Slaughter by the Innocents.
The example of those charming little boys in Massachusetts who lately vindicated their youthful rights and gave such eminent promise of an illustrious manhood by stoning their teacher to death, has not been lost on their compeers. So far as we have learned, no punishment has yet been inflicted for this breach of scholarly decorum, and so an additional reason is furnished why these “village heroes who with dauntless breast, the little tyrant of their fields withstood,” should become patterns for independent infancy throughout the country. Childish morality is, after all, singularly like that of grown-up people, and teaches them to be good only so long as it pays better than to be bad. Stoning one's teacher is such an uncommonly jolly “lark,” that, since it can be done with impunity, we are only surprised to find it has not been more extensively indulged in. But this abstinence is only comparative. To do them justice, the rising generation have not shown themselves unworthy of the leadership of their Massachusetts champions. More than one teacher has been made sensible, in most unpleasant fashion, that the day of their destiny is over. The latest incident of the sort that has transpired occurred in this city. A chivalric youth aged ten, a pupil in one of our grammar schools, was subjected by his teacher—a woman, be it understood—to the insult of a public rebuke in class. His fiery spirit chafed under this reproach from one of an inferior sex, and he resolved on vengeance. Summoning various of his trusty adherents, he waylaid the tyrant on her way home, and laid her low—another David contending against the Philistine—with a sling-shot. Having achieved this gallant exploit, the young hero fled. We have not heard that he has been arrested. Perhaps his father is a politician; the weapon of his choice, and his dexterity in using it, would seem to imply it. At any rate, the evil genius of the desk and blackboard has again been signally discomfited, and another bright example given to aspiring youth. How long this revolutionary state of affairs will continue, or to what lengths it may go, we dare not conjecture. A general concerted massacre of teachers, a juvenile St. Bartholomew of the school-room, would not surpass one's estimate of the capabilities of the boy of the period. Evidently the old adage about “teaching the young idea how to shoot” is rapidly assuming a new and ominous significance; and the time seems to be coming when the post of teacher will require the same amount and quality of courage as the editorship of a Southern newspaper in old fire-eating days. Sooner or later, of course, retaliatory measures will be adopted by the sufferers, and we shall have class exercises diversified by exchange of pistol shots, and class discipline enforced with bowie-knife and billy. Was not Herod, perhaps, calumniated?—N. Y. Times.