The Osceola times., 1883-10-20
(Communicatcdl
Equipping Youth for the
War.
Knowledge, WILL, OBEDlENcl


=" Three roots bear up Dominion; knowledge,
will,
These two are strongi but stronger still the
third,
OBsDIgscK; 'tis the great tap root, which
still
Knit round the rock Of duty, is not stirred,
Though storm and tempest ,pend thet utmost
skhl.'
The germ of all true education
will be found in the verse which we
have Just quoted; but the popular
notion seems to be, that mere knowl-
edge, the accumulated experiences
and discoveries Of others, is the sole
end and aim of education. The illit-
crate Roman, through courage and
obedience, conquered the civilized
world; his degenerate SUCCESSORS lost
their empire and dominion and were
in their turn enslaved by savage bar
banans, simply because they had lost
the sgiH, the courage, to defend their
inheritance. These conquered Ro-
mans were profoundly versed in all
the learning of the ancients, but they
had forgotten and neglected the
humble virtues of discipline and
obedience, without which, knowl-
edge is little better than lunacy.
First, this renowned people, while
ruling the world, lost the rule over
thcmselves--lost the power of self
government, and the sccptrc of the
people passed into the hands of a
single despot. Then relieved of all
care for public concerns, they sat
down to have good, easy life of it,
which being seen by the barbarians,
they came, and even the appearance
of their power ceased, and they were
made slaves.
What is the object of Education?
To give reason and conscience the
command over the inferior impulses
and passions; to teach men how to
govern themselves. The mass of
| mankind are deficient in the power
| OF seIf-governmcnt, and hence they
are to-day, even in the American
repablic ruled by a few. In theory
we govern ourselves; practically, we
are governed by the few. The
American people approximate nearer
| to the ideal of self-govesnment than
any people OF modern times; but
whether they have attained the thing
itself, whether they really do GOV
ERN, is a question which thinking
men and women are beginning to
doubt. Those men in Ohio, lately,
who went to the polls with their bal
lots in their vest pockets, and voted
the ticket made out at home, had
evidently learned to THINK, and tc
act as they thought, and were actu'
ally exhibiting capacity for self
government. Was their conduct an
example of the general conduct ol
the American voter!
Learning is noble instrument
but learning is not knowledge, and
without WILL, is nothing, is lame
inefficient, perplexed by doubts, ano
frightened by imaginary difficulties
and dangers. VIII without knowl
edge is often dangerous, lawless anc
self-destructiye, ard can only be
controlled by statutes and penalties
The truly educated, are they who
have heads to think. courage to act
and consciences to keep them in obc
dience to the laws of God and man
and any system of education whici
fails to teach the duty of obedience
to the demands of Duty, if it doe
not misedueate, at least falls short o
its principal object. The aspiration
of the people at this day Is for a sys
TEN of education which will develop
the will, and cnlighten the consciene'
as well as cultivate and polish thu
intellect; system which will teael