Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-11-17

health Of the body, and the welfare Of the
soul, with the training of the youthful mind,
the two former dwindle into insignifcance,
and the latter alone can claim to be its II
val for the two are very closely connected.
And though we admit that the profession
which teaches men the way of life and sal
vation, stands preeminently above every
other known among men, yet we claim for
the one which instructs the young mind
and heart, high position and liberal COM
pensation. For our legal protection, our
fathers made wise provisions to prevent i'm
position. They considered the protection
of injured innocence Of too much value to
the moral condition Of society the health
Of the body too great a blessing to the
trace :" the w9Ifare of the soul ofinfHitely
too much Importance, both in time and
eternity, to be entrusted to every person.
Hence the right to engage in those was
prohibited to such only, as prepared them
selves for the work, and received COM
mission from tribunal, the duty of which
was to investigate the mental and moral
qualification of those making application
for license to engage in these. But the
development of the mind has been sub
ject of too small import to claim their at
tention. They seemed never to have
thought, that one Of the first things that
should engage the minds of people, and
especially christian people, is the proper
cultivation and development of the intel
lect Of their youth, upon whom the cares
both of church and state must soon rest :;
and the neglect of which has, in all ages,
been productive of an enormous amount of
evil and nun.berless sufferings to the hui
man race.
Hitherto this thing has been too much
neglected. The consequence of which is,
all our good people deplore the state of
morals that exist among US. The corrupt
literature that is flooding the country at the
present day, sapping the very foundation
of future greatness, bunting every sensi-
bility of finer feeling, and running both soul
and body, may be attributed in a great de-
gree to the manner in which its authors
were trained in their youth.
There is an unconscious influence exer-
cised over those who associate with each
other, and that influence preponderates in
favor Of those possessing the strongest men
tai faculties. Hence we see the student SO
rapidly approaching his instructor, both in
manners and disposition. And hitherto,
through the incapability aud neglect Of
many of our teachers in paying the atten-
tion to the moral training of their pupils
that they should have done, they permit
ted them to indulge in habits OF an inlmo-
raj character, and by the time their mental
cultivation was completed, they were SC
depraved in morals, that nothing was toe
obscene for them to write and publish
while, if proper attention has been bestow
ed on their morals, quite the reverse would
have been the consequence.
These writers, many of them, are evi
IDENTIFY men of learning; their literature de
monstrates it. They write in fascinatin.
style; style calculated to excite and in
terest the innocent and unsuspecting, bu
{ one calculated to corrupt, debase and rui
forever. This is an evil that must be rem
edied ; and the soonerit is done the better
3 The prosperity of the country demands it
, the welfare Of the youth of the land dc
mands it; and the honest teacher, who ha
' devoted his time to the cause of bringin
e up the youth in the way they should &c
0 demands it, in order that his occupatio
c may be elevated and regarded as hig
+? and honorable calling; and one for whic
o he should be we'll remunerated.
c This, and more too, may be accomplish
/ ed by making teaching profession. W
0 shall not only forever exclude from the III
|, qualified, the training of the young min
a but we shall greatly enhance the professio
g A new interest will be awakened upon IL
u subject Men and women will feel tn
) they can engage in it without injuring the
$ reputation, or lowering their dignity. l.
the country make the same provision f
IS this, it has for other professions. L
|. schools be established on a plan similar
]. our medical and theological schools al
let those who have devoted their lives
t the work, and have thoroughly prepare
n. themselves by hard study and rigid disci
,e line, and whose skill has been proved
,e practice, have charge of these schools; pt
III mitting none to engage in teaching un
Sc by thorough examination, they are foul
ne well qualified to discharge the responst
er and important duties devolving upon the
n BY this means we shall see radical chan,
he both in the plan and the efforts Of our
IN ucation. Instead of the world lament
en- that some of the worst men and those CO
ur mitting the most damnable deeds, are
Of the class of educated men, it can reio
is that they are the best; can rejoice Il
education makes men better restrains a
breaks down their evil propensities, a
builds great heart and mind within the
that beats and acts for the welfare of |
fering humanity. CROSTOTAS