Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-07-02

away, yet their habits and modes OF procuring
food, are the same to-day us they were in cen.
turtles past
| Nature through instinct provides for tho
comfort OF insect bird and beast, but man has
been loft, to study out for himsels the best
mode Of obtaining his sustcnnnce, Of sheltcring
himself from the cold and rain, and Of living n
happy and peaceful life.
| 1t is true that TO man has been given power,
| through the cultivation Of which he not only
makes himself master Of the brute creation, but
also of many of the forces of nature. This power
| Is the mind, upon which all prog ,ss depends.
lie has passed from the condition OF the pri'
mitive man, clad In the skins of beasts aud
dwelling In caves, lgnorapti iot the use Of cloth
or metals, through all the grades Of savage bur.
barsm and cvilizotion, up ut the highest form OF
modern enlightenment. lie has accomplished all
this aud more. by cultivntng the mental powers.
The latent faculties OF tho mind will remain
useless unless they are trained, and this can bc
done only through their being bruIght Into
play by process of culture.
Education, then, is thp true motor, which by
impcling that powerful engine the intellect
causes the car of human progress to advance.
Mans nature is thrccfOld, therefore true cdu-
cation Is triunc, training the body, intellect
and spirit, Physical education would almost
seem to be primary, for without this the other
two are imperfect sound mind In n sound
body is familiar but nevertheless true maxim
Our moral education is by far the most import
ant for 1t is by this that our thoughts, our nc
tions, and very characters are formed. II is this
which imparts to us n sense OF our duty, and by
which the destiny of our Intellect is controlled,
This part of our culture is chiefly acquired from
| the surroundings of every day life.
| The education of the intellect, while 1t may
| not be the most important has undoubtedly
wrought the most apparent chungns. 1t Is this
| force which has substituted experiments for
hypothcses, facts and principles for mere sup.
positions, truth for error, and not only shed
| light upon the history of the past but also upon
| that of the futnre.
I Mental culture refnQs, II bears the same re-
lation to the mind that the sculpture does to the
| block of marble, and brings out TO prominence
those powers in which man was intended to be
| superior to the lower animals. 1t has raised the
| standard OF morals and diminished the number
of wars, the schoolmaster taking the place oi
the soldier. In our oYn country the plan oil
our present educational system is not to see how
many individuals 1t can raise to prominence, bu
how much 1t can raise the intellectual standard
of the mass OF the people.
| 10 u rcpuUllChu lOrln Vi OlgONeTnHeut, tnls plhl
| is indispensable. Since the interests OF the
State are in the hands of the people, and theii
officers are chosen by and from the people the
government itself will represent the character
istics of that people.
If ignorance and crime prevail among the
people, 1t must necessarily be represented in the
government, just as truly as are intelligence and
virtue. From histopcal facts we learn that Q
free nation is an intellectual one. while on the
contrary dcspotic governments always have
ignorant subjects. No words will better expires,
the relation of government to education thar
those of Washington, THAT in proportion as th
structure OF government gives force to publ
opinion is 1t essential that public opinion b.
enlightened"
Again. education has accomplished much to
ward raising the standard of morality. Their
was period in the worlds history when relig
ious wars were common, when the standard Q
morality was very low, when even witchcrai
and other fantastic ideas held possession of til
minds OF the people.
But those ages have passed away, and at pres
cnt the tendency OF the advanced nations OF tn
whole world Is TO universal education. In thi
alone lies the true strength of any nation. Thi
is the true palladium without which her down
, fall and ruin must inevitably come.