Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1855-02-15
For lie Es'ss r
EPUBLIsHED By REQUEST.
a USEFUL EDUCATION.


tile Mexico and from whose centre I'd cir
cunrference' Is heard sweet music, the flad-
deuing tones Of Freedom, proelhirainu Sn 4
stenterian manner the rights Of mAn to
! cheer the Patriots heart and reflect IFor.
/ tunes most benifcent beams ID enliveh his
lsoble acts, aud foster his laudahle PURPOSES
/ Thus favored ID land where the wisely di-
rected hand Of Providence has condensed
most of its bounty. We would undoubtedly
| be nnfaithfgi TO ourselves, aud derelict to
the mandates of@the incompatible institu-
tions Of our exemplary GaYernmant, if We
/ nealeaaea Tie iEapaFsant aaa insperatifB du-
/ u 0t ceifiratfng dur ininds. n bile tie IN
hebitains II other ohrnes inherit frona their
Parents humiliating obsisapce to ona man
power, we are the happy heirs tathe proud
legacy ofequal rights and make our lAws to
govern Uiion whose sqlidity is basedupon
the Popular Will Andhs the PopulaF VIII
is divided into parties, il becomes iadfBpen-
sably necessary thatswe should be asIintel.
ligeat as we are independent, for by dur ID.
tsl!igeace We are prepared teevade thp Chi
emery Of political selfshness, and are CO.
] pacitated t. detect aud remove those pha.
gedeuic sores which sometimes diseake. the
bright and fair form Of our Goyerament,
and thereby obyiate the Contamination
which would. IN al probability, arisd from
the contagious slough And again,1As all
our citizens possess equal POLITICAL fights,
and as every important question relative to
4 the material pslicy Of our State is decided
by the voice Of Sutfragas it is doubly jheum.
bent upon every pafent.W who wishes ID main
tain our principles in purity and health to
look with sedulous eye to the cultivation
oftheir ,hildrens minds, and be excdadingt
~ anxious to give them useful EDUCATION
It may now be reasonably asked, What is
4 useful education ?a It IS emphatiSally a
knowledge Of everyday life; or, iIafother
words, II IS that portion Of book4leArning,
added % common sense, which eharadterizes
us as rational beings. add enables as to sep
arate the real fsos1 the ideal, the pnfe from
the impure, and thesu3eful from thalfidieu
.ious Having thus promised it will 3be my
object to point out at least soma os those
imaginary and ungrpuheea obieetioHE sup
ported as arguments Id favor of the fmped-
iments which, apparently obstFucs the way
to the edifce Of useful knowledge
i To attain proficiency il any braneh eli
learning requires much labor andfassiduity,
and however pleasing may. Be d peculiar
4 Study to a youth, he is constantly onIthe a
/ lert, and grasps with aYIdity any system BY
Il which the acquisition of intelligence may be
rendered less irksome Tie TRUTHS, no
! system is worthy Of our esteem unless it has
far its basis industry and application.
& care net what may be the situation of d young
H'Ita.sor bow promising Ar--as,uF7if The has
peive npepelh tim 81, BE wifi Eneqef
make very remarkable man, or gain an en-
viable position 10 the path Of Lore. Those
Who are laudably struggling against the
/ gloomy froYn of fortune are apt tol think
that, in order to appear well in society, they
must as necessary preparation be i4carce-
rated for given number of years id some
1 distinguished College to gain what ID called
/ IN common parlauce d /" fashionable educa.
ton. which Is indeed equivalent felao ed
1 ucatiQn at all aud in niue cases out of ten
ayes tie young Collegiate about where he
I started, without having learned thoseBthings
which would have served him in the ordiha:
-ry Duties Of life, and the requirements Of an
intercourse with cold and capficious
world ln many instances, too, the very
step which parents kindly take to better
the condition Of their sons 10 the pursuit Of
of knowledge is often the very one which
Il illustrates their future worth and usefulness.
IL = ~ = lam tataoe fact that many young
men fall net only into indolence whils at =
boarding scheol, but into dissipation. which
is very frequently ftoEwards confirmed by
luxury, and follows tbem as q curse through
their nugatory lives Do not SUSPECT |
v4nld contemu those admirable institutions
of learning with which we are happilyIbless-
ed Nut apprehend me as endeayorihg to
enholden those of you who are praisegor-
thlly, struggling beneath tue CALLING yoke Of
Penury, 70 Persevere assidueusly III tAe cul-
tivation of your minds: and be cheerbd on
IN your Arrangement towards distinction by
the happy reflection that BENJAMIN frank.
lin. the worlds greatest Philosopher was
not graduate of a College, but issued from
workshop and came dirty from hissbench
% teach Colleg.ans and instruct mankind
Although i believe a eollege#is theEmost
suitable place to give well attuued mind a
proper inclination, am not Que of thuse vi
slonary beings who believe in the altsufi- |
cheney OF mere. book LEARNING, and imagine
taat the mind Of any Irehin may be sSaped
BY it into model genius.
! have heard likewise, the sciolist Wildl7 |
Faunt and proclaim HAT no man was wor.
Ihy 7of literary esteem who was not fully ac
-quainted with the Latin and Greek Ian.
guages This assertion is evidently HI en-
position to experience and an insult t9com-
mon sense, for we kno* TIE soFriest block /
bead may be taughtins short time 10 sneak. +
with e4se, Latin Or Greek quofatioaA ana
appear IN the eyes Of the iiliterate unite
learned As an example, j once knew a
conceit who glibly quoted his Latin al eap-
ta4dam Uakgus, bat could not to sab the
credit Of his iorc prodAce page of respect-
able English It is tr4e e a mind enaSged
10 research, knowledge of the afore named /
languages is great auxiliary and asH sciea-
tl6e men love their discoveries and DISPLAY
them N z gaudy garbs such kaOwledge be-
comes IndiApensably .aquisite ID order THAT
taelr nomenclature maj be fully understood,
nd our Investigation of Science reudkred
@ase profitable Apdrt from literary or
sslsssi6c pursuits, classical education Il an
aas.ss@Isshment, and NAV be ii soIna in
s :s 4, assirable; but We know ali tbe clas-
s'cal isssasuse worthy Of preservatiapI has
been long sines sa,,ysrs esss s,.9n W.
Is now placed xisas,s IL -. ~ - g s1'i anu
who Understands hss 49, s..1 = sssfsI o1s
the most superfsiAl res. =; = { ~ raau
there is more written Il Tn.l;.i a q ssas
man coula acquire ii IL iivaS IA 80, $500 gns
necessarily for i've hundred v.srs eEAieu
The ostensible object Of Knawleaoe Il
make Us happy and useful and iii .hAsis =.
F4nflf - 49, III .ff =