The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-21

brutes!-a misrepresentation, TO say the least.
Is not the body the tenement and also the in
strument, of the mind? ls it not true that
mental manifestations are as the body or in
strumcnt is? Is it not, therefore Of the first
Importance that the body should be truly edu-
Gated A full and harmonious mind cannot
possibly be found in connection with british
body. It follows, then, that 30 far from making
men brutes a true physical education is abso.
lutely essential to true moral and intellectual
development They mutually act upon each
other and their education should be carried
along tremendously at ops and the same time.
What is Education President Mahan also
asked the question, and, with some hesitation,
gave the same answer:
"The true idea of Education, and the prin-
ciples by which that idea may be realized, frat
claim our attention The object of Education
it is often and perhaps rightly said, is not
solely or mainly to store the memory with
facts, or the mind with knowledge, but to dis
cpline the mental powers From its etymolo-
", the term Education means the leading out
or development and consolidation Of the vital
powers. The intellect is educated when 1t be-
comes instinct with great thoughts, and natu-
rally clothes those thoughts in the most perfect
forms of speech. Ii is educated in particular
sciences, when it is disciplined to ripe iamili-
arity with the nature and practical applics-
tons of the principles of such sciences, and can
handle as playthings the great problems which
they involve The whole mind is educated,
when all the mental powers are 80 harmoni-
ously developed, that they act with the greatest
force and perfection in whatever direction they
are called to move. The entire man is educa-
ted, when the entire powers, mental and physi-
cal, are thus developed, beautifed, and CONSOLE
dated"
This is an enlargement of the idea Of disci-
pine; but still it does not quito answer the
question. 1t comes as near as can be, without
using exactly the word which conveys the sig
nfcatiOn TO which no other word is equivalent.
The whole idea of Education is embraced in
one word-deUeIopment This is used in it's
broadcast sense, implying the Development OF
true manhood, and comprising all the means
by which the highest condition OF humanity
can be realized. AS the mind is composed OF
many faculties, sentiments and propenslties,
development implies such an harmonious
growth Of them all as is most consistent with
the greatest good of mankind, individually and
collectively If one faculty is, by birth, too
strong for the realities of life, it is the business
of Education to develop the other powers, that
the defect may be corrected If propensity
be too powerful for the individuals moral we'll
being it is the business of Education to draw
the weaker faculties into such activity as will
divert the vitality of the system from this
overruling propensity, and thus correct an un-
balanced mind. This can be done with every
case of mal.development by birth, so that all
crimes and immorality-to say nothing of the
follies and stupidties of fashion.lfe-may be
banished from society. On this idea of Edu
cation our whole system, from the common
school to the college, should be based.
TO BE CONCLUDED IN OUR NEXT.