New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-03
POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION.
EDiroH RErUBLicAS

| liiAObS~b d" 't't~ss I'o Va Oi'
magazines this morning. in search OF data
upoI a certain topic. came across. unde.
date Of May. 1866. in. No. I. volume one
| OF The Land Vic Lore. an article entitled
"Education." over the modes: initials
| d. ii. H. This articls contains 50 much
that is OF especia! interest just a. the
present moment. tina: l deem i. worthy of
being placed before your readers. have.
| therefore. selected the following extracts,
for which / hope you VIII make place in
your columns. The sentiments expresse ed
harmon:Ze admirably with the numerous
articles. editorial anu otherwise. on the sub
jec: OF agricultural and mechanical col.
!eges" which iay: recently occupied youy
columns.
After iwe!.in. upon the changes that
have come over ";hc land we love-" es.
pecialiy :hc abolition o. the old system of
Labor an: its ir.s.ca: sequences. the writer
SAYS:
We mus: nah. our minds CORRESPOND 20
the new state of things. Firs: Of all, we
mu.t make iota! !.dica! change in cur
system OF education. ". must abandon
the aesthetic and the ornamental io- the
practical and the useful. We need pract..
cal farmers. miners. machiuists. engineers.
manufacturers. navIgatoIs. blacksmiths,
carpenters. etc. 10 develop Che immense re.
sources OF our country. " hicn war has not
been able to destroy. Agriculture must be
studied Is a science. viii: all its coordinate
branches. chemistry. geology. mineraiogy,
meteorology. Mimi. must next claim our
attention. d. our country is rich ia iron.
copper. gold, lead, zinc, manganese. lime.
gypsum. sat. marble. exc. These two
farming and mnIng--nIst chiefly. Cor a
while. occupy The time and the energies of
orr people. In these the great bulk OF our
inland population ~ilI seek employment
and subsistence. 10 tabor successfully they
must labor ;ncelligeut.y. and this can only
be accomplished by educational training
for I'll. work. Next. in order 20 labor eco
nomically and !'roii.abIy. we must have our
engines. our tools. our implements OF every
description made upon our Owl. soil, and
this. again. requires .hiiltul and well in.
structed iaach!nI5ts. We must have our
own foundries and workshops. and in them
no ignorant and bunging. work men mast be
found. the buildings needed. that they
may have the requisite sultableness and
adaptability "a the end in view. mus: be
planned by on. who has made architecture
his study. aud must oe erected bv those
familiar with carpentry as an art.
Nature has lavlshed upon us her most
inunifcent hOuuties. and has invited us bv
her voice. from thousand waterfalls. to
turn our attention to manufacturing. Steam
power can not compete with water power.
on account OF til" superior cheapness OF the
latter. and our rivers and lesser streams
have unsurpassed and indispensable sites
for mills and factories of every kind. Our
streams, 700. can be used throughout the en-.
tire year. while those OF the North are locked !
up with ice for months. I'he fruittulness Of
orr soil should. and ordinarily does render |
food cheap an! abundant. the mildness OF our
climate too. saves the Southern operative
one-half at least OK the expense which his
Northern competitor has to incur for fuel
and clothing. With the iour-toid aivan.
tage OF streams always open. of the raw |
material .t our doors. OF abundance Of food,
and OF small! expenditures in living. we |
ought {. excel 10 this branch of industry,
and ". vii! he Nttevi Y ,uexcusabie if We 10 |
not. Inc iAci!itles Tor manufacturing are ,
al! IN or fay"r. amt Il is owing to our own !
inatt.nti0n and NJ elect tha. we are st, i'm
me.surablc behind. IAi. inat:ent:on j.
owing 70 three rg:ncira! causes:
fIGst--lt was :noEg'.t 10 be- and probably !
Un0e: On: Oh system wa.. more profitable |
"a prodHc. IotAin. bU: the great staple. |
.' the South. an. - supply 81; .uv wants |
from abroad.
Second ON n" crsa. plantation. Of the
South ;ih0. Wa. il. excess, and hrnc. our |
"er" not tu.ne! toward those |
iabo;-say!ng and i.bor-r pc, forming machines |
which econoMl@c ana multiply human e!- |
.ort. he use %: machinery an! .hc study |!
OK the machine arts Were" 81 :, nitura. CcU- |
5. 'ueHce, ignore. and unhee.ied.
Ihi,I-.ac general prosperity o. ne
South exempted :: large class. and tia: the |!
mos; in;ei.lg.nt. from tho necessity o: rer
s"na: "s.vtl"n. to gain q subsistence.
Hence the ingenuity in mechanical! contriy-
an.c. which want cngen,.e.s, was no. de.
velopeG among our people. ambition.
which - natural - ali mankind. DO. being
.l!iecte. III them 20 n. ACQUISITION OF riches,
found . more eoDgeni.! area Tor its exercise
il: the contest 10Y rclItca! power: hence,
those branches OF learning which were cal
cnla'eI. :" III III" str.ient for .ucc.sstu!
chan: o:.hiv GA III. musings and III thu.
forum. were as.iiuousiv cultivated. f., the
almost tota! neg.ec: OF al! others.
But the political g!o.ies OF the pas: were
purchased at :he expense OF the material
prosperity o! thecountgv: fo- men o. wealth |
and talents did not combine their fortunes. |
their energies. and .hei. !nteilects TO de.
Felop the immense resources OF tn. land
Of their nativity. What factories did they
erect! what mines did they dig. What
toundries did they establish. What ma
chine shops did they build! Their minds
and their hearts were engrossed in the
struggle for national position and national
lonors. The yearnlng desire was ever for !
political supremacy and never for domestic |
thrift and economy. Hence we became de-
pendent upon the North for everything
rom a lucifer match to a columbiad, from
! pin TO a railroad engine. A state of war |
ound US without the machinery to make
lngle percussion cap for soldiers rife
II single button for his jacket
That system Of Labor has been forever