American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-11-29
VOLUME 2.
COMMUNICATIONS.
For the American CI'IzsH'
AN ADDRESS,
Delivered to the Butlci County Teachers
Institute, Noo. Sth, 1868, 8.
BY Rev. j. j. Rockwell.


Say, I was requested by your worthy Su-
perintcndent to deliver an address on this
occasion. In compliance with that re-
quest l am now before you.
Man can bo viewed in 10 light more IN
4eresting than as progressire being. His
iourney from the cradle to the grave
is hurried passage through diversified
scenes of childhood, youth, manhood and
old ace. Childhood is much the same to
all the happiest portion of our being
made up of innocent joys, intermihgled
with smiles and tears, and invested with
golden charmes unknown to man In after
wears. Men begin the race OF life much
alike. Button 10 the distance we behold
them travelling in paths widely divergent
and occupying positions in the strongest
possible contrast OF half dozen youths
reared at the same 6reside, enjoying the
PRAYERS and instructions of the same moth
er. and the counsels and restraints of the
same father; one is in position of hon
or and usefulness, wreathing for his
= own brow crown of just and enduring
fame. and another is in the lowest state OF
DEGRADATION. an outcast from society, and
lost to joys of home, honor, friends, aud
his own highest interest. And what IS
the cause of this difference? 1t as and
must be found in the fact that ''n'dn as the
architect of his owa fort,ne;;' or in other
words, that man IS The subject Of education
Education signifies, to Iedd out, a leading
forth, and ne cessarily implies that there
are within man certain faculties suscep-
tible of development, and powers capable
of progression Man cannot be destitute
Of education. TO lige, is to educate our
selves. To so act as naturally to develop
character of some kind is as natural as the
sunshine and life giving showers offspring,
i to unfold the bud and develop the glow
ing beauties OF the full blown rose! lfman
fail to fill that high and holy purpose of his
creation it is not so much for the want OF
education, as for the want of the right
Kind of education. One man educates
his intellect, and learns to number the
stars, to explain the harmony of the re-
volving planets, and to trace the course OF
the blazing comet in its eccentric pathway
through the universe. Another indivld-
ual educates his moral powers and be-
comes II, ward in benevoence and phil
anthropy, Henry in devotion, Paul IN
zeal and sacrifice for the cause of truth
and righteousness.
A third individual educates his pas
-sions and becomes giant in crime, per-
forming deeds of horror that shock hu-
manity. and render him terror and
scourge to society. But these are edu-
Gated. Al are educated And each one
standing high in the line of his education
That education, then, which man needs, is
that which will fit him for his duties here,
and his high destiny hereafter; developing
those qualities which ennoble and dignity
his being And what is that within us which
is susceptible of, and requires educationg
The immortal mind What limit can
bound its desires for knowledge? What
mind can know its capacities; forever ris.
ang in the scale of moral and int llectual
refinement, pouring food of light around
its own pathway, passing from the known
10 the unknown, from the visible to the
invisible, from the finite to the infinite,
upward and onward in its wondrous fight
TO the throne of God.
With such view of mans nature how
imperfect and absurd that view of educa-
fion which inquiries, "what is to be gain
ed by it ?" Or in Other words, how much
moncy may be made by an education P
We should educate, because knowledge
is the natural good of mans mental ma
ture. intellectually, bis powers are en-
feehled, starved, and destroyed without
knowledge. The man who estimates ed
ucation only in the light of pecaniary loss
and gam, educates but one power OF his
nature, and that the basest. Scl6shness
asthe controlling PASSION, converts the
ynan into wretched miser, and shuts out
from bis soul the sunlight of virtue and
knowladge; and leaves him in eternal for
gctfuldess. 1.-The victim of bis sordid sci
dsbnsss In the estimation of the good anG
wise; aCreation's blot, creations blank"
We sometimes take an incorrect view
of education, by sHpposing that it is lin
ited to the short period spent in the school
room. Education is a life work. TIL,
nursery, the Common school, the Acad-
my, the College are but ditisrsnt stages
the one great progressive york, Many
>, but none should lay aside their stud.
1. fsts- A