as he, would be one of the last to try to whip music into a child. But I have seen occasions when certain other things were attained by the use of the rod, that could not have been attained in any other way. I have taught school about twenty years, in all sorts of schools, and my experience, if it is worth anything, embraces more than that of the Doctor. I have no doubt that a large majority here indorse the sentiments of the paper, every word of it; and if so, we should express our opinions for the future safety of these teachers.

Mr. Allen, of Newton. I prefer the latter resolution to the former one. I believe that though there is not a majority against the resolution, yet there is a large minority. And as there are many who do not agree to either resolutions, I hope they will be indefinitely postponed.

Mr. Bulkley, of Brooklyn, called for the previous question, and it was ordered.

The President ruled that the substitute was first in order, and the question being taken upon its adoption, it was adopted by a large majority; and under the ruling of the President, this closed the discussion.

EVENING SESSION.

At the opening of the session this evening, Rev. Mr. Duncan, from Florida, was called upon, and he responded by making a brief statement of the condition of things in that State. They have established schools generally for the negroes; but the whites have no system of public schools. The colored and white people are getting along in "sweet harmony."

Rev. Mr. Ware spoke of the work of education among the freedmen in Georgia, where he had been teaching. They are trying to wipe out the question of color in Georgia, in respect to schools.

A memorial address was then delivered by Elbridge Smith, Esq., of Dorchester, Mass., which will be found in another part of the volume.

THIRD DAY.

FRIDAY MORNING SESSION.

The Institute was called to order at nine o'clock. Prayer was offered by Rev. A. A. Miner, D. D., President of Tufts College.

DISCUSSION.

The first matter in the order of discussion this morning was, " Right-mindedness favorable to Intellectual Growth.”

Agreeably to arrangement, Dr. Miner was present, and opened the discussion upon this question, in a very able address. His remarks will be found in another part of the volume.

Rev. Mr. Stebbins. It is with a great deal of pleasure that I have listened to the presentation of this subject before us this morning. It seems a very happy supplement to the subject, which is also important, which has been discussed at length by us. It is a subject that I believe needs to be presented often and with great carnestness and force to the community generally; and nowhere is it more important than in a gathering of teachers. There is a depth to this subject that is greater than it is possible for us to exhaust. We are apt to float over the surface of it, ordinarily. If there be one law in our nature which it is important to observe, and without the observance of which we cannot even begin right, much less proceed right, it is the law of the condition that we recognize when we say every human being has been created

as a subject of divine law, from which it is utterly impossible for him to depart without going astray from the grand and high object for which he was created. When we adopt the theory which is sometimes adopted and asserted with a great deal of positiveness, that it is the business of the public schools to attend to the intellectual training of the pupils only, I believe we have made an assertion which is totally fatal to the realization of the object of the public schools.

The public school, more than others, should be comprehensive in its aims; it should feel bound to attend to the character of the pupil, and seek to develop the highest possible human results out of each individual subject of the public school. For the very assumption is, that the State has a right to the best results to each individual member of the public schools; and that is, that each shall become a citizen of a high character, and noble and generous aims, who goes forth in the best possible condition to enter upon the grand work of doing good to the world. This cannot be realized unless we recognize that man is the subject of law; not simply of physical or intellectual law; not merely moral law; but law in its fullest sense; that which takes in every possible element and condition of the human structure and organization, and that embraces the religious also. Now, those who do most to bring their pupils in early life to recognize this condition heartily, certainly do the best thing possible for the scholars.

In the beginning, one of the most important things for the pupil to recognize is, that he is to be a humble student, searching for truth for its own sake, and most earnestly for that truth which is most valuable. It is utterly impossible for us to tell beforehand, I think, what truth is most plausible, or what system of truth is most plausible. If I recognize the one great fact, that I am a subject of the Creator, that He