Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-10-23


The former. Those in eastern Virginia,
who are standing off upon the subject,
are principally those who advocate a
grand system of internal improvement
in the State, and who assume the most
absurd position, that, if their plans are
carried out, the people will educate
their children, as consequence!-as
Though railroads and turnplkes wonld
furnish the requisite amount of money,
school houses, teachers, books, &C.
las though the facilities Of intercom:nu-
nication would stimulate the people to
more powerful exertions to educate
Themselves! If we grant, for the sake
Of argument, that the minds of the peo-
! pie will be impressed more seriously
upon the subject, by increasing the
facilities of communication, by inter-
nal improvements yet, what good
can result, unless the means are ai1or-
ded them, To awaken the mind to a
high sense of its degradation, and urge
upon it the necessity Of reforming, " it'll
out imparting the capacity to do so,
where it exists not, is but TO tantalise
and to discourage.
# one Of these great measures can
be said to follow the other, pbilosophi-
cally and legitimately, las consequence,
we would reverse the proposition a.
bove referred to, and say, that, while
an ignorant people may be imposed up
on by ambitious politicians and heart
less speculaters,-a people enlighten-
ed and educated cannot long bemade to
submit to wrong, neither can they be
}long bound down by Inconvenience or
grievances which can be possibly RENE
died. We say, then, as we have SAID
before, EDUCATE THE PEOPLE FIRST;
first let every unlettered person in the
State be taken through assystem OF
Thorough Internal improvement, and
they =; be capable Of judging Of the
necessity of such improvements as their
prosperity may require-each one for
"himself Individually" s-e@ ra
81 .-5fs +,N
How TO IMPRovE.-Young men in
general seem not TO be aware Of the
extent to which they could improve
themselves in the various branches of
science and literature, if they would ex-
ert themselves. They leave everything
for their teachers to accomplish, while
they mechanically perform their tedi-
Gus routine of duties. Like the drunk
ard of whom we once heard, who, af-
ter spending all his substance for liquor,
called upon his wife to give him some
thing to eat; and being told that there
was nothing in the house, said to her,
8 Well, then, give me plate and knife
and fork, and let me go through
the notions Soft is, we fear, with
too many of our young men: they only
go through the motions at school,
without acquiring any considerable a.
mount Of practical, useful information.
Let our young men reflect, that some
Of the most useful and profoundly lear
ned men that have ever lived, were
seJ:made, in the strictest sense of the
term; and among the most extraordi-
nary instances of self-improvement that
has ever occurred, we would name
BENNAKER, a free negro man, who
was the most profound mathematician
and astronomer of his day. This poor
African was only taught in the rddi-
ments of common arithmetic at school;
and afterward pursued his studies alone.
He published an almanac sometime du-
ring Mr.. Jeferson's administrations
How very few white men who have
superior advantages, and perhaps not
inferior intellectual capacity, ever ac-
complishas much as this poor negro!
We have determined to use our fee
bic influence to stimulate laudable
emulation among our youth, by admit
ting into our columns such questions
or items of information as may elicit
inquiry and investigation. We would
suggest to our young friends, and our
old friends too, who may be disposed
to favor US with the fruits of their ex-
perience and knowledge, whether it
would not be well to enlarge the fell!
of inquiry and investigations There are |
hundreds Of subjects-scientifc, his.
.orical. peopraphical. &c that uro,ld |