The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-06-09

| ar5 the end of school days Is the end OF
piano drumming But even Of those who
/ at school seem to have msaterSd tho sci.
enees how many OF them utifi1e AheEE ac-
complishment beyond making them
selves agreeable and entertaining until
they are niarriageabief That may not
be accused Of judging too critically, look
over the catalogues OF sur Southern fe-
male seIninar.es and SEQ how fFeqGently
the musical department Is Ia the hands
OF Professor So snd-SO. with q long uatuo
| either from Germany or France orsome
other foreign country, and not under
tbs control OF graduates OF tho insti.u-
| ton,
So With drawing, painting, " ak work,
| making artificial flowers. These arts are
| frequently taught in our seminaries, but
where will you find a young lady In the
State or the South who has made pro-,
fession OF either of them? ] would hsv0
| the young lady, who had peculiar talent
for any OF these arts, study it. master 1t,
aud ply 10 as her vocation in aftor lifc.
Who car Point me to Southern female
artist Of any ceicbrity either as @ painter,
somcst Inarais monu.nentG In our nation.
81 capital 1--we been chiseled by IL fair.
hand of woman.
In 1874 I was so cirournatanced that
| could give employment to half dozen
| or moro young ladies In making artificial
L
every Southern city, enquiring whether
this demand could be supplied there
latleo TO secure o singio ono in all the
South, but lad no difficulty In engaging
them ut th1 North. ~ f1
Now, En- lst .iot be understood es ad-'
vocating Il. policy or woman's receiving
| higher education simply that she may
become . professional character Not at
all But do believe in encouraging
every one to utilize the talonts With
which they are endowed. And to this
end c nsider II the duty. of parents to
educate their daughters as thoroughly as
their sons, and wherever any peculiar or
superior talent js discovered, It should
be fostered, encouraged and disciplined
to It's utmost capacity, Not otherwise
now days. V. Q live in mechanical,
Inventive, progressive age, and every.
where and ct all times skill Is recognized
and encouraged. When we remember
that but few years ago our land was
desolated by the horrors Of civil war,
from which -we have but partially recu--
perated, and when tho prosperity OF to-
day 10 rendered doubtful by tho evidenc-1
eS OF poverty we see so abundantly man.
iested In every quarter. it behooves the
out the South to 1nculcate upon their
children the necessity of acquiring o
general education, not for Ornamental
but for practical purposes. For when
these youths leave the precincts Of tho
school or college, and enter upon the
arena OF manhood or womanhood, they
Will find tho world but q restless, seeth-
ing,. social whirlpool, where self is tho
motive powers whore. disinterestedness
Is n y1rtne OF exotic growth, but where
educati e,5i on is the controlling element in
General education prepares the mind
to secure success in every occupation, and
makes gsen. Special education commands
| success In every enterprise in which the
recipient is called to act. Tho educated
man, therefore, who bends his energies
to the accomplishment of single deed,
or plies all the force of his trained intel.
leot to the development of single idea,
WIN iar outstrip the man who, without
training. without requirements, relies
for the attainment of the Same end upon
the innate powers Of natural genius.
And never was their a country IN which,
nor people among whom, this educated
individuality was moro necessary than
right here among us OF tho South, where
gated the purposes and broken the ties of
once united and happy people. But,
Mr.. President, I may be anticipating
those whom I haye been invited to adj
tlres dress, for they may reply, we do not pro
of life, but Intend to retire to the happy
homes OF our indulgent parents, there to
enjoy ourselves and await events. Bliss
ful Innocence! Would that your fond
est hopes could be realized
a satisfactory present may suffice for
women: they may not entertain ambi-
tious thoughts, and hence may scout tho
imaginary discouragep!ents Of the future.
Not 80 with men. The humblest boy
may perhaps be as ambitious as Alexa,i-
der, who, when youth, was asked If he
intended catering tho contest in the
Olympic games. and promptly replied:
Yes, oven though ] contend against
Kings. Laudable and successful an,bi-
ton has converted boot-black OF forty
years ago into o United States Senator or
to-day. And the same incentive has
given him colleague who twenty-five
years ago was brakeman on railroad
train. And ne who now Oils the highest
Office In Christendom was within the rs-
collection of many of US canal boat
driver. Hence no insurmouhtable OBJ
stacle lies across the pathway Of anibi-
tious youth, and that instinct which
actuates him to fill lofty places among
men Is praiseworthy incentive, that
shouid porva@e the mind and heavt OF
But shall these aspirations be confined
to the 3terner sex? Is there no worldly
goal TO which woman should aspire?
Erudite women of every civilized nation
have commanded the admiration of the
world. Need i only mention Hannah
lott?
The aphorism Is accorded to Aristotle,
tn at ''in every block of marble there IN q
statue: 1t only needs tho chisel of the
sculptor to fashion it." What sculpture
is - to the marble, education Is to the
mind. Who then can tell uu how many
intellectual statues OF great beauty Ito
forever concealed within the rccesses Of
the uusculptnred minds OF our country?
Aence the importance, my young friends,
OF your striving to perfect your educa.
tion; and in doing 30 cultivate virtuous
and lofty aspirations. There is always @
possibility of SUCCESS for those who de-
serve IL, and ambition tempered by the
lntuitiVe nobie1eSs of woman Ia not
dangerous, but one of the most admirable
attributes of man. Properly restrained
il has developed great and good men,
| and stimulated them to the. performance
OF iaoors OF surpassing grandeur. 1t
VIII DO M legs for woman, when con-
trolled by ner fortitude and ameiiorated
by her patience. Let then your aspIea-
tons be lofty. and your ambition viftu-
GUS and ennobling. But. Mr. President,
IN the acquisition of knowledge Eedhntry
should at all times be avoided. There Is
nothing attractive in g blue stocking.
That liz o contracted intellect, which Is
constantly paradings its acquirements.
those who by reading and study have
stored their minds with fund of infor-
nation, which they can or.1y utilize by
making q display of what they have
absorbed from otheYs,s may be called
learned, but they are never wise.
My auditory must SEQ that tho drift of
my whole argument is Is encourage the
practlcaI utilization or acquired knowl-
rnd