The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1855-07-18
,sNUMBER Sc.
.Gbt'D Dailq.:;Gpulet.

bna .sstadAD DRESS fiiaioeqss
DELIVERED DY JOSEPH TOWNSEND, At THE
lN UN1e w An EXAMINATION o. PLAINS
T aschooAs JULY ssgH, 1st0. 10 si9siid9ts
F. 1ad.. "a and c.alliisw,sTs :MsAllowy sAllyd, me t to
coll your, attention, 10 1 few remarks. ~ on
the subject Of Education. p ''1'o3
- labor under many disadvantsaes. ii ap-
pearlng before you, ln II Tie .frlt place, l
am unaccustomed to public spsakine, the
effects of which, upon . beginner, lespe.
ciaIly # there are any ladies presept,) il,
las the Novelist would say) ar easie y in.
agined, than described" Secondly. | Know
your patience has already. bsen &C. 10
| its utmost Limits. And thiIdly, ~ iuinor.
tance Of the subject 70 Be inv dtisatsd. a 's
II is one which has engaged fhs sttsn.
tion Of the wise and good, IN every ase,o
the world. One which requires much con.
sideration and careful delibera:ion, il order
e undect:ed how = sppieeiAts II il IL
xnd upon which, feel ny rII uts.r ~ tin.hil.
ity to aay anything, worthy of more thai than
1sppesr before you ladies and gentle.
men, as the advocate for conmsow sesse 4
pledge myself to instruct your children in
4, and nothing else, / come not asr the
po)isher, aid fnisher, but a the rough.
hugher, Of primitive intellect. i fancyiI
hear some in this assembly say, that the
advocate Of this very rare article, Is sadly
deficient in that department. 10 such, IF
am right in my sprnpisss, have but 10
cay, that sensibfy feel the Justice Of the
.ceu,stion, and freely ackppw Wedge TIE d.
You ar, are doubtless well aware, u t. that Il is
much easier, to perceive the tIailties Of
Others, than our own, and infinitely more
agreeable to preach preesph than set ex-
Should .s any time commit lou, an uq.1sa .rror,
either Of omission or commission, whilst
engaged in the discharge Of my duties, I
hope You will judge impsrtially, attribu-
ting such errors, not to the heart, but to the
head. .,..f =, ...;l -. - ~, - u
intend to be very brief in my 70, lobssearva.
tions. That education is, the most impor-
tant matter that can engage our thoughts,
there are few, to doubt. 1t il an axiom, q
self-evident truth, which carries conviction
to every rejecting mird. Itis that which
elevates man above the brutes Of the field.
lit opens to him the store. house Of crea-
tion, and renders the works of nature sub.
servient to his wishes.n' T We are told that
'"'tLe Creator formed n,an after his own i'm.
age. He instilled into him, . mind, sus-
ceptible Of indefinite improvement and Of
endless approximation to his own, intel
lect." That He endowed him with facul-
ties, which, if improved, will greatly, con-
duce TO his hapriness, both here, ana here
after; bot If not, may entail upon him,Ia
woe Of never ending duration. Tbs pun
ishmeDt for merciss abused, are Of the most
dreadful character; hence, it becomes us
as rational beings, TO guard well me talents
graciously bestowed by 4 benefcient heav-
en-, for wise and bete violent tipmposesJey9
There is quite 4 diversity Of opinion q
to the time the education Of children should
be commenced. Some have affirmed, and
with considerable degree Of FEASIBILITY,
that i kept closely confined to their stud
les while, young, they invariably acqpire
an antipethy for every thing, which has
any semblance, to book or school house.
admit that such results are not pncom.
mon but attribute them to other csuses,
than those already setforth.a luiine-.d
And ir support Of the assertion, / would
say, thai it not unfrequently arises from .
Judgment, on the part Of thein.
'tructor: who, instead Of securing their
respect for himself, and by swake eniug in
hem spirit Of rivalry, by which means,
earning becomes to them their greatest
pleasure. He renders himself obnoxious.
BY endeavoring to goad them onward to
he performance of their duties, by means
If threats and punishments. Hence, It is
not at oil strange, why they regard learn
ng with such spirit Of 'abhoTrence, and
theiI hours of study, rs kind Of
psnance, rendered supportable only BY
temporary cessation, from the Prison !ike
walls Of the recitation room. Youth has
been very appropriately styled, .the spring
iIne Of life" the season best suited. for
'owing the seads of morality, virtue and
.eligion, (the best safeguards to character).
The selection Of proper books. and teach
.rs, are important duties devolv,ng upon
parents, and guardians, and on which too
nurh care and dissemination cannot be be-
'towed Experience proves, that first ip-
,ressions are generally lasting, and II ever,
hey are eTadicated, It is with the utmost
lificulty. I -.rJ,JJZi 1.r1kKoH
Too true, lin many instapces) is the an-
lent maxim; "Just as the twig is bent,
he tree inelines." And we also find n-
'orded in tne book Of boeks (the antLenti-
'ity Of which, | hope there are pone in this
Intelligent assembly 70 doubt) that train
child up in the wey be should 90, aSd
when he is old, he will not depsst ffomit"
Thus We may safely copcl.ds, IL the
nan is not what be should be, that there
vas a defect ia bis early training If we
How this important period to tess unifn-