Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1867-12-19

recognize in the education of the peo.
pie, the dlrectest solution of the prob
lem of humanity? and that the
mightiest minds and noblest hearts
Iare, to-day, in the pains of labor, to
bring forth into the light, and give
substantial life, and yigor, and growth,
and permanence, to such ideas of edu-
cation as will soonest realize their con-
ception of its nature and Importance? +?
Education, then, may be held as
good matter, still, for discussion, and
even your speaker may be pardoned
for introducing a single phase Of it, in
the light Of his own thought and OBJ
servation, II mean. the Common
School, its nature, function, claims and
potential value. ~ W ,iio '
AS first step, we must arrive at o
prociser notion than is commonly held,
as to what education is. You have all
heard the etymology of the term;
there is no better definition of the
thing. To educate means, literally to
draw out, and is directly opposed to
the common notion of putting in. 1t
is to awaken and strengthen by rous
ing to activity, and promoting growth,
not distend and weaken by an over
feeding that clogs and burdens
In the corn grain is a mysterious
life germ, Of its nature we know lit
tie. Drop it in the soil where are
moisture and warmth, and it will
swell, burst, send down a rootlet for
meat and drink, shoot up a leafet Tor
air and light. Stir the earth about il
and it will throw out root after root
for a firmer hold. Let the winds
shake it and it will add fibre to fibre
to resist them. Let the sun dart hi
beams and the even drop her dews up
on it and it will unfold blade afte.
blade to gather them to it's bosom, anc
finally put out its nodding ensign, bid
ding man to joy in its beanty anc
come and take of its plenty.
Divine wisdom drops a nut in tn
forest. 1t, too, under the stimulus O
heat and moisture, and in answer t,
the wondrous life-power in it, send
down its root with mouths for food
sends up its branch with lungs for all
adds limb to limb and leaf to leaf t,
catch the sunlight and rain drop, add
growth to growth and root to root t.
stay the tempest, until the little thin,
you might fill up with your finger
swells to the mighty monarch of tn
forest, lifts its head beneath the weigh
! Of centuries, and challenges the kin.
of storms to battle.
Now it is not putting in the grail
, seed or acorn that makes the harves
: or the oak. But the conditions O
{, their growth are met; the proper stim
5 ulus is brought to bear, rousing int
, action the latent life-forces and evolv
! ing the good and beautiful from one
, and majesty and power from the Other
J 1t is the heat, and moisture, and all
and light, and hoe, and plough, an
, wind, and storm, that wakes the lii
: principle and keeps it active, Will
$ this puts forth its own organs Of noul
i ishment and these find their own SUI
g. plies in the abundance God has store
t around them.
? There is in the child a triple germ
!, element. Each is of distinct natur
: yet they are some how combined an
) interwoven in mysterious union. Fac
has it's distinct life-forces and separat
sets of conditions and stimulants nee(
! full to their energizing, normal actiol
! and highest effort, But what is mo-
! worthy of note, and apropos to til
! matter INLAND, theseseveral life force
their energizing conditions and law
of action are adapted to harmonic
: with each other, and work together i
: the eyolyement Of compound phys
/, cal, intellectual and moral being, tn
: perfect, divinity-imaged, God-yisage
man. boo so4,., 1.r,,l;i ~. ...,.,r,. /.
, Now you ask me, what is education2
answer: Like applying warmth and mois
ure, and then air and light and rain an
! wind, and storm, to the germ.bearing stet