Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-21


Virginia Military Institute But in the Western
Military In st:tuie nodded to scmc extent after
these several notifications were introduced, as
necessary or beneficial to meet the wants OF pa
rents. who considered the military knowledge in
itself mere secondary consideration, useful IN case
their conptry called for their sons services as CHI
zens soldiers but valuable chiefly as developing the
physical energies and atfordng powerful aid
in moral control There, and in several ether SINH
lar institutions. the mathematical course IS very
full and good engineers have been turned ont, WHO
are now directing and aiding in OR National anu
State Works Of Internal improvement. But u
this are also added facilities for acqffing The
Natural Sciences Ancient and Modern Languages,
BeTes-Lettres, and in fact all knowledge necessary
or useful for the gentlemen and the scholar.
We do not claim that all the advantages, physl
cal moral and mental have been secured, 10 the
fullest extent. by the military system, as hitherto
conducted but we do claim that it more nearly et-
fects the object than any other we have seen; and
we most sincerely believe that with the necessary
liberal encouragement, and sufficient means to
carry out the most udicious arrangements the mill
tary system, combined with the Parental system.
can be made 10 secure all the above advantages
By the Parental system we mean that constant, al
fectionate trustful intercourse which should exist
between parent and child or, in the absence of the
natural guardian between the Professor, who IS
the temporary guardian and the students.
Professors must acquire, and practice the peculiar
art Of securing the confidence Of young persons en-
trusted to their charge they must convince the stu
dent that whatever they do, is done for his benefit
that their interests are Identical viz mutual hap
piness and usefulness. The young men must be
made to feel that all this is DONE not in order to act
the spy on their conduct but for the purpose Of
anxiously guarding them against the various evils
to which they are exposed, and to give them the
habits and manners Of well educated gentlemen.-
The constant aim of Professors should be to induce
students as they would their own sons to love VIZ
tue and to hate vile This can be done in the early
formation Of an institution with the well disposed,
influential students, who give tone to public opin
ion. Make it once popular among the best cadets,
to exclude drinking gambling, swearing, the use oil
tobacco and the like and the new corners Will soon
fall into the same habits To effect all this requires,
already remarked that Professors should exercise
unceuSin9ly, parental supervision. No doubt this
is great tax on them, and demands, of course, q
larger corps of Professors than the common sys-
TEN, and, consequently somewhat higher charge
than in schools or colleges where no such object is
kept in view but until this unceasing supervision is
secured, education will be defective
Noparent assuredly, however who has not the
time personally to direct his sons studies and 9TH
erwise form his character none who reflects on the
vital Importance of health and morals will we think
If he can command the means, hesitate to lay aside
the necessary amount to his the great
est of blessings: good physical m1ral and nellec-
thai education. Would not thousand or fifteen
hundred dollars thus expended, be the best capital
that parent could give to his son, and be infinitely
more useful than the same amount donated to him
in any other way.
Finally too, we feel confident that if each and
every State in the Union would foster and endow,
as far as buildings apparatus and arms are con-
cerned, at least one such Military Institution she
could not more elfectually, in any other way pro
vide for national defense, for the prevention Of
crime, or for the diffusion Of knowledge and hap
pness. K. y.