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

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vision will clear something like hun
curately stated that all parties to the ex-
cursion are thoroughly satisfied with the
results of the day.
ANDERSON FEMALE SEMINARY.
Commencement Exercises at the Close of
the Second session-A Characteristic Ad-
dress by Col. Authenticated Success of
Gen. Ayers Efforts to Establish First
Class Female School in Anderson.
The Commencement Exercises Of the
Anderson Female Seminary, at the close
of the second session on Friday evening
last, was attended by q large concourse
of our citizens, and was greatly enjoyed
by all present The young ladies OF: the
Seminary we're congregeted on the front
piazza Of the boarding house, which was
tastilY decorated with festoons of ever
green's and flowers, and brilliantly light
ed with lamps. The audience was seated
in front Of the house, the whole yard be-
ing beautifully Illuminated by Chinese
lanterns, which were swayed to and fro
among the widespreading bows of the
splendid oaks by stiff breeze, giving to,
the whole scene picturesque appear
ance.
After few pieces of music by the pu-
pills Of the Seminary, Gen. Aver intro
duced as the orator. of the occasion Hon.
D. Wyatt Aiken, of Cokesbury, our Rep
resentative in Congress, who spoke as
follows:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen
Six weeks ago, when confined to O bed
of serious illness, was invited to ad
dress the young ladies of this Seminary
during their examination upon the sub
ject of "Female Education" Sick as
was, the invitation provoked smile.
For what did know about "Female Ed
ucation"9 Was ever tutor of young
ladies, or in any wise preceptor of the
gentler sex? No. Then why request
me to discourse upon subject of which
I was presumptively so ignorant?
While thus soliloquized to myself, Mr..
President, the inquiry was suggested,
are you not father? Have you no
daughters for whose education you are
responsible? could but reply af6fma-
lively. for in the popular acceptation Of
the term, / have educated three, and have
three more now undergoing the same
process Of training.
differ essentially from the practice of.the
parents of the young ladies whom I have
the honor this evening Of addressing, !.
am here not to advise or instruct, but to
suggest and perhaps counsel. My sug-
gestions may not be approved by this
auditory, but I feel assured they will sur
vive the most adverse criticism, for they
simply portray in great measure the
successful result OF my own domestic and
paternal practice. Let US then at the be.
ginning analyze the term Education.
Popularity, that person is said to be edu-
Gated who has passed beyond the con-
fines of school house, and has received
q diploma from College, or mastered
the curriculum of University. Indeed,
he or she is educated who has graduated
anywhere.
Habitually, our daughters begin to
acquire this education at some female
school near home. In few years they
leave the paternal roof, amid the caress-
ing and tear shedding of the family, for
boarding school in some distant town
or city, and after a prescribed course Of
study there, which has not been altered
or amended since the foundation of the
institution, they graduate, having in the
common acceptation of the term received
an education. All this is well, and
would that it were within the reach of
every child in the land. But, Mr. Presi-
dent, can this be said to be more than a
partial education, even for young ladies ?
Of all the various phases of education
which arc 80 essentially necessary to
prepare girls for the inevitable duties Of
womarhood, none are more important
Sut srsu P,,f OIL 10
this more than one of the many phases
of education? Our moral natures, too,
are to be developed both by precept and
example. And in these utilitarian times
i feel warranted in insisting that it is no
less important that the physical woman
must as we'll be disciplined and cult
yated. Education then is the fullest de-
velopment Of the man or woman intel
lectually, morally and physically, accom-
panied by a practical aptitude to adapt
himself or herself to the various vicissi-
tldes of life. am not aware that edu-
cation as thus defined is the result of q
scholastic course in any Of our semina-
ries, either male or female. Constant
effort is exercised to develop the intel
lectual the moral is usually evoked by
example, but the physical development
is generally confided to the custody Of
each individual self. If this is so, it is
not as it should be. Mental training is,
OF course, absolutely essential, for it is
the mind that sways, whether it be on
the farm. in the workshops, or in the
council halls Of our country. But in this
section, whore citizenship has been de-
graded, and where moral contamination
can be seen through every window of our
dwellings, how essential to have the ris.
ing generation taught that rectitude of
conduct, that character is the brightest
jewel in the casket of their accomplish
ments? And throughout the South,
where sectional poverty impresses the
otservant traveller, it can be no less
essential for the happiness of this same
youth in after life to have them taught
self-help, which necessarily results in
physical development.
The process of acquiring what is called
an education is q routine of discipline,
confinement and study, which for many
years has had but little variation. True
we have the Kindergarten, the Graded
School, the Agricultural College and
some other nominal innovations upon
the old system, but it is not apparent to
my mind that even these are improve
ments. The Kindergarten, which when
anglicized means the child's garden, is
metaphorically garden where children,
between the ages Of taree and seven, are
the plants to be cultivated under the care
of some faithful gardener. Tender
plants, indeed, these to be removed from
the maternal care of those who bore them.
The kindergarten is q nursery where in
fants may be left during the day under
the care of some kind and cheerful stew
ardess while their parents are engaged at
their daily labors away from home. /
use the illustration in no opprobrious
sense, when say that tho kindergarten,
is identical with the system adopted on
many of our large plantations before the
gar when all tha nursing mothara Were