Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-09-07
Education of Youth,

MIR. EDifoR-ohohld tho iolioWihS ie- factions be deemed worthy place in your paper you can publish them, hoping 1t may be the means of calling forth Il more able pen than mine on this important sub ject.
 In the early years of life nature is busily at work to build up in strength and sound ness the various organs of the human body, leaving intellect to the last, as the capital to lifes column.
 We should content ourselves with allow ing the senses and perceptive powers of children to acquire information, and their intellect will thus educate itself. By so doing we do not interfere with the pro- cesses concerned in the growth of the body; but if we go beyond this, and exact from the immature brain what ought only to be expected from the mature one, we shall cer- tainly be originators and witnesses of break down, which will be doubly melan choly if there have been any previous pro- misses of intellectual brilliancy.
 For too rapid development of the brain entails premature dissolution; and prema- ture mental attainments are frequently as destrcutive of life as too rapid growth of the body. Numerous instances could be brought in proof, but I shall only refer to one by way of illustration. Phillip Ba- rettier was born January, 1724. French was his mother tongue with some words of | High Dutch; but in consequence of his father talking Latin to him, it became as familiar to him as his mother tongue so that without knowing the rules of gram mar, he at four years of age, talked French to his mother, Latin to his father and High Dutch to the maid or neighboring children, and without mixing or coniounding the re- spective languages. In his fifth year he acquired Greek ill like manner. Before he was six years of age he entered on Hebrew; at nine he composed a dictionary of Hebrew words, with pathological observations With these he ntermixed the study of fChal- dac Syriac and Arabic; and having in his possession pair of globes at the time, in eight or ten days he was able to solve all the problems on them. He afterwards stu died medals, inscriptions, antiquities, meta physics and experimental philosophy This blazing meteor of genius died in October, l740, aged only l9 years, $ months and 10 days. The vulga saying, he is too smart to live, is founded on facts the result of observation"
 In other cases, these early specimens of superior intellect are sometimes followed by state of imbecilty. Antiochus tells us that Hermogenes, who was a celebrated rhetorician ait II years of age; was igno- rant in the extreme at the age of 24
 Over study produces its victims continu- ally, and we read of Cicero being dyspeptic, of Plinys life being miserable by heart- burn, of Boyle dying a martyrto excessive application, and of Sir Isaac Newton ial- ling into deep melancholy for long } time, which deprived him of the power oi thinking Great students generally have extreme susceptibility of nerves and much imitability of temper, and their digestive powers are not only much impaired, bu often nearly altogether overturned. Such men are unintentional suicides, anc little good can be expected from remon strances; but in the case of children W, have their management in our own hands and much beneficial training of their mind can be effected by directing their opening powers of observation, by teaching then to discriminate accurately, and by pleasant ly and in the way of amusement, leadins them on from the knowledge of effects tc that of causes Children will then rapidI, acquire information, who, if they had beer pinned down to learn, and parrot like, tt repeat abstract propositions of grammar etc, would appear the veriest dunces tha ever disappointed parents hopes
  t The above allusions are intended only foI young children for time will arrive wher mild mental training must cease, and tn, business of education entered on in a seriou. and rational manner, alone worthy of it. vast importance
 The system of teaching at schools, Ina. too frequently been such, that but scant re- gulations are provided for the well being ot the body; the examining with learning and accomplishments being the chief, if not the f only, object aimed at. It is thus that teach. ears too frequently fail of success; theil true policy is in a well regulated alienation of work and play. Who that has evel been student, has not known after some hours of severe study, both the great relic derived from walk, with a mind in repose and the freshened energy with which study can again be applied, enabling him to con. qucr the difficulties of the very same sub- Ject, which before had appeared nearly in. surmountable.
 COSMOPOLTTE.
 G1s- We direct our readers to the North Carolina Military Institute in anothar col