The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1854-01-12
Taber's Address

Mr.. laber's Address to vindicate our crit
lque in regard to its style and principles.
Any thing more would be supcrtluous at
present.
Conservatism then, as we understand
it, is the highest type of progress. 1 feel,
gentlemen, III thus urging upon you conscr-
vat'sm, as the bulwark Of republicanism,
speak to those in whom education, habits
of life, and political. position, dictate ready
assent. l shall again rccur to it, in a more
practical manner.
:" 1t is now universally admitted that the
education of the people is essential to the
permanency of Republican institutions.
10 oppose this doctrine is to incur the
charge of hostility to enlightenment and
a leaning to aristocracy. The question,
therefore, of the propriety and policy of
public education, may be considered as pas
sed upon. The State, too, is the party to
which this duty is very properly assigned,
as comprising the people in their organic
body, and as demanding duties and services
OF the citizen of the nature of which, she
should inform him. Republics, more than
all other political systems, requires higher
state Of moral and mental training in the
whole mass of citizens. This, then, being
the admitted object, the question remains
as to the best means to attain ia prob
lem far, very far, from being successfully
solved.
"Above all ancient nations, the system of
education among the Athenians is most
worthy cfnotice. A State, whose territory
was less than many of our districts with a
population of but 10000 voting citizens,
but which has left models ir politics, poe
Try. history, philosophy anu thc arts, which,
after the lapse OF more than two hundred
years, still stands unrivallcd-a state whose
genius still holds supreme empire over the
minds and hearts of men, must have pur-
sued system Of education rs sublime and
wise, ms its achievements arc triumphant aud
enduring. In the language of another,
" n people who could bear to have their
follies dashed by an Aristolhanes, who full
ly appreciated the lofty attic tr:, gedy, who
corrected the languag &c of Demostl,enes,
must have had an intellectual refinement
never siuce equalIcJ" What then was
the training Which bore such fruits?
s..tzay'sfni aud pa67sc, though hot W II, inc 1s
modern sense.
Assuming that Republic depends for
per'naneney upon the morality of tile peo-
pie, and that intellectual cultivation is a
means to that end, there has been cstal..
lishcd i'll some of the States of this Union.
what is termed Common School system
tue range of which is reading and writing.
with a few rudinents.
snow the first and Fundamental error in
this system appears to be in tho implied as
sumption that reading and writing either
iii themselves constitute an education. or
that the majority of those thus taught avail
themselves of it, as starting point for (u-
turc cultivation. I need not enter into nm
elaboratc argument to show that tile bare
knowledge of reading and writing consti-
tutes in no true sense al education. 1t
certainly cannot Of itself make better
man Or a better citizen. (They are simply
means which, to produce the end for which
they were intended, must be properly used.
Like the tools Of the artizan, they may be
used to Lew and destroy, rs W.. ss!! !,
h..:L' onl ',c"..:r: ~
~~.-.. ~....'iy. ..
"Dut again. Docs this system. rs well
nigh barren as it is of intellectual fruit.
cherish morals and instiI virtue lit
does not, tho very objects for which, it is
instituted, the promotion of public virtue,
as essential TO republicanism are defeated.
This is tho test, and the common school
system must stand or fall by it.
But what is the state of morals where
this system prevails Z In Prussia, whose
boast is the enlightenmcntofher people crime
and vice arc greatly on the increase. In
France, where the Persian system has been
adopted, they exhibit no .dminution. In
the United States, there is still q sadder tale.
In New England, where, we are. told, this
system has been emineptly successful, where,
reading and wiring are taught to ali, crime
vice, aud lnhdelity are progressing at
ieartui ratio: It IS attempted to explain,
this by the Influence of emigration; But
ihe statistics show the increase to be indc.
pendeht oft. While tho South, reyiled
because she hcsitates to adopt and establish
this neager, insufficient and upsatisfactory
system of public educationa enjoys, conpar-
atively an gunexpmpled Immunity from all. |
.Classnlates--This is tho spot, this is tho
day, and .aoe arc those travellers. But we
arc not all here. Some have tainted by tue
roadside-7some.. ply their fortunes, uudcr
distant skies, some arc buffetted by, rude
winds and cannot come, and some have
passed away, LOOK among Y5h aud, ssL |
Tor Logan, WHO left US with 20 many 70,
grets aud such high promises !. for Rogers,
% well esteemed ly thoss who. knew linn 4
!er Sparks, the tyae hearted and generous
Fog Bu.ler, who btayels exchanged tho scad-
eniny q Tor the dnnes OF the soldier, and for
'he talented, hish-ssotIed William AnIsr-
are recollcctioas rusliihg IN foods upon you.
and commingled with them are voices wl,is-
pering, they are gone forever. They, too,
ooked forward to this, day, as. we have
lone. They counted upon its sweet re,un-
ion, and hailed its approach with thrilling
bosonas. But erct,ey turned their steps
70 the spot whence they, parted, stern pro-
cess issue9 from the high ebsneery Of heav
~, and they descended % the chamber OIL