Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-04-12
Physical Education.

1
of the divine Art6cer, is by no means to be over
looked. 1t is worthy, equally with the mind, al
that peculiar culture of which it is susceptible. Il
would be much better for us as people, physically
and mentally. did We so far initiate those ancien,
pagans whom we affect to despise, as to copy the
many exercises by which their physical natures were
so admirably developed
There are reforners among us in such breathless
haste to carry the to its absolute perfection by
their own favorite theories that they spurn all the
past and proclaim its history the record Of success.
sive failures. To them it seems that ancient Greece
and Rome, with all their asserted greatness, have
little, comparatively little which we may profit by.
Those scenes of interest, the Olympic games, which
never failed to draw out all the latent talent in the
nation, and in which they alone could hope to excel
who were men indeed, are reckoned the sportive
pastmes of children. But with all the progress Of
this egotistica age, we cannot see that are per-
feet yet, even though all our boys are men, and
though the gray hairs and the manly beard are no
more the indexes Of maturity 1t is only by insist
ing that each stage Of our being shall be completed,
absolutely, before the next is entered on that we
can have men, either physically or mentally, what
they should be. The error in our day, and especi-
ally in our country, lies in forgetting this Here
pertness is taken for precocty, and every STRIPPING
whose rudeness and presumption exctes our disgust
is baptised genius by parental partially.
Youth Nth ~ st,oc nth
and want Of patience, to essay the task Of age.
Powers are overtaxed, and where the germs to
true genius are, which promise much in time, we
meet with either premature decline or enfeebled
own peculiar regimen that it secure its strength
and attain its perfection. And to this end child
hood and youth must have their times of exercise
and their appropriate sports The proposal to re-
new here in our country, and in this nineteenth
century, the Isthaman games, would doubtless seem
to many great stride toward ancient barbarism
What! mark out the stadium now and weave the
laurel wreath, and propose rewards to the success
full competitors in the manly exercise. What!
make fame dependent on and couple distinction
with any mere physical superiority? Yes, even so,
in the case of youth Not that this should be made
the main business of life, or set forth as it was of
old, thing most honorable thus to excel; but We
would engage becoming rivalry among our youth
in those ennobing and congenial sports which
would develop their physical energies and build up
for them constitution. Then we should do for
them work that would spread out its happy eff.
fects over all their subsequent life. And we do joy
to find something Of the kind is doing now for our
young ladies in the different semenaries by the
practice Of callisthenics. We would build gym
nasium side by side with every college and every
school, and give to the body what God intended it
should have-exercise in proportion with the mental
toll endured. Our law-givers from year to year in
their abundant wisdom, enlarge, abridge, and
amend what they call "school laws" They role
up section upon section Of unmeanng and high
sounding words" without principle of mental or
physical reform in view, and by hasty and lily ma
tured action, throw the education Of the masses"
still deeper into the future. Our school laws to be
effective, to be blessing and not curse, must be
made to meet the wants Of the people. Let US
have legislative action on this question which will
ook to the greatest good to the greatest number"
A law which, while it improves the mind, will
the body, and this State, great by its
possibilities will produce US an element to rule the
world.