, 1877-06-02

Al ADDRESS TO IT'S FRIENDS BY THE
AANnEIArE

Education is it, How define
it! Something that begins "th life,
continues through life, and las AN effect
os the lite TO come. 1t moditcs charac'
ter in embristic life, before the intantile
cry is heard. Its influence is both good
and evil. 1t determines the veal or woe
Of humanity. The fate of myriads who
have preceeded US has been determined
hy it. The future of the race is under its
control. As a man thinkelh," " SO he is.
He acts as he thinks. BY his actions do
we Judge him. HIS thoughts control his
actions; and how seldom do they leave
the ruts and grooves in which they were
placed in early childhood. One sheep
leads the flock, lie it large or small.
Sometimes they are led to green pastures,
with refreshing shades, cool fountains
and messy banks. Oftencr to desert
wastes, fields Of husks and thistles, bitter
herbs aud chat. Deserts swept by blit-
ing winds, with troubled pools, prowled
by beasts of prey and thick with poison
Gus thorns and Kissing serpentS. These
flock leaders should not be blind or deaf
should not wilifully shut ear or eye.
Should be able TO descern right from
wrong, light from darkness, truth from
error. Should accept nothing by faith
until provcn. Should neither condemn
or approve the doubtful, but fnrsstigats
remembering. that. "things are not al
ways what they seem."
To whom does this apply' To every
teacher, parent, public man or private
citizen. Who ois responsible for the train
ing of children for l;fe2 The public and
each individual. The individual can not
sink his identity in the public. There is
no escape from individual, personal re-
spousibility. The earth is made up OF
ultimate atoms; each atom plays its part,
has its history and destiny. The roar OF
the ocean may drown the murmer of the
brook. The individual voice may not
make itself heard abDye the multitude.
The multitude can be as one voice. We
are all teachers whether we will or not.
The low are the basest teachers. The
exalted mind the highest. Between
these extremes are every grade OF teachers,
with a commingied mass of truth and
error; weeds and grain : chat and wheat.
1t should he the business OF the profess
ional teacher, aided by parents and the
public to act as guides and judges; to
clear the way. make easy the road, and
sustain the totteriug footsteps OF chikl.
hood in its lite search for purity and
truth. To thrust the weeds and thorns
out of sight. To feed with milk and
honey, not husks. If they call for bread
give them not stones. Ciothe them in
garments from ths closely woven woof Of
reason--garmeuts that never grow old
the longer worn she mere brilliant the
adornment.
There is power In association. The
bundle is stronger than than the single
faggot. Hand in hand. little children
will cross foot bridges and climb nights,
where single they would have to be car
ried. We have profted by this and or
ganized glorious school systems in all
civilized communities. Our schools are
The indices of our communal civilization.
Three hundred yesrs ago not one in five
hundred of tue Caucasian race could
read and write. '0ne five hundredths OF
vt the race flee. Tho remainder slaves
the most ahject of slaves. Tor their very
souls were chattles. To-day, the degra-
led negro Of the south stands on high
or intellectual platform, than did four
hundred and ninety aine hundredths OF
the very race from which we sprung,
three hundred yeass ago. Take our race
te-day, scattered in various countries
and climes, over three fourths can read
and write. One hnli have passable
education, One fourth live by their
education. One tenth are ripe scholars.
One in fifty are men Of scientific attain
mPnts; men of Cuiture--ot ideas--tit
leaders of the fncli. Hardy. trained and