American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-08-16
OUR HOME INSTITUTIONS.

number of catalogues from vari
Gus male and female colleges in The
State. AL of which, judging by the
number of pupils matriculated, must
be in a. prosperous condition. AS
the next sessions of these institu
lions will commence in the months
of September and October, we have
thought it proper to pen few re
Elections on the subject of home in
struction, with the hope that they
may not be altogether lost on those
parents and guardians who have
children aud wards to educate.
The first duty of those who have
the. responsibility ofchildren resting
upon them, should he to furnish
then with every facility within their
power for the requirement Of sound
moral and mental culture.
We believe, with the Prus>ian Coun-
sellOr, that God will hold all pa
rents personally responsible who do
not afford to their children every
opportunity for acquiring thor
ough educ alton, according to their
ability. This, then, being the first
duty of the parent and guardian.
we contend that the next obligation
should he to the Safe in which they
reside, and to the home institu
tiOns which are dependent alone
upon their patronage for support.
There is a disposition on the part
of many So1thernors, especially
those whom fortune has favored, to
serd their children abroad to be
educated, rather than to our own
Institutions. This we conceive to
he fatal mistake. We are firmly
established in the belief that our
sons and daughters should be edu-
Gated in the State to which they
owe allegiance, and :tthoroughly
schoOied in the social manners,
habits and princi pies OF those will,
whom they are identified in life and
destiny, and whose views, feelings
and impulses they are to imbibe
and reflect.
Lycurgus, we are told, resolved
the whole business of legislation
into the proper training of youth,
and regarding it as the most glorious
work of the law-giver, he began ear
~ and persevered until he made
Sparta the bulwark Of Greece and
the wonder of nations. But this,
he it remembered, was accomplish
ed at home. The Spartan youths
would never have attained that ex-
allied standard of mental and physi-
cal development flor which they
were SO deservedly celebrated, had
their parents pursued the course
adopted in this country.
The destinies of the State, as well
as those of the nation, are almost
solely in the hands of those who
have the direction of the youthful
mind. and the moulding of youth
full character. If they perform all
their duties as they should be per
formed; if they guide the erring
into the right path, correct the nat
nral tendencies to evil, and success
fully prepare them for the moral,
social aud intellectual conflicts of
life, the present generation may be
succeeded by a purer, wiser and a
better one F; but if they falter or fail
in any of these things, the result
may not only be destructive of per-
sonal usefulness and happiness,
but of the public liberty itself.
Ifthis theory be cOrrect-and we
apprehend it is equally as applica-
ble to our social and civil condition
as to the mOral-then it follows, as
an inevitable sequence, that no state
can be established upon solid, ell |
during basis, whose sons are educa-
ted in ideas and principles foreign
to those which form it's substrata, or |
by teachers who are not in sympa-
thy with its peculiar views and in
situations. Fully impressed with a
conviction of the truth of this theo-
ry, we advocate our home institu-
tiODs, and are firmly persuaded
that parents who send their chill
dren abroad to be educated, not on
" do great injustice to them. but in
fiiet serious injury upon those insti-
tutiOns of learning established sole
~ for their benefit, and which are
Justly entitled to their encourage
ment and patronage.
AS the subject of home instruc-
fion is one Of deep interest to us,
and one in which we believe is in
volved the present and future hap
piness Of this and the generations
vet to come, as we'll as of our State
apd country, we may discuss it
more at length in a future issue.
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