What about a State Teacher's Asso- ment, and to give this capacity to the ciation for the teachers of our State? We respectfully ask our State Superintendent for a reply. Is it not about time we aroused ourselves on this question? Can we afford, as a body of live, progressive teachers, to remain longer without this necessary institution? PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. It is a constant source of complaint with a large number of the patrons of free schools, "That they are being diverted from the use they were originally designed to subserve." They claim that the original intention was to afford to every child in the State in which they exist an elementary education in the English branches of study, and that anything beyond this, or in other words the course of instruction given in our high school grades, does not belong to a public or free school proper. Now, the great trouble with this class of chronic grumblers is simply this: They do not understand what education is. The cers. In this year, 1877, the first of a word, or term, education, means to them a knowledge of a few rules in arithmetic, the ability to read, or rather to name, the words contained in our school readers, a general idea of the situation of the various continents on the globe, to be able to spell through an elementary speller, to make a few characters on slate or paper which they designate writing, and if they are very liberal in HoN. J. K. JILLSON, Superintendent of their educational ideas, they may also youth of our land, that public school systems were devised and aid granted to the various States of the Union. Now the ideal of the grumblers will never give this capacity or promote this development. The human mind is formed for, and is capable of almost infinite expansion. It is the province and duty of every government to give opportunity for this expansion to every child within its borders. No system of public education can be complete, (neither does it answer the intention of its founders,) which does not include elementary and higher education. And it is the duty of every State to see that this is carried out in defiance of the grumblers. The very existence of this class of people may be traced to the want of energy and neglect, to use means, (available in many cases, and in others attainable by the use of the powers of persuasion, entreaty or law,) on the part of public school offi second century of freedom, let every school officer and every teacher, especially superintendents of schools, resolve to strain every nerve to carry out the intentions of the original founders of free schools. SOUTH CAROLINA. Public Education. State Editor for the ECLECTIC TEACHER. accept a slight knowledge of the history | M. A. WARREN, Editor, Columbia. of the United States. Now the men The Carolina Teacher suspends with who are capable of grasping the idea of the January number, the editor and universal education, of bringing into ex-proprietor of that journal becoming istence and starting forward on their mission those systems by which the youth of our different States are fitted to take their places as citizens of this Republic, were incapable of assigning such a definition to the word education. Education means development—capacity -and it was to promote this develop Carolina Teacher has been transferred to The patronage and good will of the this journal. Mr. Warren, in a letter of late date, says: "I yield. I shall issue my January number, as usual, since it is half printed. In that number I shall announce consolidation. I shall furnish copy for February number of the ECLECTIC."-[E1. GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. -The demand of the age is for "Each number of the ECLECTIC Multum in parvo. All men have not seems better than its predecessor. Thanks time to read all things. A few must for your practical and cheap journal."-Prof. read and condense for the multitude. W. J. Stevens, Lebanon, Ohio. Large libraries must give way to cyclopedias and reviews. 66 -We feel better for every honest sentiment expressed concerning our work, especially if it be like the following: The ECLECTIC TEACHER is a grand success. In it I find the essence of all practical educational discussion."-Prof. W. J. Cock, Principal Dover Business College, Illinois. -The National Woman's Suffrage Association meet in Washington January 16-17. The Iliad has been translated by C. B. Cayley, of England. It is in print, and will be published immediately. -Mr. Bancroft is at his Washington home, engaged upon his History of the United States, and expects this winter to complete the volume treating of the time from 1782 to 1789. -Prof. Tyndall has lifted up his voice in favor of vivisection. He says it is absolutely necessary to enable the sciences, physiology and biology to so progress as to enable scientists to ascertain the causes and remedies of epidemic diseases. -Any book published in this country or Europe will be sent postpaid to any address upon receipt of the publishers price. We want to be useful to our many readers regardless of trouble and time demanded. The Italian historian, Cesare Conti, has declared against compulsory education, and calls it the "children's conscription." -M. Waddington, the French minister of instruction, thinks in three years compulsory education will be established in France. -A new and revised edition of Kingslake's History of the Invasion of the Crimea is to be published by Messrs. Blackwood, in monthly volumes. -The death is announced of Mr. Charles I. Hemans, the son of Mrs. Hemans, the poetess. Mr. Hemans was secretary and librarian of the English Archaeological Society of Rome, and had distinguished himself as a writer upon ecclesiastical antiquities. -The holiday number of St. Nicholas (December) is a perfect gem of art and story. No present could delight an intelligent boy or girl more than to make him or her a subscriber for a year. -C. E. Hitchcock is Superintendent of the Public Schools of Niles, O. -A meeting of college presidents was held in Chicago last week, and was attended by a considerable number of the leading officials of the West. The object was to confer together, in an informal manner, in regard to the best methods of managing the interests under their care. "I have received the ECLECTIC | enough to write the following of the TEACHER and am much pleased with same date: "Thanks for the regular it in every particular. It is a live arrival of the ECLECTIC TEACHER. It journal and fully up with the times. It should be in hands of every teacher who aspires above mediocrity. Hope to get you some subscribers among the Colorado teachers."-J. P. Ralston, Superintendent of Deaf Mute Institute, Colorado Springs, Col. -The thermometer was 22° below zero in Central and Northern Illinois on the 9th of December. ought to be read by every parent and teacher in the land.”