"The most momentous practical questions," says HORACE MANN, "now before our State and country, are these: In order to preserve our republican institutions, must not our Common Schools be elevated in character and increased in efficiency? and, in order to bring our schools up to the point of excellence demanded by the nature of our institutions, must there not be a special course of study and training to qualify teachers for their office? No other worldly interest presents any question comparable to these in importance.

"In maintaining the affirmative of this question,- namely, that all teachers do require a special course of study and training, to qualify them for their profession,- I will not higgle with my adversary in adjusting preliminaries. He may be the disciple of any school in metaphysics, and he may hold what faith he pleases, respecting the mind's nature and essence. Be he spiritualist or materialist, it here matters not,-nay, though he should deny that there is any such substance as mind or spirit, at all, I will not stop to dispute that point with him,-preferring rather to imitate the example of those old knights of the tournament, who felt such confidence in the justness of their cause, that they gave their adversaries the advantage of sun and wind. For, whatever the mind may be, in its inscrutable nature or essence, or whether there be any such thing as mind or spirit at all, properly so called, this we have seen, and do know, that there come beings into this world, with every incoming generation of children, who, although at first so ignorant, helpless, speechless, so incapable of all motion, upright or rotary, that we can hardly persuade ourselves that they have not lost their way, and come, by mistake, into the wrong world; yet, after a few swift years have passed away, we see thousands of these same ignorant and helpless beings, expiating horrible offences in prison cells, or dashing themselves to death against the bars of a maniac's cage-others of them, we see, holding colloquy sublime' in halls where a nation's fate is arbitrated, or solving some of the mightiest problems that belong to this wonderful universe ;-and others still, there are, who, by daily and nightly contemplation of the laws of God, have kindled that fire of divine truth within their bosoms, by which they become those mortal luminaries whose light shineth from one part of the heavens unto the other. And this amazing change in these feeble and helpless creatures, -this transfiguration of them for good or for evil-is wrought by laws of organization and of increase, as certain in their operation, and as infallible in their results, as those by which the skillful gardener substitutes flowers, and delicious fruits, and healing herbs, for briars and thorns and poisonous plants. And

as we hold the gardener responsible for the productions of his garden, so is the community responsible for the general character and conduct of its children."

But at this late day, it is believed, no special plea in behalf of Normal Schools is necessary. They have been tested as well in this country as in Europe, and everywhere have produced the most marked beneficial results. Very many of our States have established, or otherwise encouraged Normal Schools. There is not known to be a leading educator in the country who does not heartily approve them, when properly conducted, as a most important instrumentality in providing good teachers for our schools, and thus elevating the standard of common school education. "Knowledge is power,' ," said Lord Bacon,-" therefore, the more knowledge a people possess, the more powerful will they become, as compared with, and as brought into competition with other people. What means, then, should be adopted to secure this desirable improvement in education? Instructors can never teach more than they themselves know. The way, therefore, is clear. If the pupils are to be well and thoroughly taught, their teachers must be taught more highly-their knowledge must be increased, and their qualifications enlarged, improved and elevated."

It is not alone the additional number of well qualified teachers the Normal Schools furnish, but their influence also on others, that should be taken into consideration. I was told, in Massachusetts, that the influence of their Normal School graduates was of the highest value in every district where they taught-elevating a new standard; and the people seeing it, ever after seek teachers of this class to maintain this elevated standard; other teachers, who have not enjoyed the same advantages, seeing the difference, try to profit by it; and thus, these Nomral graduates, in the schools, in the neighborhood, in Teachers' Institutes, and among their less-favored instructors, exert a most beneficial influence, very much as do the West Point Military Academy graduates among the militia wherever they go. Hon. ROBERT ALLYN, in his report of 1856, as State School Commissioner of Rhode Island, says: "The effect of the graduates of the Normal Schools is already felt to some extent, for good upon the teachers of the State. They have gone abroad into various schools, and by coming in contact with other teachers, and by making popular the methods of instruction learned in the Normal School, they are gradually but surely causing the standard of attainments in school teachers to rise, as well as the standard amount of duty they shall be required to perform. If such an influence begins to be apparent within two years from its commencement, we may with certainty expect that its benefits will constantly increase

till all parts of our State shall feel it, and be made better thereby."

We have inaugurated a system of Normal Schools in Wisconsin, and provided liberal means to sustain them. There are many in our State,-I think a large majority-who look hopefully upon this measure; while there are others who regard it as little better than an utter waste of the fund devoted by the State to that purpose. The latter class, I believe, regard the system as copied from the experience of the New York Normal Academical departments, which all concede has not proved any too successful, to say the least of it. The Literature Fund of that State is distributed to certain Academies with Normal departments, and little or no care is taken by the Regents of the University, who have the management of the matter, in requiring a faithful adherence to the standard of study and qualification adopted; and, worst of all, no State supervision is exercised over these Normal departments. Ten dollars is granted to these institutions for each scholar in the Normal department; and the main strife seems to be, on the part of the Academies, to wring in all the scholars they can, and get the public money. Even the Regents of that State, I learn, are satisfied, that the $18,000 thus annually appropriated, is almost an utter waste, so far as specially educating teachers is concerned.

