Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-08-19

hamlet. every fire-sde OF the State. The pos
OF sehool-master has become, in no small meas.
urc. through the insli umentality of the Nina.
ny Institute. the post of honor in Virginia. The
graduate OF the Institute does not descend -
He Il the peer Of his fellow graduates, the
statesman, the lawyer, the physician and the
lordly landed proprietor who lives in the state
OF old feudslism He olevates the school To
his own platform. He does more. much more;
he gives sound thorough instruction. and max es
each pupil master Of bis own most effective
t1acb'ne-thc mind. These facts. how ever and
the reflection they induce, arc patent; but that
" hIch is less 50, and The point on which The
usefulness of the Institute mainly rests, 10 its
system Of discipline, the merits of which arc
less easily appreciated perhaps by the public
than any other part offs machinery, although
the results Of the entire machine are as much
dependent upon It, as some material mechan
ism is upon the balance x heel, for The uni
formiiy apd excellence fits products.
The sole object of the system Of discipline
peculiar to the Military Institute, and in part
adopted from the experience of like system
at our national Military Academy, tho excel
ence oil which has been approved by years. IL
10 tain men To selfgovernn ent, by submitting
TO he authorities over them. md requiring
like submission from those OYER " HON they
placed. according to the prescribed rules that
Admit OF no arbitrary action I Viewed from
proper point OF view. there is nothing In this
that tends 10 letter the free spirit, in anything
IN which liberty can be lawfully exercised
uoihing that tends 10 tyrannica exaction for
The authority that imposes is itself hedged with
IN bounds by an authority as rigid. that con-
trolls il in turn. That which the superior ex
acts he also submits TO- Were it Otherwise,
the system would not stand a nome Is scrut
nv, nor Could II siand moment as fact
Properly carried out. and that il Is so at the
two schools in question here Is no pretence
Tor doubling. IL induces habits Of order and
punctualty in all things 1t gives n youth that
only true independence, self dependence, the
only capital that no misfortune can impair;
which the possessor can always fall back up
on as The certain basis of honor. fame or wealth.
Objections are brought against this system,
II Is true Ii is urged that the future useful
ness OF youth, even his prospects in life, are
made 10 depend upon an observance OF minu.
la which are almos, too insignificant to require
notice. IL might be asked who Compose the
class of directors but this might seem qnes-
TO al cdpfandum and II may be more
satisfactory TO examine it seriatm What is
daily life in all its phases, and upon what do
It's comforts and success depend, but on an at
tennon to petty duties; no one of which is.
however. 30 insignificant, but, If omitted, acts
like the omission Of some almost invisible link
IN nicely adjusted machine, TO disturb the
even working of the whole What ono for
gets. or neglects TO do,annoys or irrita,cs anoh-
er,-Harsh words are uttered, or black looks
shown, and perhaps the seeds of evil engen-
dered that shall bring forth All hundred fold
One slight fault or failing, is no great matter
apparently. But unfortunately faults. like
Wees, are seldom solitary. They are fourd in
groups. A shoe string united will just as sure
y denote the generally careless person, as it is
sign OF the nero sloven in dress. What then
Is to be done I Pass these failures over as of
no account in the formation of character Send
out the careful observer Of all prescribed rules.
with the same claim to the confidence of his
'eliow'ctlzens as the man who. by contemn
ing such observances, has given no guarantee
OF reliability Would this be JUST And. it
not just what are you to do2 One of two things
IS certain, where requirements are thin the
limits Of reason. founded on experience of
What can be safely imposed upon youth-,he
individual submitted to them either cannot or
VIZ NV i"hi'i tHeu, NOW Iake either morn OF
the dilemma, what is to be done The cues.
ton does not admit of argument The rule of
ST. James, that he who ofFends in one even the
smallest, offends in all, is as true in the minor
Fmoras as in the greater. The faint is there !;
the gram of leaven that will leavcn the whole
lump II not most assiduously watched and coun
terac'ed. Ask any thoughtful parent what he
most desires in child, what he most values !;
he will say habtual obedience This he knows
Includes everything in the way Of safe guard !:
everything that will merit success in life Ask
any man of business what class of agents he
prefers. and he will unhesitatingly say the or.
derry and punctual; for his experience has
taught him that these virtues. with but rare ex
cepiiops. include the rest. Happy would it
re for the State, could the same discipline be
carried out in the domestic circle tina, the Mil
tary Institute has attempted. How many sons
of high promise has Virginia not had to dc
plore. whose untimely loss-lhe sun of their
manhood yelled forever. before reaching its
meridian, in baleIu mist was owing to the
want of this early discipline
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