established for the Engineer, Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry service, open only to those who should show natural aptitude, and the proper amount of acquired knowledge, whether graduates of the scientific course of West Point, or any State scientific or classical school, in competitive examination. In each of these courses or schools, there should be a graduation, and promotion, in the particular service, according to merit. Our whole system of military instruction should terminate in a STAFF SCHOOL, open only to those who, in addition to the knowledge required for graduation in at least two of the above special courses, should have had at least three years actual experience in service. While members of the Staff School, these candidates for the Staff Corps, should, if called for by the State authorities, assist without compensation, in conducting Military Encampments of the Officers of the State Militia, like those held every year in Switzerland, and corresponding to what is known in this country to Teacher's Institutes. The graduates of the Staff School, should constitute the Staff Corps, from which all vacancies in the higher offices of the Regular Army should be filled, and all appointments to new regiments be made.

EXTRACT from a letter of GEN. H. K. OLIVER.

I have read with the utmost care, the Extract from the Report of the Board of Examiners of the Military Academy at West Point, for the year 1863, and most heartily concur in the views therein set forth, and especially in that portion of it, which recommends a competitive examination of candidates for admission. In all its relations it is right. In fact it stands out prominently as the only proper mode of admittance.

My intimate acquaintance with the Academy, having attended the examination in 1846, by invitation, and again in 1847, as Secretary of the Board of Visitors for that year, enables me to speak with reasonable authority. These visits afforded me opportunities, which I improved to the utmost, and most minutely, to become intimately well informed of the effect of the prevailing method of selection, and of its practical results upon character and scholarship after admission, as well as to know, with what degree of fidelity, the institution was answering the intent of its founding, and the just expectation of the country; and I was then satisfied, and subsequent observation has confirmed me in my opinion, that whatever of deficiency prevailed, was traceable to the method of admission. Faithful teachers and faithful teaching will achieve great results, but they can not make good, incompetent natural endowments, nor infuse vigor and life into sluggish natures. I sincerely hope that the Government will feel the force of your views, and comply with your most commendable recommendations.

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RESOLUTION adopted by the American Institute of Instruction at the Annual Meeting in August, 1863.

WHEREAS, the security and honor of the whole country require in the military and naval service the right sort of men with the right sort of knowledge and training; and whereas, the military and naval schools established to impart this knowledge and training will fail in their objects, unless young men are selected as students, of the right age, with suitable preparatory knowledge, with vigor of body, and aptitude of mind, for the special studies of such schools; and whereas, the mode of determining the qualifications and selecting the students, may be made to test the thoroughness of the elementary education given in the several States, therefor

Resolved, That the Directors of the American Institute of Instruction are authorized and instructed to memorialize the Congress of the United States, to revise the terms and mode of admission to the National Military and Naval Schools, so as to invite young men of the right spirit, and with vigor and aptitude of mind for mathematical and military studies, who aspire to serve their country in the military and naval service, to compete in open trial before intelligent and impartial examiners in each State, without fear or favor, without reference to the wealth, or poverty, or occupation, or political opinions of their parents or guardians, for such admission, and that in all cases the order of admission shall be according to the personal merits and fitness of the candidate."

X. STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATIONS.

CIRCULAR.

THE undersigned will devote as large a portion of each number of the "American Journal of Education," for 1864 and 1865, as shall be found necessary, to a minutely accurate, but condensed, account of the State Teachers' Association, or in the absence of any distinctly professional organization, of any State Educational Association, and in the absence of any such State organization, of any similar County or City Association-for each of the United States. For this purpose, he will be happy to receive communications from the Presi dent, or Secretary, or from a committee who may be instructed to furnish the same by any Association, covering the following particulars.

I. Any historical data respecting any Educational Association, prior to the organization of the present State Association.

II. The establishment, including the date, names of the original movers, the Constitution, or Articles of Association, and the first officers, of the present Association.

III. The officers, place and time of each regular meeting, the Subject of each Lecture, Written Report, or Paper read at each meeting, with the name, residence, and professional designation of author, with the Subjects of discussion, and Resolutions relating to schools and education-for each year.

IV. List of any printed documents issued at the expense, or under the auspices of the Association.

V. List of members, with the name of the institution, or educational office, with which they are connected, and their Post Office Address, who attended the last (one or two) regular meetings of the Association, held before the date of the sketch.

To give personal interest to these historical summaries of the doings of the several State Associations, the editor will be happy to insert brief biographical notes of the educational activity of the teachers, whom their associates have selected to preside over and engineer their movements, together with the portraits of the same-so far as reliable data for such sketches, and the portraits shall be furnished.

Copies of the signature, or sheet containing the Historical and Biographical Sketches, with the Portrait, if any, will be furnished, when ordered in advance, at the mere expense of press work and paper-and the number of the Journal in which the same is printed, will be supplied to the Associations, or the members, at half the usual price of a number.

HARTFORD, CONN.

HENRY BARNARD,

Editor of the American Journal of Education.

P. S. The first of these series of Sketches will appear in the number for June, 1864.