Our Board of Normal Regents seem to be earnestly endeavoring to avoid the rock on which the New York Academical Normal system has split. Though Universities, Colleges, and Academies, complying with the requirements of our Normal School law, have established Normal Departments, they are under, and are likely to be under, a very different system of management from those of New York. It is, in the first place, a great saving of expense for the separate erection of suitable buildings, and support of separate faculties; the standard of requirement is sufficiently elevated, it is believed, for the present; and a most thorough system of supervision is contemplated.

The Normal Regents have no power to employ, and remunerate from the fund, an able and efficient State Normal School Agent, to visit the several schools, spend such time with them as the Normal Board should deem proper, see that they comply with the requirements of the law and the Board, encourage the schools in their work, advise with the teachers as to the mode and course of instruction, lecture to the students, perhaps form them for a while into Teachers' Institutes; secure, as nearly as possible, a uniformity in the qualifications of pupils, and modes and extent of instruction, in the several schools, and excite a spirit of emulation and enthusiasm in the noble work.

Without such faithful supervision by a man of large experience, indomitable energy, with a heart overflowing with zeal and enthusiasm in the great cause of education, there is serious reason to fear that the system will fail to produce the results expected from it. The Regents will seek of the Legislature an amendment to the act organizing the Normal Board, conferring on them the power to employ, and remunerate, such an Agent; and have, in anticipation of the favorable action of the Legislature in a matter of such apparent vital necessity, already selected Hon. HENRY BARNARD as such Agent, who has acceptedpromising to devote a reasonable portion of his time to this object. From the earnest and conscientious efforts of the Normal Board, and Mr. Barnard's large experience in the practical workings of the Normal Schools both in this country and in Europe, I cannot but cherish the most lively hope, that our Normal School system, with the sympathy and encouragement of the Legislature, and all classes of citizens, will yet prove eminently successful. The time is not far distant, when a Central State Normal School, with superior facilities, and having an intimate relation with those already established, will undoubtedly be demanded.

Regarding, as I do, Mr. Barnard's connection with our State University, and our Normal School system-especially the latter, as the most important event that has ever occurred in our educational history-if not, indeed, the most important, in view of its probable consequences, that has ever transpired in the history of the State, I shall venture to give some notice of his most prominent services- thus endeavoring to show what we may reasonably expect as the result of his earnest labors here, by what he has elsewhere so largely and so thoroughly accomplish

ed.

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Mr. Barnard was born in Hartford, Connecticut, Jan. 24th, 1811; first a pupil at the common school, and finally a graduate at Yale College, in 1830, with a high character for scholarship. It is said of him, in a well written memoir, in the Massachusetts Teacher, that in the early part of his collegiate course, he was a successful competitor for the prizes for English and Latin composition; for the last two years, diligently pursuing a systematic course of reading in English literature, with the practice of English composition; during the last half, also acting as librarian, to secure free access to the library, and acquire a knowledge of books; participating with zeal in the exercises of the literary societies, by written and oral discussions; and possessing fine natural endowments, he came out of college, as might have been expected, already a ripe scholar. The five subsequent years were mainly devoted to a thorough professional

training for the practice of the law, the severer study of the legal text-books being relieved by the daily reading of a portion of the ancient and modern classics. This course of study was fortunately interrupted for a few months, to take charge of an Academy, where he improved the opportunity to acquire some knowledge of the theory and practice of teaching. This experience probably had considerable influence in determining some of the most important subsequent events of his life."

He next spent several months in travel, visiting almost every part of the Union, and having been admitted to the bar, sailed for Europe in 1835, where he spent eighteen months, traversing the greater part of England, Scotland, and Switzerland, on foot, devoting his attention mainly to the social condition of the people. Recalled from this tour, by the sickness of his father in 1837, in the very first public address which he had occasion to make after his return, he said, "Every man must at once make himself as good and as useful as he can, and help, at the same time, to make every body about him, and all whom he can reach, better and happier." This has ever been the controlling sentiment which has influenced his motives and conduct. Fidelity to this noble and philanthropic aim, induced him, not long afterwards, to abandon the flattering prospects of professional eminence, and political advancement, after a three years brilliant career in the Connecticut Legislature, as the representative of his native city in that body. While in the Legislature, "he devoted special attention," says an appreciative memoir in the New American Cyclopedia, "to the promotion of humane and scientific objects, urging and securing appropriations for the education of the deaf and dumb, and the blind, for the improvement of the condition of the indigent insane, and the town poor; the re-organization of county prisons, the incorporation of public libraries, and the completion of the geological survey of the State. The most signal service, however, which he rendered to the State, was, in the origination and carrying through an act for the re-organization of its Common School system. The bill, which, under his influence, passed the Legislature, provided for the appointment of a Board of Commissioners of Common Schools, who should investigate the condition of the Schools of the State, and by addresses, lectures, correspondence, and the recommendation of such measures as might promote the cause of education, endeavor to elevate and improve them. Of this Board, Mr. Barnard was a member and the Secretary for four years.

"Possessing," says the Massachusetts Teacher, "fine powers of oratory, wielding a ready and able pen, animated by a generous and indomitable spirit, willing to spend and be spent in the