Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 10: The Guide

by Charles Herbert Sylvester

To bring the question into a form for debate we might write it, “Were the judges right in their decision?” This leaves the question evenly balanced, with no prejudice against either side. It might be put more formally: “Resolved. That the judges were right in their decision.” The effect of stating the question in the latter form is to throw the “burden of proof” on the negative. In other words, if the question is in the latter form and the arguments are equally balanced, the decision would have to be that the judges were right.

Having determined the form of the question, the children may be separated into two groups, as nearly as possible equal in ability, and one group may be appointed to take the side of the judges and one the side of the soldiers.

Having arranged the preliminaries, converse with the children freely, bringing out points equally in favor of both sides. Avoid any appearance of favoritism. If one side is manifestly stronger than the other, however, you may put them on a level by showing a few arguments to the weaker side. Do this openly, so that all may understand your action.

Encourage the children to study both sides of the question and to be fair-minded. In fact, the ordinary debate where children are appointed to argue upon a certain side of the question does not bring into play the same good methods of thought and judgment as the free debate, in which each child studies both sides of the question, determines which side he thinks the right one, and then argues for that side.

In this question urge the children to study the subject in their histories or in any reference books that may be handy. Help them to get at the truth of the matter. Hawthorne may show prejudice. Does he? We may feel a bias in favor of one side or the other. Do we? Then to the extent of that bias we are liable to be unfair and to fail in making a sound argument.

After the children have read what they can find on the subject, ask them to arrange their arguments in parallel columns, for and against the judges. Something like the following may appear:

FOR	AGAINST
1. The Americans were the subjects of the English, and subjects should be loyal.	1. The English had oppressed the colonists by unjust taxes and in other ways (mention them) until the time for loyalty had ceased.
2. The colonists were not an organized body, acting legally. They were a wild mob, and mobs must be quelled or lives and property cannot be protected.	2. If these colonists were a mob they were justified in their acts. It was an insult and worse to quarter troops upon them and they naturally resented it. They had had no time to organize and make laws. They had to act at once.
3. The mob was composed of wild young men, and most of the colonists did not approve of their acts.	3. It is always the young men who lead. In most great movements it has been the young men who were right.
4. The mob called the soldiers “lobster-backs,” “red-coats,” and other insulting names before the soldiers spoke.	4. The soldiers forgot their discipline and called the colonists “rebel rascals” and threatened to use bayonets.
5. The mob crowded the soldiers off the sidewalk, threw snow and lumps of ice at them. The young men dared the soldiers to fire, threatened to drive them to their barracks and to beat them down.	5. The soldiers should have kept to their barracks, but they paraded the streets and pricked the townspeople with their bayonets.
6. Captain Preston was acting under orders, and he warned the colonists that he would preserve order at any risk.	6. Captain Preston was unwise, irritating, overbearing, and by his attitude provoked the colonists beyond human endurance.
7. The firing was a mistake. It was not by Captain Preston’s orders.	7. Captain Preston ordered his men to fire on the colonists.
8. The first shot was fired by a masked man who appeared on the balcony of a house and fired at the soldiers.	8. A British sympathizer in a mask fired into the crowd of unarmed colonists.
9. The British soldiers were soon withdrawn and everything done to make the colonists feel right about the affair. This showed that the British were still very friendly to the colonists, and desired their good will.	9. By withdrawing the troops the British confessed that they were in the wrong.
10. Judges who were supposed to be honorable men heard all the evidence and would not be liable to make any mistake.	10. The judges were British appointees, not in sympathy with the colonists and too much prejudiced to be able to decide fairly.
11. The judges were so thoroughly convinced that the soldiers were not guilty that they told the jury what verdict to give.	11. The judges knew they were wrong and were afraid to leave the question to the jury.

The “points” given above show some of the really minor debatable topics that arise under the larger question. They show, too, how differently the same incidents may appear to different eyes. Perhaps some of the “points” are stated unfairly, to give strength to the argument. Bare assertions are not proofs and some of the “points” are nothing but assertions. Opinions are not arguments. Some of the statements would need to bolstered up by facts and “authorities” before they could be accepted as real arguments.

Most debates are oral, but, for our purpose, they are to be considered as written language lessons. Hence, when the arguments are marshalled as above, the child should select the side he feels to be right and compose his argument in proper form. Teach him to see the three parts to his argument, namely, the introduction, the body of his argument, and the conclusion. Tell him to make his style personal, clear, concise, logical, strong, persuasive and convincing. Show him what each characteristic in the above list means.