Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-07-25
For the Journal.
EducatIon-NO. 2.

clans 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
sions or coorng thereupon made. In fact his whole
teachings upon that subject in opposition to that
most popular DOGMA that there is such thing ge-
MUS native superiority of minds, that nature
endows one mind with more talents than another.
Every mind therefore, possesses equal susceptible
ties of improvement, and is equally capable of the
highest cultivation if the training hand is applied
to direct alike its every thought.
It is also remarked by Lord BRoucHAM, whose au-
thority is of the highest Importance in all matters
pertaining to the operations of the human mind that
all learn more in the first five years of exis-
tence than we ever learn after Imagine the extent
and magnitude of learning acquired by every child
in this short period of time. We the infant ex-
hibiting, through its actions and countenance va
rious emotions of anger, pain, affection, and joy
There never has been line of separation drawn
where instinct ceases and reason commences The
mind of the child possesses itself OF conscious
ness of its own relative superiority to other inferior
animals--is soon able to appreciate the relations
which exist between itself and parents and is high
ly imbued ;7th sense of the Importance 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 intonatons infections,
and emphasis, graduated by these emotions &c
How vastly important then is it, that in the acqusi
ton of this vast amount of knowledge, and the use
and facility of its communication, education
should be under the most rigid instructors Who,
them imparts the earliest and most effective instruc
ton to the child The mother. 1t was remarked
by the celebrated WHITFIELD whose towering elo-
quenee could sport and play with the feelings and
passions of his audience the rushing torrent losses
to and fro the unnamed skif it bears along its
rent, that if he was indebted to one circumstance
more than another for the superiority of his powers
it was to the simple fact that when he learning
to talk his mother learned him to pronounce correct
y and enunciate distinctly every syllable, word or
sentence he attempted to utter. g Train up child
in the way he should CO. and when be is old he will
not depart from it, is wise MAXIM and as true and
valuable to mental development as moral cult
walton. 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 impress
sons and intoxicating such lessons upon the plastic
mind of youth-to write upon this unstained and I'M
lettered sheet such principles will make TIE future
citizen give him such habits of industry and self
control as will develope his intellectual faculties,
shape his moral character correct the evil propensi-
ties of his nature refine and elevate his taste, and
make him respected, whatever may be his walk in
life From the mother the boy must learn the first
lessons of lfe-the ncipient principles of morality
and ethics-and from her imbibe too the elements Of
his future character and career. And. says a wri-
ter, 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 first
w1itten--to cross in the length what was traced in
the breadth. Confuse you may but you cannot
obliterate.
1t is peculiar feature in the progress of the pres
ent age and too which should gladden. the heart
of every patriot and phanthropis that public opin
ion is waking up to the Importance of educated
mothers; that more extensive are being EN-
braced to raise woman up from that degraded vas
salage to man where heathenism placed her, ant
make her .chat Providence designed spiritual being
minstering to the wants, comforts and joys of life
and adjoining its pathway with all that is attracting
in beauty inviting to approach. But it is not m,
ton. Enlightened public opinion is already at worl
in her behalf. have been compelled to say thu
much to pave the way for what shall say upon tn
qualification of our Common School Teachers il
closing this article, beg leave to address, in add
ton to what have written, few suggestions t.
mothers, upon the physical training of children
And, though am no Doctor, yet am father, ant
as all fathers of right and duty ought to do, hav
paid some attention to the physical education of m
children have said that the first five years is tn
most important, far as first impressions and men
tai training are concerned 1t is not less so in
physical sense The application of correct physio
logical principles is not called for in trainn
the mind than in properly rearing the body TIL
best modern education regards proper physical de
velopment as one of the most indispensable feature
of the best system of intellectual training
sound mind cannot long exist in an unsound be
dy. Our first years are the most critical periods
fe Vital statistics show that mortality is creates
in infancy, and that this period is full of peril t
these interesting and innocent beings 1t is within
the first two three years that the first deciduou
teething is performed. And what parent does NO
know the danger attending this natural process al
ways bringing such deep anxiety to q fond and dc
ting mother It is now that the stomach and bow
els are so liable to arrangement, duplicating thrC
sympathy, the brain and nervous system, and bring
ing about that high degree of tension and exctabi
ty which results in disease, and too often, in death
During this period, every mother should be NOR