Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-05-06
aaxr N ABE M EN- .

1t is quite idle to speak of men who distin-
guished themselves as wanting in education.-
They are generally well and even highly edu-
Gated men But the education has been pc
clliar; and the result Of habitual practice, a
fortunate experience and generally in conso-
nance with the direction which their innate
endowment will take.s,4Of course we are to
Understand, IN lssaisae, that all such are gifted
me men. But Il farther, we beg to say to cur own
and readers generally, that all men who greatly
ljstinguish themselves, are, under God self
made men. No man ever yet rose to- real
greatness Of achievement through the helping
hands Of others ao Schools and collegesare SIM
pty tie means By. which we acquire the free
use Of certain tools Of thought; and with these
we eare 10 work antthe development of our pc
edlfaf giItsoF eado*ments Here we go thro'
an apprehticeAl1ip which diseiplines the under.
standing; makes thought easy provokes and
gtinuIates exercise IN thought. and makes ex-
bressidns comparatively faeile. The great ppr7
pose of education is, really and briefly stated,
toenable an aninial. assuming him to bea th;uk-
fng animal, to exercise his faculty Of thought
With confidence, ease, add energy "a And this
ednnation-4tte elementsuzis,se conceived and
contrived, with general objectL as to adapt
itself to the necessities Of every form of mind
however diverse or serious. Now, any practice,
associatiori 81. mode Of life which shall involve
experience aniongmen, and the habitual exer7
else of the individual; Ia any human occupation,
Nillcenstitute. suf6cient school for the devel-
epmeut Of any faculties inaanys well endowed
mind They do not make the ,faeulties--they
cannot confer the gift that is innate, and comes
from. God :77bnt they will suffice to goad it In.
tosexercise and activity, and with perseverance,
will make it fruitful There Is nothing taught
ID school or college which shall make a great
man-make poet, orator, statesman, artist or
engineer II the native endowment be be not there,
Theym give the impulse and provide certain
helps and faculties, which shall shorten the
term 81 probation, but they can do no more
And the education Of the individual, after he
has left school and college has only properly
begun. The rest he must do for himself Ask
any femakable man, seVen after he has had the
best education the country affords, in what de-
gree his schooling has Contributed to the special
development which he has subsequently made,
ane for which the world win call him, great, |
and he will tell you little or nothing" The
work most be his own. 1t sometimes hap
pens, indeed, that schools and colleges will
hurt the, successes Of some peculiarly endowed
indiSidual; by coercing his regards to duties
and objects which are inconsistent with the
natural direction of his mind and, in escaping
this danger lies the advantage, in some cases,
of individuals who owe nothing to schools
But if what we vulgarly know as education,
rarely helps the endowment, it as rarely hurts
Our scholastic training, such as it is, is very
absurdly made a bug-bear. It is seldom suf-
ficientiy exacting, in this country, to scare an
Elton boy in the lowest form. All great men |
arc always self made men.