Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-05-21
ron THE spscrAroas
TO A YOUNG pR1EsD IN THE MOUNTAINS.
WAsHrNeroN, MAY SrH. 1851.

4 Dear Sir IL acknowledge with muc
Measure. your letter. have often in thi
Citv of magnificent distances" thought {
your beautiful county. Here we have tn
ssplendors of Art there Nature speaks to yo
through her sublimest works. l subscribe t
what YOU say on the subject of the all impor
tant subject of Education, and will take thi
occasion, with your permission, TO send you
few thoughts on the subject, which are tht
result of much reflection, and long expert
ence.
Providence has constituted us creatures
of various capacities. Intellectual, moral
religious and ghysical. We are moral,
bound to devef6pc all these powers, or in
other words, to educate them. The word
educate you knowis derived from the prep
osition and the verb duco, and means to
bring or lead out. BY education, we bring
out or develope all our natural powers OF
propensities be they good or bad. By bod
ily exercise we educate the functions OF the
body. By religious education we find out,
and act on the relation we sustain to our
merciful Creator. By Intellectual education
we unfold and develope the powers OF our
mind. ;,
God, in bestowing these powers, makes II
moral duty to improve them. In the veg,
table world, by natural, gradual and
beautiful process the powers OF the germ are
developed, from the seed to the fruit; but,
rational creatures are in measure LETT to
develope the more wonderful powers OF their
natures by voluntary action.
The parent is morally, religiously and So
cially bound to educate his offspring; for by
this education he benefits the child, makes
him good citizen, and enables him better
to understand his duties to God and to his
fellow-creatures.
Some sort Of education is always going on
in the mind of every one, and unfortunate
ly evil propensities, from the corrupt,l!ons
of our nature, are of easiest and earliest
growth. AS we grow older, the mind will
naturally expand and education is going
on, by all we see, hear, do or think. One
bad companion will educate another. The
child at home or abroad, at school or at play,
is educating. Each day and hour, unfolds
new powers and these by their very nature
will be active, and must have material for
action. How important then at the proper
time, to adopt the proper mode OF education
and to present to the unfolding mind the
right kind of mental food
With some, there has been, and is pref
udice against education. | have known
some good men, who would not permit their
daughters to learn to write, for fear they
would correspond with their sweethearts
Others think that some how or other, tins
"book larnin" is not worth much But how
can useful knowledge injure any one =
Suppose you were to place child in box
to prevent it from growing; or like the Chi
nese. put the feet into clamps to keep them
small; would you be doing right! Then
why half develope the mind Your body
is mortal, the mind immortal. You cannot
keep it from expanding. There is to be
point in our existence, when the most Igno-
rant in the world, is to be filled with knowl-
edge. Why not give it here the knowledge
It can understand and hold' Why remain
ignorant of those useful and wonderful truths
we NAV know. which are in the cogni-
zance of reason
Partial education, wrong education, the
development of one class of powers to the
neglect of others, may injure; but proper
education never can.
The great error with many is, that they
think too much of providing merely for the
BODY and life, and too little for the mind.
They bestow all their labor on the means
of life, and forget the great end of Life. We
eat to 7ioe, but as many appear to reason ease - II
would seem that we Hpe to eat. WY 40
we day by day nourish the body, unless Tor
the soM or mind which is in it? The great
end of life is to act on the relation we sus-
tain to God and those around us-to serve
our generation. ..o.,o,,
MANY blinded parents try tomake money
or dress or personal attractions, supply the
nlace of cultivated intellects. This they
can never do.
The plea with many is, they are not able
TO educate their children. have heard this
urged by men worth thousands OF dollars
who had money at interest, full barns and
hundreds of cattle. They were not able, be-
cause they were laying up dollars, for the
child, instead of permitting and urging the
child.o lay up ideas and useful knowledge
They were putting money at interest IN
stead of mind, forgetting, that knowledge
is power and proper education is worth IN
fnitelv more than any amount OF money. =.
There are few neighborhoods where Qt
the proper feeling existed, and they would
unitel good schools might not be establish
ed-Gome schools. And here. permit me
to remark, I am the strong advocate OF do
apsslic education. Nature and law based on
# make the parent the guardian ofthe child,
until a certain age. The teacher for the
time being occupies the place ofthe parent,
as his aid. This aid, if possible, should be
rendered at home, in concert with the pa
rent. It has always been a question with
me- whether the advantages of large board
inc schools in our cities and villages are not
more no than counter-balanced by their disad,
yantages. This may appear to be opposed
to the progressive" spirit of the age, and
is a subject worthy the investigation OF the
wise. There can be no substitute tor the
narent at a certain age, and in certain
sense. 1t is presumed that the parent Will Ill
from the very instinct Of Nature, pay an
proper attention to his child. know TINS
is not true in many lamentable instances
but the argument is still good. Inc tea:n- a
er or temporary guardian at large ooarailg .,'g
schools from home, cannot ana Ut woulo
not be saving too much to say) has not the
same motives to give all proper attenton
On this subject let the records OF our col.