Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-10-19
For the Advertiser.
Education..No. 1.


WHAT'S Education? To this important question.
many answers hare been given. We hear mucl:
of Z" Education Jeg,n,," through ciM her Educo-
tiOn," y "polished Education " "sptendid Edu-
cation" a complete Educntion," and the like.
To men of different classes and opinions, these ex
preston, convey ideas 20 various, and oftentimes
contradictory, thnt one could scarce repress
tmile, werc it not subject far too melancholy to
admit of mirh. Melancholy? Yes, It's melnn.
choly sight to observe how lamentnby ignorant
many are as to what Education Is and ought to be.
But amid the various conflicting opinions upon
this subject. wo think it may be easy ascertaned,
mt least, in what Education really consists,-whnt
the word ought to mean, and does mean. We
shall, perhaps, find the easiest solution of the
question, by starting with the definition Of the
word Education, from Educerr, 10 drure ont, is
assuredly. "a dr0ning out of what is already i"
the being subjected to it, not the impressng fresh
chasactcr" It follows, therefore, that Education
consists in developing and pcrfecting the natural
faculties. Intellectual Education, then, of which
alone VIC shall speak, consists in developing har-
moniously all the mental faculties; and no man i.
fully educated until ull these faculties cultiva
tcl-eo the highest extent to which they are capable
in this life. Few. then, are educated; even so.
Thc,oay legitimate enquiry. therefore, would seem
to be, "what is the process by which these facul-
ties may be best drawn ont? Since however, this
world i. place of discipline, not only fora future
existence but also for the present lifc and knowl
edge is n necessary condition of our present exs
;cncc and happiness it follows that the acquisition
! of knowledge is another part of Edusation. And
ii Ill be fonni, upon the closest analysis, that
these two things, the development Of the mind
and the acquisition Of knowledge, embrace the
whole of Intellectual Education, in its widcs
sense Nor let the latter be confuundcd with tn
former. ,s is too often done by many. They ara
| widely different. TO build house is Que ihin.
and to furnish quite another. So, to develop th'
mind is one thing, ard to store it with nformati"
is quite another; though, It's true, both may b,
carried ON ut tue same time. But the common
theory, or prnrice at least. seems to go upon th'
principle, that TO Elucnte the mind is to stuff
with facts and lonl it with learning. duplication
is the work. and acquisition il the result. Any
one. however. who has thought upon this suljert.
knows that mere acquisition does not strengthen
the mind az n whole, but only certain faculties:
and that The process by which we eun another per-
sons knowledge is very different from that cxer-
else of mind by which he originated or discor
cred it. ''The aim Of Education" says Beattic.
should be to teach rather how to think, than
,rhat TO think,-rather to improve our minds. 5"
as 10 enable W. to think for ourselves than to loar
the memory with the thoughts of other men,.
There IT, indeed, IL vast difference between study
ing and learniny between thought and memory.
and u'so between porrr nn'l k"onledy'. The want
Of IL clear distinction here. often makes us the
Gults We are: runs To waste the labors of Il lie.
md snps The very foundation Of our mental growth.
Euclid studied. his pupil only learns: Euclid
thought. his pupil only understands anrl remcm
bers. Euclid found in his own reason certain first
principles, which he called Common notions"
known to us as a1inns and bending his mind to
these, 10 that sro,irous creation. the offspring Of
genius, his Geometry. Any Painter Of moderate
talents could r"py Raphnel's celebrated painting,
" The School Of Athens !" but nnnc suyca Raphael
could. by wondrous crrativc projection Of his
own thought. have placed that picture upon cnn
vnss. There is u splendid. cory ofit in the hall
at the UnivS2sty of Virginia, but lis only copy:
aud. in looking upon it. you feel that the soul Of
Raphael is not there but with the original pain
ting. in tile Vatican at Rome. AS an artist can
never become n master painter merely by copying
ind initiating others. so the mind will never be-
come well developed by merely acquiring other
mems ideua. no mattcr how valuable and varied
they may be.
We Gun now readily zee thut there is IL great
difference also between porer and knorledgc.
knowledge is not power, Notwithstanding Lord
Bacon, Englands greatest philosopher, said go.
Grrat men are often misunderstood. in consc-
uuence Of n desire their part, to utter great
truths in few words: aud thus We have often to
search out their hidden meaning. We do not be.
lcye Bacon. when lie said knowledge is power
meant to say that knowledge and power are the
same. We say, in like nahncr. 4 sword Is dam
geruus. meaning, of course. when welded by an
arm of power We read, in The Talisman. Of
the powerful battle axe of Richard "Cwur dc
Leon, bu, il Was powcrless except when wetted
by King Richards bruwny arm: and also, OF the
keen Llalc of Saladiu, but it needed the Bcdouins
surwy franc 10 pierce it through the Crusaders
body. cncnsud in his arnur Of steel. knowledge,
then, is not essentially power. a man may have
great knowledge and but feeble mental power, or
great mental power and but little knowledge, We
might cite many an ancient Greek who could
bantly like footballs. thoughts that could not be
erammcd into hundred common hrnds without
bursting them, and who. yet, did not know us
nluch OF correct Astronomy us the schoolmiss "f
sixteen at the present dny. What did Plato know
Of Precise Science" compared with the young
Bachelor of Arts" Of the present day! Yet the
unc often has scarcely an original Thought, except
thai he is great man whio tn" other, fug sixty
generations. has hccu the wonder and admiration
of mnukind The one will soon he forgotten even
in the circle of his personal acquaintance the 9th
erafer tho lapso Of twenty centuriIs, still holds
his place ms The greatest reflective thinker of all
,;,n, A., ,b,urh such le the difference vet in