North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-10-18
from the Wilmington Journal
EDUCATION-No. 2

guardianship of our education commences with our
first breath and ends with our last sigh 1t is the
theory of Locke, the abest and truest of metaphy-
sicians, that the infant mind is like white or blank
sheet of paper and is entirely dependent upon edu
cation or surrounding circumstances for all impress
sons or coornr thereupon made. In fact, his
whole teachin upon that subject are III opPoslt1on
to that most popular dogma, that there IS such
thing as genius or native superiority OF minds, OF
that nature endows one mind with more talents
than another. Every mind. therefore, possesses
equal susceptibilities of improvement, and is equal
" CAPABLE of the highest cultivation if the train
nn hand is applied to direct alike its every thought
It is also remarked by Lord Brougham, whose
authority is of the highest importance III all mat
tiers pertaining to the operations of the human mind
that we all learn more in the first five years OF our
existence than we ever learn after. Imagine the
extent and magnitude of learning acquired by every
child in this short period of time. We see the in
FAINT exhibiting, through its actions and counten-
ance various emotions of anger, pain, Affection and
| 10Y. There never has been a line of separation
drawn where instinct ceases and reason commences.
The mind of the child soon possesses itself of
consciousness of its own relative superiority to 9th
err inferior animals-is able to appreciate the
relations which exist between itself and parents,
and is highly imbued with a sense of the impor-
lance of growth and manhood
Within this period the child also feels his bosom
swelling with different emotions, affections, and
thoughts that it is his right to communicate
these to his associates by means of the voice =
that this voice is regulated by certain intonations,
infections, and emphasis, graduated by these emo
tons, &c. How vastly important then is it, that in
the acquisition OF this vast amount of knowledge,
and the and facility of its communication, our
education should be under the most rigid instruc
tors I! Who then, imparts the earliest and most
effective instruction to the child The mother.
1t was remarked by the celebrated Whitfield, whose
towering eloquence could sport and play with the
feelings and passions of his audience as the rushing
torrent losses to and fro the unnamed ski it bears
along its current, that if he was indebted to one
circumstance than another for the superiority
of his powers it to the simple fact that when
he was learning to talk, his mother learned him to
pronounce correctly and enunciate distinctly every
syllable, word, sentence he attempted to utter.
Train up child in the way he should 90, and
when he is old he will not depart from it, is a
wise maxim, and as true and valuable to our men-
tai development as moral cultivation What an
argument then in favor of more extensive facilities
for female education. Possessing all the advantages
OF first occupancy, upon the mother is imposed
the task of making such impressions and inculca-
ting such lessons upon the plastic mind of youth
to write upon this unstained and unlettered sheet
such princip pies will make the future citizen i
give him such habits IF industry and selfcontro as
will deveope his intellectual faculties shape his mo-
raj character correct the evil propensities of his ma
ture refine and elevate his taste and make him res
pected, whatever may be his walk in life. From
the mother the boy must learn the first lessons of
te-the incipient principles of morality and ethics
and from her imbbe too the elements of his flu |
ture character and career. And, says writer, {" it
is the mystery of the young memory that, easy to
take impressions, it is tenacious in holding them"
For know most assuredly that the most you can do
Is to write afterwards what was first written
to cross in the length what traced in the breadth
Confuse you may, but You cannot obEterate.
1t peculiar feature in the progress of the pres
ent age and one, too, which should gladden. the
heart of every patriot and phanthropist, that pub-
lie opinion is waking up to the importance of edu-
Gated mothers; that more extensive means are be-
ing embraced to raise woman up from that deora-
ded vassalage to man where heathenism placed
her, and make her what Providence designed,
spiritual beng, minstering to the wants, comforts
and joys of life and adjoining its pathway with ali
that is attracting in beauty or inviting to approach
But 1t IS not my purpose to elaborate on female IN
tiuence and education. Enlightened public opin-
ION Is already at work in her behalf l have been
compelled to say thus much to pave the way for
what shall say npon the qualification of our Com
mon School Teachers. In closing this article
beg leave to address, in addition to what | have
written, few suggestions to mothers, upon the
physical training of children. And, though I am
no Doctor yet am father, and as all fathers OF
anu Nuty " nave pau SOIl6 elCCon-
ton to the physical education of my children. 1
have said that the first five years is the most i'm
portant, so far as the first impressions and mental
training are concerned. 1t is not less so in ply
steal sense The application of correct physiolog-
,a principles is not called for in training the
mind that in properly rearing the body. The !
pest modern education regards proper physical de-
Feopment of the most indispensable features
Of the best system of intellectual training. t
A sound mind cannot lOnr exist in an Unsound
body Our first years the most critical periods
Of life Vital statistics show that mortality great
EST in infancy and that this period is full of peril
20 these interesting and innocent beings. 1t is with
N the first two three years that the first decid
lous teething is performed. And what parent does
not know the danger attending this natural process
always bringing such deep anxiety to fond and '
loting mother? 1t is now that the stomach and {
bowels are so liable to arrangement, duplicating s
through sympathy, the brain and nervous system, {
and bringing about the high degree of tension and
which results in disease, and too often,
n death. During this period, every mother should
De more than ordinarily careful of the diet and 6
'egimen of her offspring, and be watchful to ward
'fi all disturbing influences. To allow child in I
uch times to indulge the appetite, always morbid
dentiton to the extent Gifts craving or to allow
children at this age and older to eat, and stuff
ind gormandize, as they disposed to do, until
heir little tender stomachs are dstended and S
welcd to an unnatural extent is as much opposed s
the teachings of nature to the dictates of rea
on and medical philosophy. Indulge children in a
-IQf fhnra IL