Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-02-26

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society, and brings ruin to individuals; it
plots treason and destruction to nation !;
and, not satisfied with having robbed
earth of her charms, builds pyramid of
skulls and other remains of ruined hu
manity; it steps thereon and from thence
Leaps the walls of Heaven, and, draw
ing the sword of Damascus STEEL" defies
The living God by announcing to poor,
bewildered humanity that there is NO God
but Nature, and no time but the present
As educators, it is our defined duty to see
that the children of our Nation are not
developed in this false training Let us
not forget that We have great work to
perform. We are not gathering jewels
from among the pebbles on the sea-shore; !;
but are polishing jewels already gathered.
Every one of these little bodies contains
a diamond for eternity, no matter how
rough the exterior may appear. And not
only for eternity, but from this cheerful
throng must come the stars of our coIn-
try's future; touched by the finger of love,
developed by the hand of care, and sta
toned by the school of morality. And
from this army oc busy hands and laugh
ing eyes, must come the great mass of
honest yeomanry, the props of humanity,
the guards of the Nation and the glory
of the Creator who formed them Mans
nature Graves more than an intellectual
training. The cultivation OF the intel
lect alone cannot satisfy an unsullied ap-
petite. Besides the modesty, the happi-
ness and the advancement of some indi-
viduals, as well as localities, indisputably
testifies TO the inculcation of strong NOR
al principles; and, Oh the other hand, the
gambling, riotous, murderous disposi-
tions of other individuals and localities,
defines the absence of any such princi-
Piles. The necessity of moral cultivation
is indisputable and undisputed by any
class, unless it be of that low order who
constantly disgrace their race, and do no
honor to the brute.
Habits are fixed in youth. This Is as
serted by all leading teachers and moral
lists, and accepted by the thinking mass
of busy workers of humanity. Princi-
Piles are SO firmly fixed during the unbur.
dened years of youth. that all the drip
pings of long years If care, though they
would wear the granite, cannot remove
them from their imbedded state. The
Bishop at Cincinnati knew this too we'll
when he said: "Give NE the children un-
der seven years of age, and you may take
the rest of mankind" He not only knew
it, but he taught it to his people, and it
stands recorded to-day in Ohio's superior
Court, in language which fcrbids the
teachers of her metropolis from asking,
in public, Gods blessings on their work.
If these principles are inculcated when
young, and the young entrusted to our
care, then we cannot help but see our du-
ty; and seeing, we must perform it, or it
is at our peril.
Now, knowing what to teach, how
shall We accomplish it? Shall We teach
these morals, manners and acts as we
would teach the child in arithmetic.
Shall we assign for to.day's recitation,
the perusal of a portion of some mans
thoughts on "The principles of good
morals;" and for tomorrow, "How to
conduct yourself in the presence of a
friend?" For my part, / believe no more
in mechanical etiquette and studied
morality, than do in mechanical Chris
tianity. regard the book on etiquette
about as do the Catholic prayer book,
and the book on morals and manners, as
text books in our schools, as only cold
theoretical pictures, painted in printers
ink. The pupil will regard them as only
so much stiff formality, calculated to
curtail the liberty which nature has
vouchsafed unto him. You will find 9TH
er text books; on the tablets of your
hearts, you will find unmistakable les
sons, unless you have erased them with
sinful acts, written by the finger of God
These lessons are endless and their fruits
are gathered along down the streams of
time, and reckoned only in the great
ocean of eternity. This book will never
grow old. It's unnumbered leaves are as
rich with the jewels of truth, as the works
of Nature are varied and eternal. Un-
clasp its lids and lay it open that it may
be perused by the hungry minds of those
with whom you live, and work, and act.
Be living example unto them! Let
your words be words of admonition, and
your life moral code; and what you
teach in the school-room. by all means
let them see you act in church-on the
street-and in your daily vocations. Of
all the evils of humanity; of all the de-
testable dispositions of any character,
there is none that can be pictured, to my
mind, of so black and condemnable fea-
ture as that Of deceit-whether it be in
the school-room, or the outer world. To
instill morals and manners" into the
l.