Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-11-16
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Moral and Intellectual Cultivation.
P. G. CARLTON, G. s.

Moral and Intellectual Cultivation.
Nothing adds more to the advancement
and Importance of a county, than judi
ciOus system of moral and intellectual cul-
tlvatlon and no county can expect to rise
IN the scale of Importance with its neigh
bors, however great her advantages in 9TH
er respects, which negleets so important a
duty as the cultivation of the moral and
intellectual faculties of the rising genera
ton, and directs its entire energies, mere
ly, to the cultivation of the soil. The lat
ter enterprise is highly praiseworthy and
commendable, when not engaged in to the
entire neglect of the former. 1t is indeed
gratifying to every well-wisher of his coun-
try, to see the "Old North State" awak-
ened to the Importance of this duty, and
the citizens engaging in the erection and
endowment of educational structures for
the benefit of their children and it should
be the pride of every county to engage in
a laudable emulation to excel in this, the
most phiianthropic and praiseworthy i'm
provement.
Every individual who contributes his
mite to the advancement of this important
object, is aiding the frmer establishment
of civil and religious liberty scattering
wide the seeds of virtue, temperance and
honor" pulling down the strong holds of
sin and satan, and destroying the food up
on which the demagogue and dseeiyer feed
not more essential to the growth of vegeta-
ton, than ajudicious system of cultivation
to the attainment of moral and enlightened
life. Nature gives not knowledge, but
merely the medium through which to OBJ
tain it.
To mans self and his opportunities,
must be attributed, in a great measure, the
extent of his conception and the magni-
tude of his understanding. In the begin
ing, he is void of understanding or of idea,
containing merely the abode of thought, an
, immense store-house, to be filed with goods
! of his own choice and selection. His pre-
: eminence in the scale of being is consti-
tuted, not by muscular strength, but by the
= powers of his mind and the sagacity of his
: intellect He is born the deputed lord of
8 earth's domain nature confers upon him the
Y seeds of understanding high above animal
r instinct How much they owe their growth
and perfection to cultivation, history bears
: witness.
J. Egypt, Turkey, Italy! How changed
from what they once were how dissimi-
lar their dull, cowardly, indolent, ignorant
It posterity, to the bold, daring, active, intel
is ligent race that immortalized them! But
t. to what shall we attribute this change, this
IS prostitution of the faculties of the mind and
r vigor of the SOUL in the modern Egyptians
le Grecians and Italians, if not to the degen
or Grafton of manners and customs-to the en-
tire neglect of cultivation, and the complete
~ prostitution of every stimulus to action ?
lis Virtue and temperance, honor and glory
&C. are no longer objects of pursuit. For wan
he of judicious employment, the heart pine
he and gnaws upon itself; its very essence
IL: absorbed in general ignorance and slavis
err servitude, without inducement for ente
ok prise or encouragement in virtuous actions
ow Graded in servility, taught to crouch b.
ms meath the frowns of Priests and Monarch
les the wealthy and the great, they have b
re- come degraded in their being, low and gro
The cling in their aspirations, effeminate
rk, their manners, corrupted in their nature
it consequently resorting to the lowest init
til, CUES to accomplish their designs. B
when we examine history and find that Il
or ancestors of these very men who are nc
;r- degraded to the lowest state Of intellect
ect al and moral existence, surpassed all the
or cotemporaries in mental requirements al
the in every qualification and endowment th
,th- give dignity and elevation to the hum
GU character, the truth is too evident to
,ate contested, that the degeneration is Nor
for not natural-produced solely by the C
nee. ruption of manners and customs and
that entire neglect of moral and intellectr
ould cultivation
tion If, then, by imbibing corrupt habits a
rem groveling pursuits in infancy, man acqui
and fondness for the very principles which
5 IN he had been rightly instructed he could h
Sec looked at with no other feelings than tn
y. of horror and disgust, and if education
'usly such powerful influence over the mint
with to convict of every principle it inculcs
lous- and literally transforms it to the very
nfall, ture and inclinations of its preceptor,
shall essential to man, how important to a c
give munity, is a judicious course of instruct
theirs not only in the arts and sciences, bu
grey all the rudiments of moral and enliehte
, the life
skies Citizens of Hyde, let US wake up to
] gol- Importance of moral and intellectual
cheer provement, The God of nature has BILE
.rless, US with many advantages not possesse,