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Show INDICATION. j Wc ;ire iLdcbtod to Mr. R. L. Camp-b-.ll, Territorial supn inieud.-nt of common com-mon schools, for tho following ex tracts from a letter to him by Professor ttel-lerive, ttel-lerive, who is wilh l'r. Park-, principal princi-pal of the Doserot luiver-dty. The letter bear dai-- Reruc, Switzerland, January 5: Among many featured of great inter e-;t. t'i be met with in traveling through the I'nitcd States, 1 noticed more especially es-pecially (be importance attached to public instruction, an-l the munificent support it receives everywhere. To 1 say that (he eastern States possess many excellent M'houls would surprise no one, but to a.-.-ert, that in all the western States so oil led, which one has to traverse from Omaha to .Chicago, one may s-o not only m every town, but in every Village on ihe road, a line, i convenient, elegant building, invariably in the inol admirable position, adorned wilh plea-ant pardern and extensive vToumK and that, on inquiry, one is informed is the common pehuol, or high school, us the cae may be, may well sound like an exaggeration to many Europeans who have but a very faint idea of their inleriority in thin respect. Of cmir-ie Germany may well In! proud of the school system which has made her what she is today, to-day, and if, as 1 hear in Eiimpc. the present school sy-lcin in the United States i-, but an importation from Prus.-iaii Sile-iia, made by llenjamin Pranklin who vi-i'ited (hat country in 17.2 or 17S3, expressly to report on the already established reputation of learning in that part of Germany, Germany Ger-many has another cause to boast of its undisputed supoiiority. Rut 1 wish to say that in my opinion, and if the above statement ho correct, the I'nitcd States have, to say the least, equalled it not surpassed their model, at any rate in common pchools no-called. 1 believe it impossible to find anywhere buildings better adapted (0 their special spec-ial purposo, and better .supplied with appliances, 1'urnituro and school ap-' paratus; nor do 1 think it likely that a better corps of teachers may bo found, more devoted to their work, and more intelligent in t heir ollbrts to spread the beneficent influence of education. ' Iq every instance save one, tho Doctor Doc-tor and I met with the most cordial welcome l'rom tho school superintendents, superintend-ents, who took particular care to show U3 overything, retaining us in some instances ay much as two days in order that wc might not neglect any point of interest. As I know that Dr. Park has taken voluminous notes, and as mine arc not yet sufficiently examined will enter into no details, nor can 1 mention the names of tho many kind ladies and gentlemen who helped us in our researches. Sullico it to wiy that I for one am very thankful for the opportunity op-portunity alforded ma to gather valu-uablo valu-uablo information, which 1 hope may bo of uso at some future time. I cannot fail to impart tho satisfaction satisfac-tion with which I noticed that in some respects at ioaat, our schools in Salt Lake can compare favorably with most of those 1 visited. While fcacliing in our University 1 often felt inclined to doubt the sincerity of the praiso which we received from strangers, who expressed ex-pressed themselves delighted with our institution; but 1 have discovered with pleasuro that the flattering encomiums were not entirely undeserved. Of course we have no school buildings specially adapted to that purpose, nor do we possess the latost improvements in ventilatiorr,heating and lighting; our furniture, apparatus, cabinets and libraries li-braries are still in an embryotic slate; finally, we have no adornments, our teachers aro few and are not ho well supported as they aro in tho schools of other Sutcs; but we have excellent students, our boys and girls are a credit, and if properly taught can compete in intelligence, quickness cf perception, and assiduity, with the youths of any Stale. Moreover, what teachers we have, arc generally as intelligent, energetic en-ergetic and efficient as any I have met. In these remarks, of course, I allude only to our live teachers, who for somo years have dovoted themselves energetically energet-ically to the spreading of learning anions our promising rising generation. It is my opinion that soon wc will have reason to bo proud of our schools, if ihcy receive the assistance which they need, and without which they can never take tho rank which they must occupy in the history of education. If 1 have much to say iu praise of the admirable common schools of America, I oannot so sincerely admire the universities, that are a legion. It is right that every town or village should have its school, but I doubt whether there is wisdom in multiplying multiply-ing universities as they do in the United States. A university to be worthy of the name should possess not only large endowments and. resources, but should have a numerous and distinguished dis-tinguished faoulty, composed of men who have devoted themselves to the study and teaching of one particular branch, and have attained a certain degree de-gree of eminence. Endowments and money seem to be abundant in the States, but there aro few professors. Money cannot always get them. The consequence is, that there are a multitude multi-tude of universities that in spite of fine buildings and high sounding catalogues cata-logues arc no better than second and thud rate high schools. W instead of establishing universities in every town of some importance, tho resources disposed dis-posed of by 0 many establishments were combined to form one good, reliable reli-able institution in each State, where all the high branches of learning would be taught by tho most able professors of each particular branch men ol sound learning and of established reputation repu-tation and if the teaching of the various vari-ous schools were of such a nature as to prepare legions of qualified young men, who would oentrc in the university to receive instructions in ihe various branches of university instruction; such central institutions would gather strength and importance, and would soon become like the best universities of New England and Europe, highly esteemed and influential centres of learning. In England not having time to devote de-vote to the schools, I only gathered from the newspapers that education is being entirely remodelled. The English, Eng-lish, the French, and other nations, have come to the conclusion that they must keep up with the times, and they are busily engaged in endeavoring to place their se'aools on a footing of equality with -those of the United States and Prussia. I behove there is hardly a nation in Europe in which, at I this very moment, the laws of education educa-tion are not undergoing a complete reform. re-form. Compulsory, gratuitous and 'con-sectarian education seems to be the j order ef the day. The people are to be used, and the .-chooli are to have i die best teachers that money can seizure, se-izure, while religious iaruueuon will : be left to the care of parents and Sua-' Sua-' day schools. Iu France they propose to'di.prive a man of his civil rights, and even confine him for a limited time if he des not seed his children to school duriDg: eiht yens; while from the date lbO, do man who cannot write .-hall en;:-y civil righL-. The dector aad I are Jo:ug very well, asd h;;:e La three ninths to understand un-derstand German 5uJieieniiy well to visit the schools of Prusia with bene-fit bene-fit to ourselves la the meantime, un- der the guidance of "E. Scboenfeld, the 1 president of the mission, wc have bo-1 come initiated into the my-teries of the 1 Saxon tongue. I ehou.d be very thankful to receive I a letter from you, news from Utah being be-ing sorce ia tho snow elad Atpf", aad were it not for Paris papers, which I receive daily, I should bo ai ignorant of what is going on in the world as a prairie hunter before the building oi' railroads. 1 |