The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-11-07

| GEN. HAMPTON I'm FakpHR1ok, Md
The recent address Of the great cavalry
leader is full OF grand and noble
thoughts. We are sorry. that we cannot
publish the whole OF it. We give an
extract on the subject OF education,
which in the address was predatory to his
plea for agricultural colleges, in which
| our youth should be educated to become
practical and intelligent farmers:
Of the three pressing wants, the lack
OF proper education among our people,
especially among the great body OF our
farmers and planters, it has been speci-
led as the first and most serious. I am
not one Of those who measure the virtue
and intelligence of people by their
ability to read and to write. There is
as much truth as poetry in the apho-
rlsm, "a little learning is o dangerous
thing"
The fatal mistake Of the age least.
in some portions of this country-springs
from the prevalent belief that mere in
telleotusl training is Of itself sufficient
Tor all the purposes Of this life, without
that better education of the moral sense,
which can alone teach man his duty to
his neighbor and to his God. In the
ceaseless and unseemiy struggle for place
and riches, which is debauchipg the
moral tone of so large o part OF the
population OF this country, all true edu-
cation is neglected, and many young men
are launched on the sea of life with in
tellects sharponed OF the expense of all
the higher faculties, which are left unde-
yeloped and uneducated. The wild pur-
suit of wealth as the only object OF life
''the cursed greed of gold"-leayes no
time Tor the proper training Of heart aud
soul, and too much Of what is falsely
called education Lns for its whole end to
impart only such knowledge as will qua
lily its possessor to enter the mad ruce for
power. wealth aud other mere temporal
blessings. The caustic words of the
Roman satirist. describing that education
which teaches TINT money is tho chief
good, are sadly applicable to many of
our youth, who are taught in the same
school.
make money; honestly if you can
but, if not honestly, make money by
any MEANS"
!. IS this Pcsa;o;ous teaching that i.
making 80 many of the people lose their
ancient aud hardy. virtues, and it is
against this abuse of all high and true
education that I now protest; not against
education itself. It is undoubtedly q
good thing to know how to read and
write, but the mere possession OF these
rudiments of education profits nan but
little, unless his nobler faculties are
directed in the proper way; and it is u
mistake to suppose that because he can
read and write he is better man or
more Intelligent citizen. The Athenians,
it may safely be assumed, though the
great body of them were without these
requirements, were quite as well versad
III literature, science, politics and the
polite arts, as the people OF Now Eng
land, whose boast IL is that their system
of free schools has diffusod education
more generally among the people than
in any other country; and the experience
of every thinking man in the South will
bear me out in the assertion, that in all
the elements which go to make up true
manhood, honesty. truth, honor, faitll,
courage and intelligence, our own peo-
pie, I'LL unlettered as many OF them are,
have proved themselves, in wnr as in
peace, at least the equals of those who
pride themselves on their superior edu.
cation. But while these are facts which
cannot be successfully controvcrted, it
does not follow that proper education,
development Of the full powers of
body, Of mind and of heat should be
neglected, and it is in behalf OF this
higher and nobler education that now
appeal to You, and through you, TO the
people Of the South.