The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-06-12
ADDRESS ON EDUCATION.
W. R. HENRY, ESQ.
Before the Teachers Institute for
Vance County, Friday, May 3Oth.

Superintendent of Public Instruction for
Vance county, the following address was
delivered before the Teachers Institute,
Friday, May 3Oth. Being introduced by
the Superintendent as one who is ever
ready to respond to the call of his fellow
and one whose voice the people of Vance
county always delight to hear, Mr.. Henry
said
Mr.. Chairman, Teachers Of Vance County;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
/ am proud to have this opportunity
of expressing a few thoughts On the great
subject OF Education.
| congratulate the teachers of Vance
county that they have as an instructor
Prof. McIver-who delivered such mag
nifcent address this morning. He is one
of North Carolina s foremost Educators,
one who for ten years has engaged all of
his energy and talent in advancing the
cause of Intellectual Improvement in our
State, and who has done SO, SO success
fully that his fame as a Teacher and In
structor extends from the mountains to
the sea.
l salute him with pleasure and pride as
an old companion at the University of
North Carolina, and seize this occasion to
say that l hope his days may be greatly
prolonged and that his eminent ability
and fitness for this his chosen life-work
will continue to be enlisted in the contest
against the Demon of Ignorance that
dwells within our borders-until that
Demon shall lie PROSTATE and the Sun OF
Intelligence shall battle all our valleys,
hills and homes in it's golden splendor.
VALUE OF LEARNING.
Ny friends you remember that when
Cardinal Richelieu was informed that the
| conspirators would attempt to assassi-
nate him that evening in the Chapel, he
had brought to him his mighty two
handled sword that he had welded with
such amazing prowess against the Eng
| lish in days gone by, and holding it up,
exclaimed-"A tOy-a feather then;" and
letting it fall he remarked, "you see, a
child could slay Richelieu now
,, And then one of his attendants starting
up, cried, "But now, at your command are
other weapons. my Good Lord"
Then Richelieu taking up pen said
True-This."
| "Beneath the rule of men entirely great
the pen is mightier than the sword"
| "BehOld ! the enchanter's 8 wand-itself q
nothing.
| But taking sorcery from the master
hand to paralyze the CRzars-and to
strike the loud earth breathless.
My friends, Richelieu meant the pen to
represent oWledge-Civili-
zation.
The sword to typify Force-and as his
mighty mind swept down the corridors
of Time and over the battle plains OF
earth he turned and looked upon the
achievements of the Pen-Education.
And he was then forced to exclaim ''The
pen is mightier than the sword.'
Yes, it has made human weakness more
than a match for adverse circumstances
1t has put natures gigantic forces in our
grasp. 1t has made the "infinite mead
forget-me-nots of the angels a sailing
back the curtains of the skies, and we
may see there, the wheeling worlds, and
adamantine spheres. 1t has peered deep
beneath old oceans heaving bosom, and
thrown light into his dark unfathomed
caves. 1t flies the white-winged birds of
ocean before the breezes of every cline.
With the giant arm of steam it has revo-
lutionized the world. 1t has pierced the
mountains, and brought forth their rich
ores and precious stones. 1t has adorned
the world with the grand creations of
| Art and Science-made it melodious with
the immortal masterpieces of Verdi and
Beethoven, of Schubert, Meyerbeer, of
Chopin and Litz. By the witchery of it's
wand it has changed days into moments,
has thrown a girdle of electricity around
the world, uniting all the nations OF
earth, and in a thousand ways has ele-
waited, refined and happified man.
Solomon expressed the same sentiment
as Richelieu when he exclaimed in those
grandly beautiful words:
"Happy is the man that findeth wis
dom, and the man that getteth under
standing-for the merchandise of it is
better than the merchandise of silver,
and the gain thereof than fine gold. She
is more precious than rubies, and all the
things that thou canst desire are not to
be compared unto her length of days is
in her right hand, and in her left-riches
and honor"
And Lord Bacon expressed the same
thought in three words when he wrote,
knowledge is power
We should appreciate the advantages
that we now enjoy. We should congrat-
ulate ourselves that we live in an age
when learning is fostered and disseminated
by our laws and institutions-not as it
should be, but still to a greater extent
than ever before fin the history of the
world.
We are told that "But a little while
ago, Learning was confined to the few,
and the learned men dwelt apart from
the common herd as the people were then
called, in private retreats, in the cloisters
OF the monks, and in the palaces OF the
mobiles. Lives and fortunes were frittered
away, in search of the philosopher 5
stone which was to turn everything it
touched into gold, and enClow with per
petual youth it's fortunate possessor
The most acute and polished intellects OF
the day, helped to bewilder the credulous
by accounts of nations OF Amazons, O
men whose heads We're beneath theil
shoulders, of Eldorado and its noun
tains of glittering gold.' That is al
changed now Learning has been eman
cipated by the press, and by the spirit o
the age. 1t is now free to all who viii
drink of it's crystal waters.
READING AS a MEANS TO EDUCATION AMI
CULTURE.
One of the principal methods by which
We may acquire Learning, is by reading
Very few persons know how to read
Coleridge has divided readers into foul
classes: the first he compares to the houl
, glass, their reading being like the sand
which runs in and runs out leaving NJ
vestige behind: the second class he com
pares to a sponge, which imbibes every
thing and returns it in nearly the sam
state; the third class he compares to tn
Jelly bag which allows all that is pure t.
pass away, and retains only the dregs
the fourth class, he says, is like the slav
of Golconda, who, casting all else aside
, preserves only the pure gem. Let us Ell
deavor to be of the fourth class. Procur
books to read, not costly ones, but goot
books, standard histories, biographies
novels. poems. books of travel, scenery