The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-09
Greai,.s Stats 9ullrnat.
H.v. We a bourbon Among Uss

wards, of this city, against popular ednca
ton, reported in the Wing, we think th
public will agree With us that we haveon
of that old fogy house, which neither for
gets nor learns, in Richmond. 1t hap
pened in discussion before committe
of the General Assembly in the matter OF
claim set up by Randolph Macon Colleg
to portion of the land fund donated b.
Congress to Virginia for educational pur
poses. The remarks of DR.. Edwards wer'
in reply to the Rev. DR.. Curry, who wa'
pressing the claims of Richmond College
He said:
DR.. Curry, with his usual eloquence anc
rhetoric, had pictured in glowing terms'tht
advantages, in a mechanical aspect, arising
from its close proximity to the city OF Rich
mond, with its mammoth fOundries and facto'
ries. These were to give the college students
an insight into practical mechanics, and enable
the apprentices from the city to attend the lee
lures at college on theoretical mechanics.
All this sounded very pretty, but would be
in practice simply fudge. In the first place,
the mechanics of Richmond were entitled TO
lust the same benefit, and no more, than the
same respectable class in other cities and towns
of Virginia. In the second place, il the young
men from college went poking into the foun-
dries and factories in search of practical intor-
nation, the proprietors would object to their
presence, and the w0rkmen would rid them
selves OF the annoy ance by running them out
with hot poker. As to apprentices gong
mile at night to hear lectures which they
couldn't understand, no practical man would
-, .l~o a.t fpr a
days work, they would prefer to go to bed
and sleep, to taking such jaunt to listen to
"learned jargon."
The Doctor next proceeded to ventilate his
ideas on popular education, in support of his
proposition. Mr.. Barbour had eloquently, in
his argument in behalf of the University, ex-
clsimed, that from the graves OF dead repub-
lies comes voice urging you to educate the
people. For himself, he was tired OF this con-
tinaal glorifcation of science. You may make
your people, by means OF common school edu-
cation, just rs wise as Prussians and just as
wicked, but if you want to preserve your lio-
critics, you must make your people dod-serv-
ing. Men talk of educating the brain and the
hand equally, when the fact is, that as soon as
the man is able to do brain work. he stops
working with the hand. Let Doctor Curry
demonstrate to the Tredegar apprentice, who
pokes the lre, that he is a practical chemist,
and he will cease to poke fires, and run per-
chance for professor of chemistry. Let the
tailor once get to applying comic sections to
cutting coats, and he will cease shutting him
self up on the bench like a jack-knife and pro-
ceed to seek livelihood by brain work. Let
\ shoemaker get to examining State papers;
and be will soon throw aside his last and bris-
Hes or the printer boy to writing, and he
will quit his case and set up for editor.
Apprentices going mile at night to
near lectures which they couldn't Under
stand" Does the average mind which at
lends our colleges aud universities, under
stand or receive the lectures and the learn
ng that are attempted to be instilled into
t, any more than the average mind of our
or apprentices; and, yet, would
The Doctor reject any one from the bene-
its of an effort to obtain knowledge SIM
ply on the ground OF dallness or stupidity?
Then again be would have the shoemaker
tick to his last, the tailor to bis goose, and
'emain a goose forever. 1t is not the
way we find gold-by searching here and
here the surface. We dig and delve and
,radle the earth, turn aside streams, or re-
move mountains, leave no spot OF
,arth unworken and no rock unsplit lest
We may pass by the priceless nuggets.
Fhe world is full of rough diamonds lying
~ the waysde, which only need the skill
ul hand of the polisher to place them 10
kingly coronal. So, too, with mind. The
neducated mind of the world is like the
arth In gold placer, and should all be
vashed and cradled, that the true metal
D ay be extracted from the dross.
We have seen what education has done
or the world elsewhere, in bringing to
light the hidden gems of genius and talent ;
md we can easily calculate from what
title it has done, the vast work it has left
lndone and how much we have lost
through this very kind Of encouragement
# ignorance the Doctor recommends. Is
here single intelligent person who does
lot believe that had education been
,eneral in England during the last three
hundred years, there would have been
lfty Shakespeares where we have one
low, hundred Millions, and innumer-
.ble Johnsons, Goldhmiths and Grays
n fact, that the roll of her men
If genius and of talent in all branches
# art. science and literature would
ave swollen to volume instead OF
,eing contained in meagre column.
10, Doctor, let education be universal.
let us not run the risk of losing single
Iiamond, however small, in our washings,
| he educated mechanics of the world have
hone with even greater lustre than some
ducated arstocrats, and we are indebted to
elf-made men for many of the greatest
blessings we enjoy. Give every opportunl-
Y to the mind for expansion. Do not con-
inc it in the dark prison of ignorance
lnder the custody of that stern jailor,
4ow Estate but give it fair opportunity
o manifest its power or acknowledge its
weakness. There is no danger that we
hall spoil good mechanics by making
hem bad professors.
We trust The Doctor will revise his ideas
lpon this subject of educating mechanics
md their apprentices, and instead OF dis