The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-30

BY E. B. MURRAY q
experience there has been at no time for
many yearssmore than seven farmers out
of two hundred and twenty members of
Congress, nor'more than ten orStwelve in
the Legislature of South Carolina out Of
one hundred and twenty members during
any one session. Thus you will see why
it has been in all the legislating for one
hundred years back 40 laws, especially
intended for the benefit of farmers, can
be found among the statutes. The only
law for the special benefit of farmers,
passed by the South Carolina Legisla-
ture, that can call to mind, was passed
before the war, granting an appropriation
of $1,000 to put the State Agricultural
Society in operation. Yet, although
there may not be farmers either in Con-
gress or the Legislature, the cooperation
Of the Oranges may and will have the
power to so interest the lawmakers as to
legislate more than heretofore for the
advancement of the farming interests.
The voice of four millions, honestly and
boldly expressed, must be heard and at
tended to.
On the subject Of education, I wish to
impress on your minds that it does not
necessarily consist in the information
gained at schools and colleges. A lad
with good mother wit, having his thoughts
started right in youth can, and often does,
educate himself. What is it to be edu-
Gated? "To have mind well balanced;
able to draw correct conclusions from
given premises; to know rightly how to
gain knowledge, and understand with his
own powers" A man thus taught, if he
is unable to write his name, is educated,
and for all the main purposes of life is
well educated. To illustrate, Twill quote
an extract from a pamphlet published
over the signature of "Civis:" General
Stonewall Jackson, in the Confederate
War, had to halt his Army at swollen
stream, over which his plans demanded
he should go by day break tomorrow.
He at once set his engineers to plan
bridge, but knowing man in his COM
mand who had great energy and tact, he
had him summoned and said to him, I
must cross this stream by day break to-
morrow; can you get me across? After
little thought his reply was, General,
give me three hundred men, and you
shall cross The detail was given, and
he went to work. He asked no ques-
tions of engineers; his plan was in his
head. In the morning, little before
day, he called at Jackson's tent and
made this verbal report: General, the
bridge are ready The engineers had
scarcely finished the drawing for the
bridge"
Now, here is an instance of a man
who, it is said, could neither write his
name or speak good grammar, yet who
was, in the true sense, educated. And
he had done it by his own energy.
Now, let any of our young men start
out in life to support himself and loved
wife, schooled or not, if he has the vim
in him he will look around him with all
his senses awake, and his eyes wide open.
He will be keen 10 note and prompt to
adopt any advanced process. He sees a
neighbor who keeps his horses fat; he
viii soon find out how he does it, and
adopt his plan with his. esees another
that raises fine cotton; he will soon find
out how he manages, and will adopt his
plan. Another takes some agricultural
journal, and raises more corn to the acre
than the rest, another more wheat, an
other uses improved farm implements,
another has more and finer fruit. All
these he examines with a keen eye, and
profits by what he observes. He sees
probably neighbor lady who parades a
beautiful show of flowers; he at once
persuades his wife to 60 and see, and do
likewise. This man will soon be trying
experiments, to see if he can't excel in
something. And can any of you doubt
but that he will, in few years, for all
the purposes of life, be educated, and
will grow up and prosper? And he will
soon have everything around him for
comfort, as well as the beauties of ma
ture, and please his wife and adorn his
home.
I could fill my page with the names of
heroes and statesmen whose names have
been made famous by their high and
noble acts, and who, during their youth,
had limited schooling, and some none at
all. Even our great Washington, to
whom is awarded worldwide renown,
had quite limited English education.
Gen. Green, who commanded an army
during the Revolution, and who was
often spoken of as the man who Con-
gress would appoint commander-in-chief
if Washington should be killed, was
reared in blacksmith shop till he was
grown, with only such schooling as va
can't hours and winter nights afforded.
Schools, and particularly colleges, were
scarce in that age, and many of the men
who made their mark in that great strug-
gle for liberty were unlearned, in the COM
mon school phrase. To come nearer our
own time, the name of Andrew johnson,