Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-10
TIT 1Ne EHYHUt7.
EDUCATION-TSo III

fhhy pouy ui inen uhltcu IN ore general interest,
OF one community, can compose socss'y; hence,
there may be various societies. Their, re Reli-
glons Scc;,ics, md l:.fide Societies; there are
Philosophical, Agricultural, and Education Socie-
ties. But, when The general term Soeieiyi is used,
il means neither the ono nor The other of these
particular .o'iics-it is expressive of The whole
human family, or that great community Of hu-
man beings living under one grand and general
interest
There are various terms which are used 10 ex-
press The qualities, or circumstances OF scerty-
as rude. barlarUus, halfciYilizel civilized, &c
There are two terms that express the worst and
best Of these qualities; they are The extremes OF
society, ba1bar0ns or rude, and ciriiccl Between
these are various hues, shades, and compilations,
that have characterized all nations and many in
dvldual- in those nations. Barbarism, is that
state where The impulses Of nature arc the per-
vading law, and independence aud lawlessness
the distinguishing features. Civilization i. The
improved condition Of man, resulting from The
establishment Of social order and The cultivation
and regulation OF The better faculties Of his ma
ure. As society is composed OF individuals,
made up Of uniIs-bcore civilization can obtain
in any nation, there must be the Improvement oil
The individual, AMI the improvement OF society
The ilnd and faculties Of mans nature must liz
expanded, and HE social STATE must he meiiura-
ted. As the greatest streams are ut The sum of
thousands OF smaller streams, nils ard brooks.
50 that STATE OF society dcnuminalcd ci,itsed. is
but tie combined result OF individual improve
! ncni and the expansion OF ,lLlie minds and The
development ul individual faculties
The external circumstances surrounding man,
IN his position in society, are no less IL be regard.
Ell than he Improvement Of his faculties, and The
| partial moderation oi his STATE in placing him
| under proper government, where lie, liberty
ana his pursuit., are all secured, when we seek
ior the great remedy Ia improve general society
NJ. Guizot remarks; "W heiever The exterior con .
diion Of man becomes enlarged, quickcu,d and
improved; wherever The Intellectual nature of
man distinguishes itself, by It's energy, briancy
and It's grandeur; wherever these two signs con
cur, and they often do so, Notwithstanding the
gravc>t impcreciIons IN lie social system there
man procams and applauds civilization" y
Man, however highly educated. in having The
faculties OF mind improved, and the moral powers
oi his Bat3rc cultivated, ami lhr tastes, appc-
tiles and passions sanciified and regulated in per-
he surrounded by proper and favorable external
circumstances. One fndned with Tie mind al
! Bacon, or Newton, and the moral nature OF Tie
vcries saint, if destitute oi food and raimeht aud
lvingin AFFECT poverty. when he would he un-
able 10 supply his own wants and The wants ni
those dependable "rnn hun. or cuflit r,c,i --,h
him, could not be conlenled comfortable or
happy. The reason OF This is, that he would be
placed in positive opposition 10 the laws OF his
being.
The style .! living is ascenained 10 have IA
powerful effect in modifying he human figure, in
| The course ui generations, and This even in lis
osscons structure About 200 years ago a NUN
Der OF people were driven, b. bafharons pJ!l-
| cv from the counties Uf Antrim ard Down in
| Iceland towards The sea coast, where they have
ever since been settled, but in unusually msega-
| bic circumstances, even nr Ireland and the con-
sequence is, that they exhibit peculiar features
of The most repulsve kind, projecting Jaws, with
| large open mouths depressed noses, high cheek
| bones, and bow legs together with an extremely
diminulvc stature. These with an abnormal
| slenderness OF limbs, are The outward marks Of a
! low and haIharous condition all over the world
il is peculiarly seen in the Australian Aborigines
| On the other hand, The beauty oiihe higher ranks
in England is very remarkable. being, in the
main, az clearly q result Of good external con
| diiion. Coarse unwholesome, ani i'll prepared
| food SAYS Bufitn, makes the human race dcge-
nerale A II those people who live mserably, aIt
ugly and i'll made. Even in France, the coun
| nv people are not so beautiful as those who live
/ in towns ana | have often remarked, that ir
| those villages, where the people are richer ant
! better fed than in others, The men are likewi>,
more handsome and have better countcnances =
/ He might have aided, that elegant and commn
dious dwellings, Clearly habits, comlurlabl. cloth
I..i,. ,..,, NH n
| much as health requires, co operate with food il
increasing The elegance Of a race Of human be
| inss.'
