Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-05-01

cnllQren hanOueuahS anu luOiatOrS, as the
fathers and mothers of our favored cline, in
: making their children Christians Tine pro-
cess in either case, is easy and natural
r The plastic minds of the young, ere sin has
shed its blight upon the tender bloom of
their spirits, and ere the world has profaned
their hearts by its fatal delusions, make
them peculiarly susceptible of early impress
sions, and the task easy to write the laws of
, the great Creator upon their hearts and con-
sciences and thus the very laws Of our being
point to the period of childhood and youth,
rs the proper hour to cngraft upon their
minds the great principles of the moral and
religious responsibility, which should con-
sttute the rule of their lives and conduct in
maturer years. 1t is lamentable truth,
that as fathers and mothers We. do not give
sufficient heed to the weighty and all impor-
tant obligation which the Divinity has i'm
posed upon us in this matter, as the essen
tial condition upon which our children are
given to us. The destiny of immortal souls
under Heaven is in our hands. The respon-
sibility is indeed fearful one, and how will
we answer for our fidelity to this vital trust,
in the day when the Lord of the vineyard
shall come, and demand of us an account Of
our stewardship? The fathers and mothers
of the State, too often for its good blinded
to these solemn and irrcpeaablc truths, (ior
"the Almighty never repeals anything, "
by their fondncss for their child permit him
to travel on in the road of self-rain, fatally
believing that to make him bigh-toncd he
must roam over the fair face of nature wild
and free, and that to restrain his passions will
clip the wings of his rising genius. o fatal
dclusion ! Is it not indeed strange, that the
warning voice of Divine truth comes not in
startling tones to both parent and child,
"rejoice, Oyoung man, in thy youth, and let
thy heart cheer thee inthc days Of thy youth,
and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in
the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that
for all these things God will bring thee into
judgment"
1t seems to me plain, therefore, that mas
much as many of the early years of our sons
and daughters are spent at school, the fun
damental organism of our schools and col
lcges should be so constituted as to incul-
cate in the minds of our children, as one of
the essential objects of education and the
exalted sourceof their moral faith, a knowl- !
edge of the relations they bear, as a conse-
quence of their being, to the Divine author
of all good and that obedience to his moral
law, and dependence upon his providcntial
guidance and protection, arc their only hopes
of happiness in this world, as well as that
which is to come. The corner stones, then,
of our colleges and schools should be laid
nearer to the Bible, and the hearts and minds
of our children brought in closer communion
with the moral image of its author; for
there is no way provided under Heaven, to
compensate moral and responsible being,
for the absence of good conscience, and
well founded hope in Divine protection.-
That in too many instances, these vital prin-
ciplcs, upon which tie true glory of our
commonwealth depends, havcb disregard
ed, cannot be denied and hence the cause
of the evils we deplore. If the seeds Of
vice be permitted to grow and thrive in the
very hearts of our institutions of learning,
the people of the State must surely eat the
fruit of the tree they plant, though it be
watercd with their tears. :.
1t is too late in the worlds progress to ex-
pect to obtain the enlightened judgment of
mankind in favor of institutions of learning,
which profess to impart to their pupils
knowledge of the whole encyclopedia of sci
ence and learning. Our knowledge upon
this subject is not speculative and conjectu-
raj merely; it is positive. We know they do
not succeed. In institutions of this kind,
the term of pupilage is wholly inadequate
to the accomplishment of the desired end;
and hence, under their administration, the
few who by nature perhaps are studious, sue
ceed in laying the foundation of solid ed
ucation, upon which structure may be rear
cd in after years, while much greater num-
Der fail in their object, despairing it may be
of accomplishing task so difficult and to
ordinary capacities impossible. The knowl-
edge of the human race, does not in this age
revolve altogether in circle. 1t now and
then takes few slow and measured steps
in advance of its old beaten track, and thus
eacht5ear, as it passes away, distills into the
lamps of our minds little of the essential
oil of truth and experience, which makes
them shine with brighter and purer ray up
on our pathway. And even at this moment
for the rising generation, a hopeful omen ap-
pears. Let theorists and transcendental To-
giciaus speculate as they may, this IS q
christian country; and Christianity de-
mands that schools shall be established, which
shall impart to our children better moral
training, and inculcatc a higher reverence
for Divine things; and an enlightened pub
lie Judgment, and the great interests Of civil
society, demand, that schools of practical
science shall be established, that our young
men may be educated with we'll defined
purpose, and in direct reference to the cal
lings they are to pursue, and the arts they
are to practice The dcnominational COL
legcs and schools of the State are proper
response to the first demand, and the Kings
Mountain Military Academy is proper one
to the last, and to both accord the approval
of my judgment. Whatever there be that
is wrong in each, we may be permitted to
hope, time and experience will correct, while