The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-09-14
NEWBERRY, S. c., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER Il, 1882.


tation as to make me afraid be
was committing the belnous OF.
fence of doubling my word. But,
as | have been just initiated, the
noses of this class OF persons,
which used to be elevated to the
extent of lifting bats, have now
taken q downward tendency, and
DO longer affect mans horizontal
vision. The only thing that
Southern men claim is that u
thoroughly educated man at the
South is as thoroughly educated as
thoroughly educated man at the
North. They we'll know, and
none so sadly lament the fact,
that there is more illiteracy at the
South in comparison to populs-
ton than at the North, but this
arises eolely from the superior
common school advantages Of The
more favored region. There is
wilder diffusion Of rudimentary
knowledge in the North, but,
when you rise to higher educa-
ton, l think the proposition can
be maintained" that there is as
large per cent. of finished sehol.
ars in the South incorporation to
the nnmber VhQ gre educated at
all, as in the North. The above
sentence expresses my deliberate
conviction, formed after long aud
intimate association with many
representative educators and ed.
ucated men in both sections OF
our country. The great need OF
the Sotrb, then, is
COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM
that will ramify every portion Of
the South and extend the light
of elementary education into it's
darkest corners. But, before pro
ceeding to show wnat is being
done there to promote this bene'
fcent system, let me correct one
or two other opinions that pre-
vail in New England with regard
| to the attitude of Southern mon
toward modern authors. Every
once in a while some genial writer
visits the South, enjoys Q cuIti-
waited association with the more
favored individuals Of that be-
nighted region, and returns to
write bis opinions concerning pnen
and things there. Usually he be-
gins by complimenting his friends,
whose kindness be has enjoyed, on
their classical knowledge and
tastes !; assuring his readers that
be found numerous persons who
were familiar with Shakespeare,
Addison, Johnson, Bunyau, Mil
ton, Burke, Sheridan and Macau-
lay (perhaps y; found persons who
could quote whole pages of fSocrate,
Homer and Virgil, but who were
unacquainted with Tennyson,
Browning, Dickens. Tbackeray,
Stanley and Maurice, and were alb.
solutely ignorant that such men
as Longfellow, Whittier, Lowell,
Holmes, Howel!e and Aldrich ever
lived. Allowing his pen to guide
itself into whatever direction it
chooses, he becomes responsible
for the opinion that though The
| Spectator and the Rambler, and
the British essayists are found in
every home that pretends to have
a library, he could not discover
any copies of the Atlantic, Har
per's, North American, Century
Scientific Monthly and Other
magazines Of this country ane
Europe. In other words, his gooc
friends are classical, antiquatec
set, who live in the past and never
read book until it is 100 year.
old. BY the way, didn't Carlyl'
say 10 book was worth reading
that had not been before the publi'
for a century 1t is perfectly pos
! sible to account for the Ignorance
of Southern people Of the particu
lar writings Of men like Longtel
E low and Whittier and others wh'
gave literary tone and characte
to the agltations of 40 years age
without accusing them OF belnj
ignorant Of the existence Of thos
, eminent authors. Slavery was /
-e1istence then, slavery was yer.
tender subject With Southern pee
! pie, aud
y THE DISTINGUISHED WRITER'S
above named devoted much
r their literature TO the holy caus
Q of arorsing Christian sentlmen
o against the sum Of all villalnles