| There is no more well established truth, thar
that both the hoiv. and mind and charac'c
Of man ale wonderfully Influenced BY eX:c!na
circumstances. The people who live in noun
lainons countries, where the scenery is hold arc
striking have the same features, Ia some extent
/ stamped upon their chai ac,eIs; and the same i
/ Tue of those who live in low, ia, countries
where The scenery is dull and monolonou>. Her,
tie people are, for the most part, inactive, uncn
eroetic, .t.d rartake OF The same uniformity lha
distinguishes their country. Man isemphaiical
! liz The ''crea;urc OF circumstances"
Then itappears, that man viewed internally IL
reference 10 his own mind and the faculties am
powers of his nature, and man viewed externally
! with regard 10 circumstances around him, are Tn
| Two grand ami cardinal considerations thai D.
| his true position in society. When man is i'm
moved in his intellectual and moral faculties, an'
The circumstances surrounding him accord viii
the laws OF his being and his improves powers
lien we find that society is good and Then exls
those noble traits and those honorable and VII
nous principles, thai make The intercourse he
tween man and man source Of the pureSt plea
sure. that bind society together by The sironges
chords, and cement The affections Of neighbours
proving inconlrovertibly, that The great ign q
The Cieanr was. la dispense happiness lc mai
even in this mixed slate OF good and evil. u an
thing were necessary 10 satisfy The mind 81 any
however skeplcal as 10 the truth oil our position
an appeal 10 manv sections and neIehhoTbood
in Virginia, where The inhabitants are crowd
I'd ,oseher, in the most miserable hnls fo
their dwellings, with a few acres OF the mos
worthless land, scarcely aIiording a supply q
bread and other vegetables. in constant idlenes'
in abjec, poverty, niuising in The most unclean
L. habits and having no means Of imparing III
first rudments OF education 10 their offspring
either from their own resources or from those 0
the State, according 10 that most absurd and nc
fn,sd system Of education thai has almost brouef
The Old Dominion 10 The lowest disgrace, IN III
estimation Of tie Union and lie work., womb
carry certain conviction. Contrast with thii
those neishborhoods where The inhabitants nav
motives and incentives 10 intusry-lire in com
Portable dwellings, supplying their wants iiom III
fruits of the soil, or from mechanical arts, prat
lice the greatest cleanliness, and have IN lh-'
midst schools oil III grades, from the infant schoo
10 ,he school for young gentlemen and ladies. /
The enquiring man, and Inc philosopher, the que'
lion presents itself, Why Is he f,A ffns< 50 mnt
deerGdcd? The answer is 10 be found in Tic u
norancc Of Inc peope. lie, it never be Tor me
ment forgotten, hot enc Thirteenth Of he ADJ
caiscns II I'rrin'a dts nnable 10 read and lrr't,
Let The philanlhropsl and The patriot, who woul
see our Republican institutions flourish, and II
form or orr Government be TIE admiration an
lac wonder of the world, constantly keep in vic
This darI, pctue Let ii be inscribed upon III
sisn-boards stuck up al The corners OF highway
Let il be written upon lie door-rosls and boun
upon the ioreheads, that oneMoteenh of The II
habitanls Of The Old Dominion, The land
Presidents and Statesmen, are cropping IN mt
night darkncss-destilue Of all mental I.lumin:
lion, and almos, totally deprived Of any NOR;
light II is thought that almost causes one
shrek with horror-it is a consideration hi