The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-08
outset met by natural obstacles.

fruit, cherish morals and instil virtue1
it does not, the very objects fol
which it is instituted, the promotion o.
public virtue, as essential to republic
anism, are defeated. This is the test
and the common school system mus,
stand or fall by it.
Now, let us admit, for the sake o
argument, that this system does edu
cate intellectually, it may well be
doubted whether it even then pro
notes morals. Indeed. although a.
the first glance there would seem tc
be direct connection between intelIec
tnal enlightenment and virtue, thai
the light which kindIes the mind should
also penetrate the heart; yet history is
full of examples Of the highest illumin
alton Of the one, linked with the
deepest depravity of the other The
last generation in France, and the pres.
ent in Germany, are both melancholy
instances in point. "And the mos,
learned eras in modern Italy were
precisely y those Which brought the
vices into the most ghastly refine.
ment." Mere intellectually is de-
fiant Of God and man. 1t knows no
law, no impulses, no checks, save the
dictates Of its daring ambitions. It's
type has been admirably drawn by the
great novelist Of England, in the char.
actcr of Randall LesI'e-the man in
lntcllcct--thc demon in heart.
But what is the state Of morals
where this system prevails? In Prus.
sia, whose boast is the enlightenment
OF her people, crime and vice are great
ly on the increase. IN France, where
the Prussian system has been adopted,
they exhibit no diminuton. In the
United States there is. still a sadder
tale.* In New England, where, we
are told, this system has been eminent.
ly successful, where reading and wri.
ting are taught to all, crime, vice, and
infldolity are progressing in o fearful
ratio. it is attempted to explain this.
by the influence Of emigration. But
the statistics show the increase to be
indepeiidentS nfit..lXhile thu South
TeSiiet, besslsa stie hesii tasss 3 adl ,fst
and establish this meager, insufficien,
and unsatisfactory system of public
education, enjoys comparative and un.
eXampled immunity from all.
But this reading and writing sys.
TEN, is not only not productive of pub.
lie virtue, but tends directly to a men.
tai drmoraIization, no less fatal to Re.
publicanism than licentiousncsss and
vice. Place the young mind under a
tuition like this where no fixed prin.
cIrles in morals or politics are taught,
where knowledge is circumscribcd
within few dogmas, and whore cv-
Ell this narrow training ceases at the
very moment when the mind is awake
with inquiry and, specuIation-lhen
turn 1t ort to pasture in the "unweed.
ed garden" which n liccntious Press
has planted, ard what is tho resultg
Can it surpriseus that such mind.
vain because ot its meager learning, not
yet subdued into that beautiful humii.
ty which, according to Bacon, true
knowledge fnst. rs, should at once
launch into wild speculation? Need we
wonder that the instrument thus Ell.
trusted to unsklful hands, should be
used, not to prunc, but to destroy? Or
that mind SO prepared, should at
once fall q victim to specious Elllacies,
and mad theories; that it should
greedily absorb the light and scduc.
tive, and reject the tn h,ughtful and So
ber? Here is one great clue 10 the
radicaism OF the North. Hero is the
fountain of that torrent ofis.ns, which
is swallowing up literature, morals
and politics, ard has cast upon socie.
ty again, the buried otfal of exploded
falsehood. The youth who leaves the
common school at the North feels the
pains Of authorship within him. Orig.
inality is his sole thought. und the
more extreme and radical he is. the
stronger and better his claim. Eager
publishers calculate the success OF
the new work, by its cnngenality to
popular ideas and passions, and forth
it goes in blue and gilt to minds MS
anchorless and weak MS his own. En-.
ter the cities of the North, embark On
her steamers, ride on her railroads,
60 into the country, and everywhere
yon will find the appetite Of her so.
called Reading Public, dieted on lite.
rary garbage. Cheap infdeli,y. social.
ism, and vice, are served up in ev.
cry form to suit the palates of the mil.
lion.
yield to none in support Of a soell
regulated free press. ! know that
IL is the tongue of liberty, and the
sword TO lyrants; that it has disenlhral.
Jed and developed opinion. But the
conclusion cannot be avoided, tina,
among q people educated up TO the
point of the Northern system, the alb
solutely Free Press will become q
sure demoralizer, by ministering vici
Gus food to vain and unstable minds