Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-10-04
Extracted from the Penny Magazine.
WHAT IS EDUCATION !

This may seem very simple question,
and very easily answered; but many who
think so, would really be very much at a loss
to answer it correctly. Every man, in
free country, wants three sorts of education:
one, to fit him for his own particular trade
or calling,-this is professional education;--
another, to teach him his duties as man
and a citizen,-this is moral and political
education ;-and third, 10 fit him for his
higher relations, as Gods creature, design
ed for immortality,-this is religious educa-
ton. Now, in point Of fact, that is most
useful to man which tends most to his
happiness; thing so plain, that it seems
foolish to state it. Yet people constantly
take the work "useful' in another sense,
and mean by it, not what tends most to a
mans happiness, but what tends most to get
money for him; and therefore they call
professional education very useful thing:
but the time which is spent in general edu.
cation, whether moral or religious they are
apt to grudge as thrown away, especially if
it interteres with the other education, to
which they confne the name of "usetul )"
that is, the education which enables man
10 gain his livelihood. Yet we might all be
excellent IN our several trades and profess
sions, and still be very ignorant, very mis-.
cradle, and very wicked. We might do
pretty we'll just while we were at work on
our business; but no man is at work always.
There is a time which we spend with our
families; time which we spend with our
friends and neighbors; and very impor.
tant time which we spend with ourselves.
five know not how to pass these times well,
we are very contemplate and worthless
men, though We may be very excellent law
yer, surgeons; chemists, engineers, me-
chanics, laborers, or whatever else may be
our particular employment. Now, what
enables us to pass these times well, and
our times of business also, is not our
professional education but our general one.
1t is the education which all need equal
ly-namely, that which teaches man,
in the first place, his duty to God and
his ncighbor; which trains him to good
principles and good temper; to think Of
others, and not only of himself. 1t is that
education which teaches hm, in the next
place, his duties as citizen: to obey the
laws always, but to try to get them made as
perfect as possible; to understa.ll that a
good and just government cannot consult
The interests of one particular class or call.
ing, in preference to another, but must see
what is for the good ofthe whole; that every
interest, and every order Of men, must give
and take; and that if each were to insist
upon having everything its own way, there
would be nothing but the widest confusion
or the merest tyranny. And because
great part of all that goes wrong in public or
private life arises from ignorance and bad
reasoning, all that teaches US, in the third
place, to reason justly, and puts us on our
guard against the common tries of unfair
writers and takers, or the confusions of
such as are puzzle.headed, is most valua-
bic part ofman's education, and one ofwhich
he will find the benefit whenever he has oc-
casion to open his mouth 10 speak, Or his
cars to hear.