Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-03-19
committee constantly demonstrate in their
school visits"

committee constantly demonstrate in their
school visits"
"'Tis education forms the common mind,
Just as the twig is bent the tree IS inclin'd"
Although this is the sentiment of the poet,
it is strictly true. This sentiment teaches
US that we should train our youth to that
inclination which it is designed they should
maintain through life. The leisure and
prime of life are consumed in acquiring an.
education and fixing the character. 1t is
seldom boy or girl has time to devote to-
study after he leaves school, and such an
instruction and training and inclination asI
is described i'll the two last practical extracts
from the reports, can seldom be acquired
after the termination of an education in the
usual mode. 1t is indispensably important
that every branch should be entirely MASTER
ed as the pupil progresses. A little learned
accurately and completely is much better
than much learned imperfectly.
These remarks lead US to another import
ant observation. 1t is the common practice
in our State for parents to send their chill
dren either beyond the State or the section
of the country in which they reside. There
arises from this source two-fold disadvan-
tage. The first is, that it is to certain ex-
tent constant abstraction of SO much mo-
ney from the State, or from the particular
section of country in which the parent re-
sides, and that so much money is never to
return.
But there is another injurious result of a
more permanent character. In order to pro-
mote intellectual improvement it is neces-
sary that the intellect should be exercised.
Under our present system large majority
of those who are educated abroad return
home where there exists comparative igno-
rance. In such situation, that knowledge
which had been acquired, can never be cal
led into action, and consequently is forgot
ten and lost. Such would not be the result
if all were educated together by the force
and efficacy of a general system; for under
such a system there would exist commu-
nifty of knowled ge, and that knowledge
would be subjected to constant and active
exercise.
There is another result which grows out
of our present system. Those habits which
are acquired at college cannot be maintain
ed, and the pupil must sink down from re-
fnement of manners and intellectual culture
to the common level of an uneducated COM
munity. 1t is thus large portion, indeed
nearly all, of what was sought to be acquir-
ed by an educational training, is lost to the
disappointment Of the parent and pupil; and
hence a large majority of the educated pass
through life and die with the feeling of dis
appointment predominant.
This committee would suggest that the
union of agriculture with our institutions
would be productive of great and lasting
benefit. Agriculture ought to be taught as
a science, practically, and earnestly, and
as effectually as law or medicine. 1t is to|
be the pursuit in life of large majority of
our students, and it is the primary source of
health, wealth and prosperity and, indeed,
constitutes the only legitimate and durable
capital of any country.
1t is a remarkable fact, that all the greatest
and best men have been reared in agricultu-
raj pursuits, and such alone have establish
ed institutions which have been of perma-
HCuL UCllCl1L W IuouhIlu SuCI1 HoNC
founded empires, upon the durable basis of
virtue and freedom. With such men we
have found in all ages the sternest integrity
and most inextinguishable patriotism.
1t was by the act of 1882 that Board of
Education was established in Massachusetts,
1t is needless to enter into minute descrip-
ton of her system; it is more than probable
that it would not answer for our State as it
does there, where the country is divided in
10 townships and where there is greater
density of population than with US. There
are committees for her respective townships
or districts; and the period is inauspicious
for the establishment of such a system mi
our State, because we could not tolerate the
expense. The erection of permanent sys-
tenn in our State must be the result of prac-
tce. 1t is proper that the system should
have a central government, which should
gather together the parts, and link and fas-
ten it together as circumstances should de-
mand and experience direct.
The beneficial effects of such system is
not question of speculation, but of palpa-
bic and overpowering experience. Massa-
chusetts furnishes the first example of al
State entering into it, and all the Northern
States have followed her example. The
results are such as to bring upon us an I'M
mortal shame. Almost all, if not quite all
our text books in our shoots, academies and
colleges, and in our different professions,
are furnished from the northern section.-I
We are in state of intellectual servitude
and nothing can enable US to retrieve our
lost ground but the establishment Of per-