The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-07-26

''o"e "ho arc Wore thoroughly alIenated
from us, than any foreign nation in tho
world
We have, too, in our own sunny South,
richer scenery, as fine mineral waters
and cheaper and better fare than can be
found anywhere North. Our own "Old
Dominion" with its glorious mountain
scenery. with its various mineral wa
tcrs, with it's beef, its mutton. its veni-
and its golden fruit, and, most of
all, with its generous and princely inhab-
itants, offers inducements to the trav.
eller in the pursuit Of pleasure or health,
nowhere presented, | venture to say, in
any portion Of the northern States, or per-
haps in the Whole world. There is no
comparison between the bracing mountain
air of Virginia with her numerous mineral
springs, and the s,ove-like suffocating air
pent up in tho valley Of Saratoga.
But beg to mention still another mat
ter which wish to treat with great delica-
cy, and, at the same time with that candor
and firmness which the nature of tho case
demands.
think the time has passed when our
se'nnar'es of learning are to he filled with
Northern teachers. know that sort oi
necessity once existed for this evil-for
evil it has always been. Not tha, would
cast The slightest reflection upon the high
minded gentlemen, and ladies too, who
have filled and are still filling, many of
these positions with great credit to them
selves and benefit to thcir pupils. The
misfortune hitherto has been, that those
Of our own section qualified for these posts
of usefulness, have thought fit to turn their
attention to other and more attractive pur-
suits. 1t is not 10 be concealed either,
that our own people have been too much in
the habit of supposing that our best teach
ers come from the North. As an instance
illustrative Of this fact, remember that
somewhere about the yea, 1888, yonpg
gentleman, native Of our own State, and
graduate with high distinction from our
own college applied for the Principalshp OF
! one o our Academies, and he was actual
ly defeated by Northern gentleman with
no other recommendations that could ever
discover, than that he hailed from that
region; ioT as 81 schoidfsi,ip Inc could not
tcach'cven the rudiments OF the Latin and
Greek. languages!
remember still further that one young
friend having ut las, been elected principal
in this same Academy had the modification
OF having placed over him as sort of
superior o. the manner in which he insrruc-
tc.! am,! managed thh school, Northern
! ge";I"nan'wio was the Principal of Fc-
male Academy in The same village and
under tho same board Of trustees. This
northern gentleman made his appearance c
pretty regularly, once week, for time
inisie male academy 10 correct errors in
a,se'plns . vas i! eFs
big fir sckc!a- ,, u: =, = hhtt aIn i..,,sl ins
monent with our youhgfriend. ltwUuld
have caused your heart TO leap for joy
Messrs. Editors, had you witnessed what |
did on certain occasion between this
gentleman and my young friend. On one
of his visi,ations-hc stepped up with a sort
OF pedagogical Importance to the class
which our yonng friend was hearing re cite
from some latin author and imnelfateTy
corrected the translation rendered nv a
member of the class. Oar young friend
promptly insisted and fairly and clearly
proved that his pupil was right, and SO
completely used up lhc superintendent tha,
'he pressing duties OF the Female Academy,
ever after, prevented him from visiting the
Male Academy.
by no means un1crvaluc the attain.
ments of our Norlhcr" nrighbors in Itera.
ture and scic:icc, but holl, tha, we have
at least as good scholars South, as can be
fonn1 any whcr" North. have long since
come to The conclusion too, that there is
wider reach in the Southern mind than in
the Northern. The very inst tuition which
is now rearing up a high head between the
North and South, has contributed, and
other circumstances which might be men,
toned, to produce this Intellectual superb
~ of the latter over the former
| by no means then ALLOW that orr
Northern neighbors are exclusively the
scholars OF our country. have but little
confidence in mon o. their notions in teach
ing, tor they have their notions IN this
matter too, as well as in others. | am vet
to be conv inced that their elementary
works which flow down upon Us like shoals
OF herring, are of any real value to us,
whatever may be the pccuniary prof, to
themselves. To make a book is one or
the easiest things in tho worlds-bmt to
make good onc-hic labor, hoe opus. Tris
trade of book making seems to have been
an evil even in the time of Solomon, for he
says conpia'ningly, "of making many
books there is no end" If any one would
f,,Il l..