Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-02-28
ERROR OF EVERLASTING THE INTELLECTUAL
POWERS OF CHILDREN.


POWERS OF CHILDREN.
The prevalent and pernicious custom OF
taSking the minds and confining the bodies
Of children for hours in succession at home
and in schools, at time Of life when the
growth Of the body and the welfare Of the
system require constant and playful eXcr-
else iii the open air, and perfect freedom
from care and excitement Of mind, Is the
fruitful source of much future bad health,
and is cmincntly calculated 10 defeat the Oh
icct aimed at by parcn's, namely. the mental
excellence of the child. The premature
cxer.ion of Intellect TO which It is stimulated
bv the cons ant cxcitemen' ofemulation and
vaniy, far from sireng hen!ng, tends to I'M
pair the health and tone of .hc brain. and oil
all the organs depending on il: and hence
we rarely perceive the genius Of the school
manifesting in future years any Of the SUI
perori which attracted attention in early
life: but we find him on the contrary, either
sunk bcow mediocrily, or dragging out
painful cyis cnce, the vic i'm Of indigestion
and melancholy. On he o'hcr hand, some
ofthc most distinguished men who ever
lived were in childhood remarkable only for
hcalh, idleness, and apparent stupidity.
TIE iiIustrious Newton vas, by his OWN ac-
count. an idle and inattentIvc boy, and
"verv low in the school," ill he reached II
wears of age: and the young Napoleon HIM
self is described as '.having good health.
AMI being in other respects like other boys"
Adam Clarke was considered "a grlevous
dune" when boy. and was seldom praised
BY his father except for his ability in rolling
urge stones; which his robust frame and
good health enabled him to DO. Shakespeare,
Gibbon, Byron. Scot, and Davy, were in
like manner undistinguished for precocious
genius. aud were fortunately allowed to in
dulgc freely in those wholesome bodily ex.
crcisas. &that freedom of mind. which con-
lribmed so much TO their future excellence.
The mo herof Sheridan. 100. long regarded
Lin rs "thc dullest andmost hopeless Of her
sons.
Among the many vino give great prom
Use in early life. and whose talen:s are then
forced by i'll Judged cultivation into preco-
cious ma uri V, how few live 10 manhood to
reap ,he reward Ct their exertions, and how
few of hose who survive preserve their su-
periortv unimpaired! Tasso was early
distinguished, and wro'c his immortal epic
at twenty-five years of age; but his life was
miserable. and his reason disordered, and
be died at thirty-rwo. Pascal is another
example of he same result, and kirke
White and many others might be named,
were it necessary.
Experience, indeed, amply demonstrates,
that precocious and excessive activity Of In
tcllect and vivacitv of feeling are most pow
-crfuI impedimenfs to healthy ard vigorous
digestion, and consequently % sufficient
MI ri;ion. In early life, therefore, when not
only health, but future usefulness, depends
mainly on the completeness and vigor
with which the system shall proceed to-
wards It's full devclopcmcnt. the preserva-
ton of the digestive organs by suitable diet,
exercise. and regimen, ouShl 20 pea prlfna-
~ object of attention with every sensible
parent. Even as regards superiority Of
mind, the healthy development Of the body
is of essential Importance, rs the only sure
foundation on which mental excellence can
be built: because, so long as mind and body
are Intimately connected with each other,
he former must continue to be affected by
every change in the condition ofthe organ
ization on which it depends. We enjoy
acuFcnoss Of fvis;on by preserving the eye
in high health, and exercising i regularly
and moderately; and, in like manner, we can
ob'ain and preserve intellectual power only
bv preserving the health ofthe brain, and
exercising it in conformity with its natural
conStitution.-Combc.