Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-08-30
DISCIPLINE or GENIUS.
An Able REPUTATION of Mischievous and
GroundIess Delusion.


An Able REPUTATION of a Mischievous and
GroundIess Delusion.
1t is still the fashion in certain
quarters to depreciate collegiate edu-
cation BY citing the examples OF men
who have risen to eminence in various
intellectual callings without having
been trained in the schools. We are
hidden to observe that many OF the
worlds greatest orators, poets Eand
statesmen, as we'll as some men whose
names stand high on the rolls of ar,
and science, were 1.-THE untaught chill
dren OF nature.n Whence is drawn
the inference, expressed or implied,
that, after all, elaborate mental train
Ing is OF doubtful value, even if it be
not positive hindrance in the strug-
gle for success. This kind of talk, at
all times sufficiently common, is es-
pecially rife each year Immediately
after the close of the commencement
season. The present, therefore, seems
to be a good opportunity for stating q
few plain facts in refutation of mis-
chievous and groundless dclusion. OF
course no one denies that indi-
vidual instances of splendid mental
achievement by persons not literally
educated may be easily pointed out; but
to assume that, as a rule, these men
were ''untaught" is to commit an
egregious blunder. Whenever the
vail is lifted and the world gets a
glimpse OF the inner life of one OF
these diamonds in the rough" it is
discovered that the diamond was most
assiduously polished. That the polish
ing was not done by professional
lapidaries in institutions established
for the purpose is fact of minor i'm
portance. A favorite instance with
the decriers of culture is Patrick
Henry. But the most recent and au
thentic biography of the famous rev
dictionary orator shows that the popu
lar impression about him is all wrong
in so far as it conceives Mr. Henry tc
have been an unframed prodigy o
genius. In the first place, his school
ing was much more and better thar
tradition has accounted it; and in thu
second place, instead of leaping at ;
bound into fame and fortune, h,
climbed by Slow toilsome steps. In
stead of neglecting the books an(
trusting to torrents of eloquence fo
success at the bar, Patrick Henry was
through all his early career, patient
plodding student, both of Law
and general literature. A still
more familiar instance is that of Rob
ert Burns. Certainly he affords
wonderful example of genius triumph
ant over adverse conditions. Hi
schooling was indeed meager. Yet
is doubtful whether any poet was eve
trained, even in the technicalities G
his art. 1t is thousand pities tina
those who talk SO glibly about Burn
as poet of nature and nothing else d
not read his autobiography. In tina
too brief story of himself the immorta
Scottish bard lets us see the process
through which he went in learning t
do his work. 1t was a process exactl
the same, IN all essentials, as tina
which is repeated year after year b
collegians of the present time. In tn
deplored absence of living teachers
Robert Burns sought instruction frol
books. He studied words, made list
of rhymes, analysed sentences in pros
and verse, diligently gave heed to a
the printed directions for the formatio
of style which came within his reach
observed and investigated, with vie
to avoiding like errors, specimens {
poetry, and unsparingly criticised hi
own productions in the light of all tn
knowledge gained by unwearied effort