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

A COMMITTEES was appointed by the RdEoAcll
lptia, is,aciation at its list ses'iQu. ~ asecF-
tain tho number oil needy children in caci: neigh
burh0cd, who arc Of school age, especially 'a---
whose fathers hnyo died, or are fighting in tiia
army. This Committee has bsep summoned tc
xether twice. hut circumstances. counected With
the condition Of tho country. have prcventcd full
meetings.
We have received reports. from twenty of thc
forty seven Churches of The association. One
(Bethlehem) reports that there arc no such chill
dron in that negAborhood. The others report
numbers varying from. to Co. The total report
ed is SsT, belonging to 156 fnmii;es. We have
no report from zy Churches; nhiic it is known
thai in several of these there many ,les;iutc
children. 1t i. desirable to obtain rs fur as pos
sibla, exact information to be communicated tn
the Association. Even If no immediate practical
/ nil is rendered, snch Information is needed az
the basis Of new effort which, under the bl css
ing of God. may be successful. Probably, il a;l
the Churches had reported. fully. not less than
roo or Sl0 children would haYe been found. The
magnitude and Importance of the work is, there
fare, sufficiently obvious.
Since the efforts Of the Committee began, pub
lie attention has beep engrOssed aud ali our ener
gisa paralysed by the well known events which
marked eho wiutar and spring. The campaign
In Georgia, and tho invasion Of our State gum
nonsl every available man to the field, and gave
no room for prosecuting the enterprise Of bcueTo-
lenee which VIC had at heart.
And now, tn, state Of confn.on aud cXpectan-
cy into which every thing is thrown ronders it
impossible to attempt any Of the general plans in
contemplation. All we can do ecsms TO be em-
bracsd In these three. things:
l. To ascertain the facts 10 regard to the dosti-
tutioo.
9 Go urge upon all in crcry ncighborbood ia
pruasls ~ FAY az they can By individual e3sr-
lions the instruction OF those rhe may be near
them.
3. To devise gone way, Ly which, immediately
upon the rcs.oration of quic. to the country, tho
siuca,loa os inli:ent children msy to efTccthally
secured.
I. We aFtetionatclJ req4sst oso who fGse
failed 10 report. to favor US as early rs practiea-
bic with the Information desired, viz: the names,
and the ages Of all destitute, children of school
.4gn in their respective neighh ,rhood; especially
tho children>o or orphans Of Soldiers. We should
be glad to know which of them are goi1g to
school.
II. To incite to this good work Of instructlug
the needy and ignorant, we need no lengthsned
argument, Every patriot heart, oVery phiian-
thropic, and especially every Ohri,tiau spirtmu
feel is obligation. The. difficulty is not to
rince, but to aoatea attention, and rouse to ac-,
ton. And since the circumstances of our sad
times forbid any general and combined effort at
present, will not llwho read this appeal copsid-
eri is it not possible for to Nnd some one neg
lccted ohitd, aud By persuading it to attend
school, by paying or contributin. to its tuitien,
by securing help from others, to bestow upon q.
least that one the bensit Of y beginning in edu-
cation. Will not you try it, soader?
III. Plans for the future, requiring extensive
co opsrstiou, mnt be left till larger consultation
oan be had, till the skies ure clearer aud su-
ation better understood. This lsaves, the field
entirely 10 individual beneyolence und private
exertiol,. Let eaoh endoavor To deserve the btes
sing which comes CD him xho "hatn .ioue what
he could"
On behalf o: the Cplnm;ted. !
b. MANLY. Jr.,
O. GwALTNEf.
Edy.G.li. April 90, 1865.