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

brutes!-a misrepresentation, 10 say the least
Is not the body the tenement and also the in
strument, of the mind? ls il not true that
mental manifestations are a. the BODY or in
strument 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. 1t follows, then, that, 30 far from making
men brutes, true physical education is abso.
lutely essential to o true moral and intellectual
development. They mutually act upon each
other, and their education should be carried
along tremendously at one 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, fret
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
cipline the mental powers. From its etymolo-
", the term Education means the leading out
OF development and consolidation of the vital
powers The intellect is educated when it be-
comes instinct with great thoughts, and nstu-
rally clothes those thoughts in the most perfect
forms of speech. 1t is educated in particular
sciences, when it is disciplined to ripe famili-
arity with the nature and practical spplica-
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 ia 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. lt comes as near as can be, without
nsiDg exactly the word which conveys the sig
MITIGATION 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 propensities,
development implies such an harmonious
growth of them oil 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 a 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 I'M
balanced mind This can be done with every
case of NAL development by birth, so that ali
crimes and immorality-to say nothing of the
fOllies and stupidities of fashion.l ife-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