Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-05-10
For the Advertiser.

A Committees wsa appointed by the EiEcAel'l
R,ptid, issaciaion. nj its last aessor. ~ ascc;-
tain tho number ol needy children III each neigh
burhocd, who arc Of school age, especially 's,--.
whose fathers have dicl, or are fighting in to
army. This Culawttce has been summoned tc-
gether twice, hut circumstances. counected With
the condition Of tho country. have prevented full
meetings.
We have received reports. from twenty of the
forty -acven Churches OF the Association. One
tBethichsm) reports that there are no such. chill
dren in that neishborhood. The others report
nambers varying from to ca. The total report
ell is Sa7, belonging to 100 fnnii;es. We have
no report from sf Churches; nhiic i; is known
thai in several of these there are many destitute
children. 1t is desirable to obtain rs fur sros-
sibla, exact information to be communicated To
the Association. Even If NO oi,lmedl2to practical
/ nil is rendered, snch Information is needed az
the basis Of new effort which, under the bless
ing of God. may be successful. Probably, il a'l
the Churches had reported fully. not less than
roo or $40 children would baYe been found. The
magnitude and importance of the work is, there
fore, sufficiently obvious.
Since the efforts Of the Committee began, pub
lie attention has been engrossed, sud ali our ener
giss psralysed by the well known events which
markcleho uintar and spring. The campaign
in Grorgia, and the invasion o! cur State sum-
monsl every available man to the field, and gave
no room for prosecuting the cntcrpEise Of bcaevo-
lenee which VIC had at heart.
And NOW, th, state of copfu.ion and cxpectsn-
ey into which every thing is thrown ronders it
impossible to attempt any of the. general plans in
contemplation. All we can do sassms to he en-
brace,i in these three things:
/, To ascertain the fact. 10 regard to the dosti-
tutioo.
.. Co urge upon all in every ncighborbood ia
prn.a.ls al lAr M tkey can By individual e3sr-
lions tho instruction OF those who may be near
them.
3. To devise come way, by which, Immediately
upon the rc:.oration Of quiet 10 the country, the
sduralloa os in1isent children msy be elcctaally
secured.
I. We aFtetionstrl5 req4sst osc who fave
failed 10 report. to favor us carly rs practical
bic with the Information desired, viz: the names,
and the ages Of all destitute children of school
age in their respective neighhnhOOa; especially
tho children or orphans Of Soldiers. We should
be glad to know which of them are going to
school.
II. To iucite to this good work Of instructlug
the needy and ignorant, We need no lensthsnol
argument. Every pntriot heart, oVery phiian-
thropic, and especially every chri,tian spiTtmust
feel rs obligation. The difficulty is not to
since, but to aunkca attention, and rouse to ac-
tion. And since the circumstances of eur sad
times forbid any general and combined effort at
present will pot all who read this appeal copsid-
er, is it not possible for me to 0nd some one neg
lcc.cd child, and By persuading it to attend
school, by paying or contributing to its tuitisn,
by securing help from others, to bestow upon at
least that one the beneat of abeginniug u in edu-
cation. Will not you try it, goader?
III. Plans for the future, requiring extensive
cs-opsrstioD, mntt be left till larger consultation
oan be had, till the skies are clearer and our stu-
alton better understood. This leaves the field
entirely ta individual bencrolence und private
exertion. Let eauh endonvor 1, deserve the bes
sing which oolnes on him xhO "hatn .douo what
he could"
On behalf Of the cp,nmt,d.
b. MANLY. Jr.,
o. L. II. GwALTNEf.
Edselisll, April 20, 1865