The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-07-20

Thursday Morning. July 20, 1866.
Education of the Young.

This Is an ancient topic. but the neces-
sity%for its iteration is, or should he,
Y apparent to all eyes who behold the pre-.
sent copdition Of our youth. The subject
tof education is one alike of individual and
national concern. The State should urge
!. and advance it to the utmost extent Of it's
spowsr, if it would have worthy citizens;
the parent should be as urgent and eager
in its sexercise, if he desires to have duti-
fuls1oving, obedient and noble children.
Tha. the fruits of proper systom of
instruction will be tho development of
race of good citizens aud worthy success
ors is commonly admitted. The only
difficulty seems to be in making them so.
What is the naodas opera~aie An insuper.
able difficulty. it would indeed appear,
FROM the number Of vagabond boys whom
we may see in every community going to
ruin. dishonoriug themselves, disgracing
their families and defiling and abusing the
country they enjoy. A proper system for
the government of youth is particularly
wanting in our Southern country, where
the common period of CESSATION. in the
growth of childhood to maturity, seems to
be usually skipped over as utterly unne-
c.ssary in the making of freemen. Liberty
wild, outrageous and Iicentious liberty
lis the idol of common worship. and the
wholesome restraints which are essential
to bringing up children propcrly-in
metho dizing their minds and forming and
invgorating their bodies-are, of course.
wholly Incompatible with the rights which
of consequence belong to all those who
wolship at her altars. Such has been the
prevailing error. This fatal deusion.
however, We are pleased to hope, will soon
pass away. Parents should now begin to
find that fearful account will be required
Of them, touching the understandings and
morals Of their children. They should
discover, aud not too late, we trust, for
reformation. that they. and not entirely
their offspring, are obnoxious to the laws
of God. for the errors Of the latter. Their
SINS Of omission and commission are
equally upon the heads Of those to whom
their bringing up n entrusted. A
fsa'tul reckoning t any-many whose
children have, in the ;klessucss of their
hearts. overthrown the domestic gods,
defed their Creator and mathematical the
mistak en- and cruel dotage of those parents
to whose indulgence they owe their
degradation in their own eyes, and in the
eyes Of their fsl low creatures.
These consequences and this picture
are far from ideal. They are of every
day contemplation. Dirty, filthy and
ragged boys arc met with every day in
the streets. begging, pilfering and other
wise debasing themselves. The progress
is rapid from the vagabond life of Incidence
and idleness to the gaming table. the
GROCERY and the gallows. Family misery
and destitution--a shamelessness of habit
and scorn among men-at length combine
to brand the unfortunate and uneducated,
and wantonly INDUCED boy. with the
name Of the outcast aud the drunkard, the
swindler and the gamester. His whole
connections take his features, and become
a distinct caste. shut out from the friend
ships Of humanity, denied it's social advan-
tages, marked with an indellible seal-
creatures whom men would willingly -x.
terminate, but for that lurking sentiment
of humanity which still fondly believes
that the Divine Turks yet in the degraded
image Of the Deity.
To avoid these evils-to train your
children up to usefulness and honor, so
that in you: old age you may look to them