Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-07-26
= snennrd,, Address before Oakley school.

W" ToPsAIL SOUND July Sd, 1861
DEAF s Of the 28h of June, requesting in behalf of the
GUS copy of my address delivered at the late Annual
Truslon of o. oakley Sci oo for publication has been re-
feel deply grateful to the Trustees for the merit
ceyb thew have been pleased to accord to my humble
when bch can but think is undeserved; yet with all
EFFORT submit to your discretion and better Judgment
oc that the mperfecti9ns Of outh and nexperience
bop lacked over, and that the public will sympathize
may Db than crtcise my first attempt.
WIN leased to to the Board of Trustees, and accept
yoase the sincere thanks of your humble servant
r., porGlLD MCMILLAN, Esq
rs AND GENTLTMEN Agreeable to the kind invita-
f the Trustees Of Oakley, come here to redeem my
ton to address you with whatever ability possess. My
Pmept the of learning, and my zeal for the
ats of Oakley forbid that should decline.
impose to please the fancy by dwelling in the
and ina ginary to win the attention and satisfy the
Unit M any attempt at eoquence but simply and plainly
ear ow ont few hints on the influence and necessity of
pion to warn you school bows and girls against the
bacles and evils that beset your way and to give
MAUI friendly advice in the way of procuring for your
education, drawn from experience that unerriDg
seyI Eat o teachers do profess to have made the
nse of advantages which have had but can better
wherein have erred, and warn you against falling into
Ta same errors.
tI most of young people schools considered merely
of cruel confinement and punishment; you say to
vps when you approach difficult lesson, enter up
new study, that you don't any of acquiring this
% viii never be of any to me, can live quiet and easy
on knowing this, and why trouble and vex myself with
" Rewarp Ay young friends of the temper. These ale
M suggestions Of slOh, the most arful, persuasive and
jrn1s of ,eceivers. Close your against her i'm
a, nerve your to resist her subtilties for, be
- If Won become dupe to her sOphistres, suffer her
5rnsr influence to get the advantage of you the day
Nh come when you will greve your weakness when
van viii regret ur lost opportunities and wasted time
zach one you has been told thousand times by
~ teachers and parents that schooling intended solely
m your benefit and that education the richest lega
r that bequeath to his heirs Do you believe that
y would tell you lie Do you believe that your parents
would to the trouble and expense of sending you to
school, and then tell lie to induce you accept of their
richest Offering? No you do not believe this, it is mposs
Ne that you should. ASK yourselves candor for whom
education is intended the planest of all the
9oli for yourself, for who it, who take
iyantage of it but yourselves; it is absolutely yours,
rr own disposal to you choose. You cannot real
;any pecunary benefit while obtaining education,
can by serving apprentice at any trae such as carpen
;r smith the like but you realize inward salts
@ hear witness. Every scholar in the sound of my voice
s felt thrilling pride and sufficient satisfaction alter
having solved problem which required long hours of in
tense thought and close applications every bosom has beat
with lust and honest citation after having recited with
difficult lesson. Besides this, when you shall have
finished yOur education and enter into the great battle OF
me world the vantage ground which you will be able to
ne " richly reward you for your time and expense it
matters what you turn your attention in after years.
