The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-10-15

majority of men are not capable, unless
cherished beneath the most wholesome in
fluenccs of extraordinary merit. That sys-
tenn only is good, which raises ordinary
men above themselves.
1t should, however, be mentioned, that
Sir William Hamilton advocates the plan of
graduated Protessorships. If this system.
liable as it seems to some weighty oljcc-
tons, be preferred, then let i: be adopted.
but do not throw student back npon the
practical world rs soon rs he has begun his
progrcss-as soon as he has overcome the
difficulties of n start--thus checking his
momentum, and forcing him to desist from
the race, just exactly at that time of life
from twenty to twenty-fve) VIXEN he
should press most earnestly forward. Give
him employment in the College, if it seems
too liberal to support him gratuitousIy, but
do not remove the most distinguished o.
your graduates, should rather say, do not
drive them from College influence, and do
not take their clcva,ing and conservative
influence from the College. Gvic them a
chance, and a fair chance, of becoming dis
tinguished scholars. Give them chance,
and fair chance, Of rising, by literary
merit alone, to the Profcssorships of their
Alma Mater. Give them n chance, and Il
fair chance, of writing themselves INTO an
impcrishablc fame.
In attributing the raucity of professional
writers-meanimg literary and not political
writcrs-n the South, to our system Of
education, it is not meant TO be asserted that
no other caiises arc ut work, but that this
is one Of the chief, and most powerful
cause Of their fcwncss. There are other
causes, no doubt, and shall trespasss upon
your indulgence, Messrs. Editors, in sug-
costing one or two which occur to me, in
another article. But the most powerful in
strumcnt of lcssening the influence of all
other causes, would be change in our
educational system. On the other hand.
when those causes shall, of themselves,
cause to operate, and professional writer's
are demanded by the Southern country, not
theoretically. but in reality, demanded, as
an indispensable necessity, then the coming
state Of things will bring with it a change
of our educational system. The sooner the
change is made, the sooner we will have
professional writer's. But when we have
nrofoca;oua1 ,yr;tore ,,J -. 5000. c.
day we must have them-then change
in our system must follow. In educational
matters it is the supply which creates the
want, which that supply alono can satisfy.
When we shall have professioa! writers, the
want of system 10 educate and sustain such
writer's, will be felt, recognised and supplied.
And when our College turns out professional
writer's, they will create want of those
services which they alone can supply. Lit
erary writers, and system to educate lit
crary writer's, have ever existed, and must
ever exist together.
A CONSERVATIVE INNOVATOR.
Cultivation of Cotton in 1frica.-Thc
British Government has recently published
some interesting dispatches from its consul,
Mr.. Campbell, at Lagos, in regard to the
cultivation Of cotton in Africa. lie states
that the whole of the Yoruba and countries,
south Of the Niger, as we'll as several dis
tricts north of that river, have been for
many years cotton growing countries; and,
in spite of the distractions of war and the |
slave trade, their inhabitants have always
raised more than was required for the sup
ply of their own wants. During the last
year alone over half a million pounds were
exported to the Brazils, and half as much |
moro was sold to the adjacent countries
and, taking into account the quantity con-
sumcd at home, it is estimated that over
seyen mi! i!lions Of pounds must be annually
raised in those regions. Mr.. Campbell is
quite certain that the introduction of Eng
lish cotton goods into that region would
have the effect Of greatly stimulating and
increasing the production Of the raw mate
rial. In subsequent communication Mr..
Campbell urges the Importance and feast.
bility of increasing the supply Of cotton
from Africa. The only thing necessary to
accomplish this is to purchase from them
the surplus cotton they do not require for
tleir own use, and also to supply them ma
chimes for cleaning it rapidly.
-~.-.-
None IN it" Madame" said very
polite traveller to testy ole landIady, "if
] see proper to help you to this milk, is
there any impropriety in ,ta"
IL don't know what you mean but eff
you mean TO insinuate that thar is any
thing nasty in that milk, I'll give you to
understand that yu'v struck the wrong