The Southern herald., 1881-09-03
Education.

numerous articles which appear in your paper
relative to that subject. From the number
Of foe, large, live schools already reported
It would seem that the genius Of progress
is 10 our midst wide awake. aud "dOnppd
With the toga educational" determined lh
bring old Anits up abreast with the age aud
times. No sneh interest has ever been
aroused 10 our midst since the war for GER
tain, aud doubt very much whether any
such spirit even before the war, in our most
prosperous and Palmy days. when wealth
was our possession and prOdigAlly used in
the promotion of this cause, and when lis
success to degree triumphsd, ever aeiuatrd
our people. As | conceive it, the spirit
which then moved the people ia this great
cause, aud prompted them to such lavish
expenditure of money, though forward aud
active, was indeed passive as regards the
great aims. objects aud aspirations to which
it now lays claim. Then education was
sought after as a mere preparation or means
for political preferment, professional gain or
society position 10 bpaumond. The object
10 view now is more exalted. 1t has for
its object fuller and more complete dpvrl-
Upmrnt Of manhood aud womsnhOOd Edu.
cation was then iOr classes Of the people, bu'
now it is for the masses Of them. It's iuAu
snce thu tended to Ut utfxpdnrss, restlessnrss
disntpgrat Ou aud fnal dissolution, whil-
now it tends to lixeduess, compaclnrss. con.
srrvalism aud uDlon. That the tendencies
are all this way | presume no one will or
can dispute. The causes to which this state
of affairs is attributable are two. First. a
more prosperous condition of the people,
taken as a whole; aud secondly, felt ne~
Cessity for education, which has grown out
Of tho new order of things resulting from
the war The first proposition may meet
with many opposrrs. but if they will take
the pains to institute close and rigid com
parison between the condition Of the people
generally before the war and their condition
at the present time. they will fud it strictly
correct The other proposition is so plainly
seen and kpenIy felt by every individual that
its ready acceptalion is beyond a doubt
In the fret, although correct, we may not
fud such lavish expenditure of money, yet
in the other VIZ shall fnd a more lavish ex
progress 10 the most emphatic maoner, Aud
this progress consider permanent, at least
so long as the political condition of tbr
country improves. or even so long as ii
remains the same it now lie. One evidences
of growing prosperity aud consequently
progress in education, is the favor into which
the private Tor as many denomiuats it. the
pay school sys,rm.j is growing This sys.
TEN is being revived rapidly to it's wOntrd
position, and SO soon as increasing prosperity
comes to us these schools will br indefinitely
multiplied, until the entire county will be-
come completely stocked with them. Even
now many secIiOns which heretofore piIhrl
could not or would not support pubic
schools. are nav not only palreuizing then
literally but are endpavoriug to continue
them through an Jiher four months privAt,
or pay term. But ,6itI all this progress
has this interest been placed upon an pqua
footing with other State interests, or upon
footing commensurate with it's Importance
Although a great deal has been done,
think not. True it is, our Legislature ha
given Us public school eystem, aud con
tributes means annually to support it to
slight extent and has established a colleg
or university at each Of the places Oxford
Oakland aud StarksvilIr, to which it apprO
PIRATES yearly ample support, and perbap
have assisted other private enterprises. "
: doubt very much that the cause receive
that attention aud patronage which it de
serves We know that different persons
different standponts. having different intel
eats at stake. are most apt to take dif-ret
views Of matters, aud this may be the cat
10 regard to the subject 10 hand but
must say, after having divrstrd myself Of a
the bias aud prejudice possible. that | rrgar
the educational QUESTION as the one par
mount to any other which may or eau cha
leuge the attention Of either citizen or la
maker. The world at large has advauc,
too far 10 civilization to either stand still
receds, and per torres Of necessity it mu
advance. Quiet, order peace happinrs
freedom, government existence itself, all d
maud that an advance should b. msde-at
surely since all these. as most assuredly The
do, depend upon the educational interest
should not then these interests recrivs Il