Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-07-18
LOCAL NEWS.


fnrmances of the st. Dennis Troupe were wit.
messed mes, last night again by large audience.
The bill consisted Of pantomime, dancing, sing
ing and feais upon the rope. This troupe are
the rivals OF the Ravel Troupe of Paris, and are
by many considered to be superior to the latter.
Anotner performance to- night.
CANTERBURY HALL.-The rich comic drama,
s'Ihe Fortunes Of War; the laughab,s bur-
Ietta, "Ihe French Dancing Master ie fiRe
Ethiopian delineations by Mack, Gallagher,
Collins, Edwards, Clarke and others, and illus
trations of the wonderful effects of laughing
gas, are among the features upon the excellent
bill TO be played at Canterbury Tonight
THE DISTRIBUTION OF PREMIUMS TO THE
PUPILS OF THE FIRST DISTRICT SCHOOLS was
not attended by so large an audience OF visitors
or pupils as had been the distribution to the
other schools, owing to the threatening aspect
OF the weather. President Lincoln was not
present, although his presence was fnlly ex-
Pected, he having been invited. Rev. DIR. Sam
son, who was announced 10 deliver an oration.
was absent Chief Justice Cartier, who was
also invited TO deliver an address, was present
and was introduced in fitting manner by
. Mayor Wallach
He said the pupils had been promised, he
perceived, in the proict of their enter ainment,
with an Grafton, but for some good reason,
doubtless, their orator was not there The
official guardians of their education in ta;s
city had very kindly requested him to leave
the bench and come down and talk to the
children of the District. He only cons ante to
make few remarks-not in the way of enter.
iainment, not in the way of scholastic finish,
but in the light of dropping into the lap of
youth the c perience of old age, with a view to
henefting them. This all he could do He
had no poetry TO recte, no finished sentences to
pronounce, no studied phraseolOgy with which
10 greet their ears If he had been qualified in
early lite with the fitness to do it, the grave
empioyments with which he was now beset
would prevent 1t. He must address them
therefore in a few careless remarks, which he
trusted would he for their benefit, for he was
going to make them remember some things that
tie sadly would for awhile take the place OF the
pleasure OF music, or the establishments of
perfect rhetoric. That their instructors and
literary guardians will provide for
They were in the early stage of life They
were in the yestibule of the theatre of this
worlds trials; and he thought he understood
from the remote recolleetions OF youth, when
he was very much as they are, how difficult it
was To devote the mind to he purs nit of science
He recollected how engaging were the di-
versions of youth, and how they quarrelled
with the graver labors of the times, and how
much he had regretted in after life that the
pleasures of youth had interfered with duty.
IL was not all of education to go to school, to
learn gammar, botany, music. geology, &c.
The theater IN which they were placed was
merely the beginning of learning. They were
row in position to acquire the guides to
learning simply.
Before a man or woman's education was
completed in this world they had to prepare
themselves for eternity; and he was now stand
ang on the borders of that PERIOD ha wing passed
the theatre that preceded 1t, and he had a right
TO speak from experience In their school
houses, so magnificently provided for them in
this lovely city-the capital city of the Union
they had all the facilities for the beginning of
an education, but nothing more. They had
devoted corps of instructors a wise and kind
civil guardianship, who were patronizing and
regulating their schools, and still when they
had passed through them they had only begun
the education of life. The man never lived
who was perfectly educated. They should
bear that in mind, and have the lessons of in
struction follow with every footstep of life
from childhood to the grave
The wisest lesson was that Taught in its last
stages. Now, to give them practical express
sion OF this sentiment, suppose one of you TO be
good mathematical scholar, good botanst,
good pianist; such an one had just learned one
thing. Had just learned how to keep his or her
account, [laughter,l and that was valuable
requirement. He would say to his young
friends always to keep their balance sheet right,
and always to keep their expenses within 1t.
fLaughter.l Now remember that, never forget
It, One half Of the mischief and misery of
youth, especially with his young friends in
pantaloons, Laughter grew out OF their great
want OF capacity to balance their books. He
would say to them always to keep the balance
in their favor-neyer to expend unless they
had it to expend. But then when they had
a very good thing. When they had learned
music they had only learned one thing, and
very charming thing-that which was a very
charming relief to life. But 1t did not fill up
the statuary Of womanhood or manhood. The
whole theater of existence was a scholastic
period, and what he wanted to impress upon
not for his, for he was suffering for the want of
il, and spoke from experence-was while they
had this theater of education before them, while
they Were growing into manhood and woman
hood to remember that they were acquiring
the means OF education the talisman of
thought.
Take, for instance, botany Now, he had
travelled over this continent from one end of it
TO the other, and he could speak understand
ingly upon the subject. As one would pass out
of this latitude into the equator, he would
come upon strange expression of vegetation.
He would wonder what the gorgeous flower
was that he saw and that pleased his eye He
would wonder what q tangled vine that
hung raggedly around the trunk of an immense
tree of the forest. He wonders TO what species
of tree s beautiful leaf belonged. He would
tell his young friends they had the power to
obtain it now in their schools, so that if any of
them should travel to the latitude Of the conti-
nent they would be able to avoid the misfor-
tune under which he 1.-THE speaker) labored
when he was trying to solve the mysteries of
the differentreglons through which he travelled.
they would be able to tell what family 1t be-
1onged to- school house was where they
were to get the finger boards OF learning.
Now to the point Of economy in this particu-
lar. 1t was easier for a man woman,
child, TO gather an immense amount of knowl-
edge by simply systematzing the mode Of ac-
knowledge without. Now when these teach
ers, when those who patronize thess schools
expended money and provided all these ways
and means for their elevation, they must not
understand that 1t was wrongly expended
when they gave them one item, they were
giving them the gnide to many. But it was
not all Of education to learn the books. They
had to be educated for men and women, to fill
life's passage, That education consisted in
good habits of body, habits Of industry and
good discipline of life. 1t consisted in loving
names, kind and affectionate parents brothers
and sisters. 1t consisted in loving their city,
and above all it consisted in loving their conn
try. Loud applause.l No people upon earth
without country and a deep devotion to it
can hold power, or Were worthy olit. ZAP
plause.I
Now, If they looked at the nomadic tribes OF
Africa, or the people who liked down there in
South America, or the children of Israel, who
had been wandering up and down this earth
through the whole chapter OF nomade life, they
would find that these people were OF no mortal
value to anybody. [Laughter.l Whyl Because
they had no country Laughter and applause,]
They belong to no spot on earth. A man should
educate himself to love the mountains and
rivers Of his country, the broad fields and mar
row valleys as belonging TO himself and to
earth. He should educate himself to love the
IF n