The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-03-22

cuucallOn is ING great and absorb
ing question-that which underlies
all others III the mind Of every genu-
me philantropist. The theme which,
justly, engages tho attention Of the
ablest and best disposed men and
women in the land is How to rear
the rising generation in becoming
manner that the,: may be able not
to do as well as their ancestors but
better that they may grow up to be
wiser, nobler, purer and more highly
endowed, with moral and i11tellact1,-
al ability, to carry Gu, and manage
the complex machinery of our he
publican form Of Government than
those who have preceded them on
the Amerias>a field Of state,nanship.
Every movement, whatever, having
in view the much desired object OF
training youth property apart from
seataliun bias. whether the work
Of the one individual or the result of
the combined efforts Of q number Of
persons, i'll any quarter or section of
the cou;iir.:., is hailed with delight by
the tllinl;sg portion Of society !;
while oil efforts made to turn the tide
OF stream, Of elacation into the con-
tractal channel OF dcnominationaiisln
strikes terror to the bruvest heart.
The munificcnt gifts Of money, for
the promotion Of tie cause of G,ener-
al and untrameled education, made
by l,etor Cooper, Matthew Tasser,
Liza Cornell, aua hosts of others,
will prove t. tue 'netnory OF each Of
such large hearted men 8 monument
more durable than q shaft Of marble,
a column OF iron, OF @ block Of gran
ite-keeping their names fresh, in
the recoiieejians Of the good, long
after they have been gathered to
their fathers. :" their spheres Of labor
being occupied by others, and the
places which know them, SO we'll and
favorably, upon Garth, shall have seen
them for The last time in the body.
So we'll convinced Of the truth, OF
this proposition was the late George
Peabody ihat--to the many liberal
donations he had made for tise 1>ur-
pose Of amchorating the condition OF
the w!y-he bestowed large sums
OF money, in the latter years Of 'is
eventful life, to aid the cause Of ed,1-
cation in the Southern States +; and
nnong the last Of his gifts were sew
eral for the benefit Of public libra
RES, a11,1 free readirg rooms.
The sober, serious mind OF the
people has, fox many wears been occ9.-
pied with The Importance and incnl
culable value Of education. This all
absorbing topic las so engaged the
attention cf the public, and its wo:tll
is SO We'll understood, tilat i1istit;i-
TONS Of learning, Of greater OF less
pretentions, have sprung up in all
the Inhabited portions Of our wide
domain. Wherever q Christian
church is now to be found, its hand-
maiden, the sc|1ool-ho,.se, is also to
be seen. 10 edlcatt. the people is to
make them wise. 10 make men and
women wise is to make them good.
To make mankind good is to make
them desire churches SO that the
school-house is nursery Of the church.
| - Nearly every religious denomi-
nation has it, college, its seminary,
OF its mo1s humble academy. This
is highly proper +; for when the work
Of the Common School is done, and
the pupil desires q large education,
wishing to turn his attention to tie
lahcrs Of the ministry. his legitimate
field Of inquiry is q denominational
place Of instruction. The Common
School SYSTEM however, must be
kept free from seeta1ian control
That pure plan OF Improving the
minds Of children, sec'llarly, must re-
main, as it has thus far been, blcs-
sing ; for-boing universally and
Justly ropu2al-it has. within the
lifetime of young men, dotted almost
every hillside with modest, but sub