The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-19
ADDRESS
or DIR. A. +. Barnes, of Clarksburg,
Before the Teachers Institute, at
Lost Creek, Harrison County, on
the 24th of August, 1S6S.
published by Request.)

friends of the Harrison county Teach.
ers' Institute, am constrained to offer
my aid, whether much or little, to the
furtherance of popular education, and
the sustaining Of this Institute, which
has for it's noble end and object the cul.
tivation of a high standard of popular
knowledge and morality-hence offer
to your kind consideration few brief
remarks on education. In my present
discourse, however, l shall contine my
remarks, first, to teachers; second, chill
dren and scholars, and third. to parents,
guardians and patrons of public schools.
Teachers-permit me to say, you have
great and very responsible duty be-
fore you; training the young mind In
the way it should 60 and for future use
fulness, is by no means a small or ir-
responsible task-the very existence of
our Government and country-for veal
or for woe-together with the great car
dinal principles of christianity, and the
christian church are to great extent
in your hands in the training ofchildren
and youths committed and entrusted to
your care-in literary and scientific pur-
suits and the attainment OF general
knowledge and culture, you are their
custodians-in morality they look to
you as their pattern of excellency and
worth-their future welfare, both tenn
poral and eternal, depend greatly upon
the training they receive at your hands
and the precepts and examples taught
them by you; that great responsibility
rests alone upon their parents, and
guardians, and yourselves, and you can
not, if you would, escape your share of
the responsibility. And whilst your la.
bors are so incessant and wearying, and
whilst you have so many discourage
ments to pass through, Inaided, as is
sadly too often the case, by the kind SYM
pathies and cooperation of those who
should appreciate your labors and miti
gate your trials and anXieties, knowing,
as they must, that it is for their chill
dren's good you are devoting your best
energies and abilities; let me say to you
in kindness and affection, be not dis
couraged. persevere unfalteringly in
your good work; cheertully pass over
those thorny places in the pathway of
life-your sure reward is awaiting you
and that reward, in part, will nu-
doubtedly be found in calm, serene
consciousness that you have done
your duty in that which was
intrusted to your care. LdJOrum dulce
benimen; some of you may think your
earnest eforts are crowned with but in e
different success, and your discourage
ments are many and great; let me ad-
monish you that you must not look in
cessantly upon the dark side of the
picture; every phase and situation in
! life has its sunshine and its shade; in
your truly honorable profession as
teachers, you have many bright and
sunny places cheering and impclling
Won on to greater excellence and happi-
ness, conscious as you must be that
your lives and abilities are not a useless,
barren waste, spent in frivolous, sinful
idleness; that your talents are not, like
many others, wickedly rolled in nap
kin, waiting the reward of the living
God, but are an inestimable blessing to
your fellow beings, both for time and
eternity.
Children and youths, pupils and
scholars-I desire word of counsel and
admonition to you ia earnestness and
in truth. You, my young friends, are
about entering upon the great arena of
busy business life. With practical re-
suits following your every undertaking,
You, to Il very great extent, are the CO.
operative architects of your own desti
MES for good or for evil-for great and
good men and women, or for evil, pes
tilential members of society. Which
shall it be This question you must an
swer, each for yourself, by your own
conduct, habits, dcmeanors and attain
ments. You are now acquiring habits
and knowledge which must eventually
render you curse or blessing to So
ciety and your fellow beings. Be care
full, then, nay young friends, to copy
and emulate that which your own con.
science admonishes you is good, and
discard everything that has the appear
ance of evil; faithfully and Industrious
ly prosecute your studies; be perfect III
all your recitations, and be sure you
completely comprehend each and every
subject and text with which you Crap
pie; let your motto be Labor omnia rim
cit, Qabor conquers everything;) idle
ness and inattention is the bane of the
student, and turn the slothful, negligent
boy into the shiftless, worthless man;
resolve early in life that you will Perse-
we're in your undertakings, and that
what you undertake you will carry out,
if possible, to the end; this will make
you in homely every day parlaDce, men
and woman that it will do to tie to; al
so keep steadfastly before you the
stereotyped, oft repeated, nevertheless
true, quotation
Honor and fame from no condition rise,
Act well your part, it's there the honor lies. y
That's the great secret; act we'll your
part, as you some dav may be wanted
for Governor, or National President. My
young friends, one word more to you
and which am constrained to believe
is almost superfluous-it is this-bt
kind, considerate and attentive to youl
teachers, believing them next your par
ents, your very best friends and well
wishers; they have prepared themselve:
by months and years of close study
and reflection to become by hon
orable profession, teachers, ant
they have great and ardent de
sire to impart that knowledge ant
science to you-to see you become
eminent scholars and worthy, cred
liable members of society-fully appre
ciate their kind endeavors by faithful
affectionate attention.
To Parents, Guardians aHd Patrons o
our excellent school system-I woulC
respectfully say mech-very much, in
deed, of the success of our public school
and institutions of learning, and tn
thorough education of our children ar
in your hands; yeu can each and ever.
one of you, do much to make our schoo !
the great channel of education so mucl
and so long desired; public school
where every child through the lengtl
and breadth of our land, may at leas
. learn to read and write and cast up &C
counts if nothing more, are a grea
blessing. Your speaker does not full,
| agree with the sentiment
a little learning is dangerous thing
!. Drink deep, Or taste not the Pierian spring;
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
, And drinking largely sobers us again"