mental discipline will show itself in giant form and glowing
Ors Many young people deceive themselves as to the
] If early study, they allow themselves fall into the
] error that education and early intellectual culture
s st in the accumulation of great many facts, however
e nJeerminate and unsysi ematC, and set themselves
t General reading to arrive at the accumulation of
% before the mind is prepared to go through the rea-
1g by which and conclusions forced upon the
understandings many times they read an argument until they
come the conclusion, quickly embrace the conclusion
without fully understanding the arguments this is the way
hV " :
demaggues and puoc IhhkerS' ms Is NOT III he easC
the object Of early study but the other hand its object
ton the mind, to give the reasoning faculties exercise,
Teughen the memory and to nvgorate and narge the
mental capaC you may study for weeks over the prob
lens Of difficult mathematics you may labor long over the
construction OF phrase or TO lmblbe the elements OF IAN
ge without arriving at single practical fact, or seeing
cysIIy the object st which you aim; but when you
have gone through, step by STEP the mental process,
your faculties brighter, and you are prepared to go
through exercise with less labor and exertion,
until you calculated TO review with and pleasure
difficult mathematics, and to unr4vel the most com
pcated metaphysics. When this point is arrived at, you
are prepared to enter into any study and pursue with
cess au familiarity The object, then, of mental training
early study to prepare You to enter into tue more ac-
five usu OF lie not to learn YOU facts, but prepare
you yourselves without tie aid OF an in
and to arrive conclusions safely by the exercise
oIesD Many grey headed and dgnfed old farmers have
SAID, that il ssary for farmer to be an educated
man that he can pillow his corn hoe his cotton or guber
peas without the aid Of Pierce, Omsted Caesar or Virgil so
do it well as did his Oretathers, but have &c
sort patience with this species OF Old tOgylsm you may
take the tact and customs of your ancestors for standard
without the alnest hope of improving your your
neighbours condition; without throwing iuto the scales
single thought to turn the tide, and give momentum to civil
5on. lie object Of life is to advance the wachword o
enterprise is to ADVANCE the Jealous hopes OF the phlian
uOpsC to advance the command OF God is to advance
and improve the moral nature and intellectual conauoh
Mental training awakes the sleeping energies OF thu
mind quckens and puts the the alert to catc
and embrace every opportunity to improve; 1t sets mai
way Of thuking-Of concentrating and directing TIT
whole power of his mind particular object and quail
lies hu to dsec every part of his subject and examine
with accuraC let that subject be what it may 1t enable
place his labOTs arrive at the greatest posi-
pshment with the least possible labor; III short
mai The every day occurrences OF common lie, as well
me extraordinary emergencies OF states and nations ed
LaiOn viii guide and advise you Tor the DeSt IL Is III
greatest Tuest friend that you can possess-aWay
ready perty and adversely to check your overWeanln
pde, buoy up Your depressed spirits 1t is mCrOscOp
mental eye, by enargng the apparent field CT Wis
on enables you TO the minu@ OF your SUBJECT an
examine with The most accurate precision Thousands
little but Important things may be detected and eXpalneC
Which the unaided mind would never discern The more In
mud uantd and exercised in the various studies
Ia 9
lug Will he the microscope, and the more easily and acct
e viii you be enabled to unravel the mysteries OF sOpI
Ey and the cirCumVentOn and imposition, leaN
5 bare and unmlstteG the plain and naked truth 20
are Rot able to complete your educational course by gon
OcoLege don't pair but recoliect that the mind go'
nirom hint hint and that you can, after little star
with perseverance and exerton gain for yourselves wh
you desirea complete education. Them push on as far
possible while the opportunity attends you Every hour
intense study enarges and muples the senses OF the mn
and makes broader and palmer the range OF vision Don
" yourselves to flag or be deceived when the poet Tel
YOU that -
A little learning is dangerous thing,
Drink deep, taste not of the Pierian spring
Without venurng to deny the fitness of these lines fl
1e occasion which they uttered, still do deny
"be general rule they only an exception to the ge
era ue. These lines calculated to deceive the ours
y reader because all know that there are some perso
who made fools by little learning. But this class a
.Nceptons and generally incapable OF ever earnI
enough discern their deficiency. would advise al
oeee,h ALL rhen if their opportunities not great
set-uo Of vines. but of learning Yes drink as much
You possibly can there is danger of getting ntoxcae
"o us UJwlI the constitution, PROVIDED the proper
au"n be taken along with It, 1t is an excellent naol
none will talk ill of you for drinking down, on all occasion
al The Learning and information i'll your power as they
a1ou' drinking excessively of Intoxicating beverage
~ praise will be due you and you will receive 1t from eve
Alter You have obtained education, be it little or niue
nave said at your own disposal, absolutely yours,
w. WIN as yCu se2 tit, no conveyance under heaven q
Pyon OF It, and you must use 1t, If use 1t at all LOT GO
Tor evil; of it will implicate you IN the sight
ou, SO will equally mis-user Of it bring down upon
f3 "ia'h and dispeasuIe Of the Most high II The re
a
W. d1e sense of moral Obligation it strikes me that
olu nave laid down correct and unwavering rule ed
J ou indeed dangerous when used totorward some me
[gu or to advance some ignoble undertaking, when
t,aled mind bleokened and polluted by wee ana
rpeFance as to blind the moral eye against all the
6 OF selisacrifcng phian1hropiss, to render the
Ey0Da Aetdess the loud and eloquent appeals OF