The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-03-05


To the Friends sf Education.
Does not the subject Of education
justly claim larger share Of the ear
nest attention and active effort of our
influential citizens than il receives
Suppose every educated man in this
county were to ask himself the plain
question" How much direct exertion
and how great personal sacrifices have
! made. and am l making. for the diff |
fusion Of that life-giying light which !
sheds so grateful q radiance upon my !
mind s"-would not such a self-exami-
nation obtain. in the great majority Of
instances. q result neagre indeed in
proportion to the crying necessities Of
the case? Tee few. il is feared, Of
those who are most highly favored with
learning. carry with them constantly
Interpretation Of the obligations they
are under to " impart Of their sub
stance" Human nature is such, that
the full supply Of its opa wants lulls 1t
into sleep Of indifference. and leads it
to forget the wants Of others. or. un-
concerned. to leave them to the uncer-
tainty Of chance. and the mercy Of Pro-
violence. The man who is himself ed
ucated, and. as consequence, has the
means to educate his family, is too like
ly to overlook the circumstance, that
many around him are cropping il the
gloom Of ignorance-a misfortune the
more difficult Of remedy, as the sub
jects Of il are themselves unconscious
sufferers; for education itself is the on
ly thing that will enable q person to
discover and appreciate the benefits Of
an education. North Carolina has cli-
mate admirably adapted to the growth
Of vigorous and effective minds. II is
neither SO warm as to enervate, nor so
cold as to chill. II has sufficient sun
to produce, in indigenous luxuriance,
those refined graces Of intellect which
a colder climate nips in the bud; and
yet not enough to melt into soft eifemi.
macy those more solid elements which
give character, and which are wanting
in the torrid regions of the tropics
Under the salutary influence Of a pro.
per cultivation, her native mind would
possess both strength and elegance
substance and soul-the majestic ma.
chinery that weaves strong arguments,
and the magical power that conjures
the passions. 1t would combine in one
the mailed Templar. with iron corslet
and heavy buckler, and the light armed
Parthian. with ready bow and lifted
lance. II should be the peculiar pro-
vince of the sons of the !" Old North
State" to WELD, at once, the logician's
dialectic skill and the poets magic art,
philosophy's divining rod and rheto-
RIGS silver wand. DO they improve
this high prerogativei A few do in
deed; but are they, en- masse, distin-
guished in this respect above the sons
Of sister States? We fear the sound
Of an honest answer to the query.
From the scattered villas there comes
a mournful tale. Superstitions. preju-
dices and false opinions, springing up
from the root Of ignorance, like weeds
in rich, neglected ground. To him who
sees and feels the truth, this constitutes
call for help, which, though it's silent,
is yet louder than the wall Of wounded
thousands. Let those who hear it an
swer it with signs Of life. Let some
thing be done, speedily, for the more
perfect and systematic education Of the
yeomanry Of North Carolina.
A physician who would tell an inva-
lid the nature and position of his mala-
dy, would yet be Of little or no practi-
cal service to the patient, unless he
could suggest some remedy, or relief.
To do this is the prime object Of the
present communication; and the ear
nest attention Of the friends of educa-
ton is invited to the subject Of County
Conventions, as the first step towards
reform-said Conventions to be held
annually or oftener, to continue in ses-
sion week, more or less, at their own
option, in different towns and villages
Of the county. The experiment has Of
ten been made in various parts OF the
United States, and always with benef-
cial results in proportion to the extent
and thoroughness Of the organization,
and the zeal and efficiency Of the mem
bers.
Many considerations might be adj
duced, bearing upon this subject, but |
will mention only two or three.
1t is well known that the present
system Of Common Schools in this State
is inefficient and faulty-if not in the
DRY, certainly in practice. Single
handed attempts have repeatedly been
made in the Legislature to effect a
change for the better but the progress
is scarcely perceptible. There is need
Of q united voice from the people, re-
commencing well-digested and feasible
plans Of reform. Where can such >
voice originate more properly, or more