—S. W. Heath, Esq., Rock Island, Ill. -Mississippi is awake on the school journal question: "Please send the ECLECTIC TEACHER to the following (29) subscribers. * * I expect to do much better before next issue."-William L. Sutton, Superintendent Public How could a man get up warmth Schools, Sardis, Miss. QUERIES. N. B.-Questions are numbered con- | occupied by the English. The French secutively. The answer has the same inhabitants refused to take the oath of number as its question found in former issue. ANSWERS. allegiance to the English, the territory having been ceded to France by the treaty of Breda, and the English troops 7. In arithmetic we deal only with were sent from New England to remove plus quantities, and multiplication is a the Acadians from their country. In continued addition. In algebra we deal some of the villages the men were with both plus and minus quantities; and assembled in the church to hear a royal multiplication may be either a con- proclamation, where they were made tinued addition or a continued subtrac- prisoners and marched to the shore. tion. Bearing this in mind, and remem- Seven thousand people were thus sent bering our laws for addition and sub-from their homes and scattered through traction of signs, we may illustrate as the colonies. To prevent their returnfollows: A multiplied by 3-a plus (plus a plus a plus a)=3 a-a multiplied 3-a minus (minus a minus a minus a)=-3 a. Hence, we see that "minus by minus" gives plus. 8. Since there are but two sexes, "properly speaking," there is not such a gender as neuter. For convenience and by common consent authors apply the term neuter (neither) to things without sex or of an inferior class. 9. Acadia was the name originally applied to Nova Scotia, and during the French war in 1755 this territory was ing, their homes were burned, and their farms laid waste. Upon this terrible story of oppression and wrong, Longfellow's beautiful poem is founded. 10. The word but seems to give trouble. "If you will but ask." "But" is an adverb and limits "will ask." Elementary Philosophy, Part I, or Logic, by James M. Willcox, Ph. D., is the title of a volume which has just reached our Book Table, from the publishing house of Porter, Coates & Co., Philadelphia. The appearance of the book is attractive. The binding is purple cloth, with gilt title and stamp. The type is bold and clear. The mechanical work has been well executed. The author has marked out for himself a novel course in the treatment of the subject. We have been accustomed to find in a book on logic, pages and half pages of circles, nomenclature and definitions. In the book before us an absence of all these is noticeable. At first glance, it seems that the author has merely written an essay about logic. But, after more examination and a careful perusal, we come to the conclusion that there is more logic in the writing, and taught by it, than can be claimed for a majority of the elementary works on the same subject. He must be a clear-headed tyro who does not rise from the first perusal of an ordinary text-book on logic with his mind in a state of chaos. Mr. Willcox has given us a book in which this evil may be almost entirely avoided. His treatment of the subject is philosophical and systematic. The subdivisions are in large capitals—the minor subdivisions in small capitals. The terms which it is thought desirable to impress upon the student's mind are in italics. Our author discusses clearly and sufficiently such topics as the following: Ideas, genus, species, judgment, evidence, induction, authority, faith, propositions, syllogisms, sophisms, etc. In "The explanation of the title page" he teaches that the science properly called philosophy is composed of four parts, viz.: Logic, metaphysics, ethics and physics, and should be studied in the order named. Near the end of the volume (page 102-131) we find a condensed treatment of the general subject, philosophy, in which are given definitions of logic, philosophy, metaphysics, ideology and psychology, with a critical examination of the objective and subjective divisions of philosophy. The book closes with a lengthy analytical catechism, making in all a volume of one thousand and fifty-eight pages. Science Primers, published by D. Appleton & Co. Price fifty cents each. These books, eight in number, bound in flexible cloth, are just what their "I have received the ECLECTIC enough to write the following of the TEACHER and am much pleased with same date: "Thanks for the regular it in every particular. It is a live arrival of the ECLECTIC TEACHER. It journal and fully up with the times. It should be in hands of every teacher who aspires above mediocrity. Hope to get you some subscribers among the Colorado teachers."-J. P. Ralston, Superintendent of Deaf Mute Institute, Colorado Springs, Col. -The thermometer was 22° below zero in Central and Northern Illinois on the 9th of December. ought to be read by every parent and teacher in the land."-S. W. Heath, Esq., Rock Island, Ill. -Mississippi is awake on the school journal question: "Please send the ECLECTIC TEACHER to the following (29) subscribers. I expect to do much better before next issue."-William L. Sutton, Superintendent Public How could a man get up warmth Schools, Sardis, Miss. QUERIES. N. B.-Questions are numbered con- | occupied by the English. The French secutively. The answer has the same inhabitants refused to take the oath of number as its question found in former issue. ANSWERS. were allegiance to the English, the territory having been ceded to France by the treaty of Breda, and the English troops 7. In arithmetic we deal only with were sent from New England to remove plus quantities, and multiplication is a the Acadians from their country. In continued addition. In algebra we deal some of the villages the men with both plus and minus quantities; and assembled in the church to hear a royal multiplication may be either a con- proclamation, where they were made tinued addition or a continued subtrac- prisoners and marched to the shore. tion. Bearing this in mind, and remem- Seven thousand people were thus sent bering our laws for addition and sub-from their homes and scattered through traction of signs, we may illustrate as the colonies. To prevent their returnfollows: ing, their homes were burned, and their farms laid waste. Upon this terrible story of oppression and wrong, Longfellow's beautiful poem is founded. A multiplied by 3-a plus (plus a plus a plus a)=3 a—a multiplied 3-a minus (minus a minus a minus a)=-3 a. Hence, we see that "minus by minus" gives plus. 8. Since there are but two sexes, "properly speaking," there is not such a gender as neuter. For convenience and by common consent authors apply the term neuter (neither) to things without sex or of an inferior class. 9. Acadia was the name originally applied to Nova Scotia, and during the French war in 1755 this territory was |