The Russellville Democrat., 1890-09-11
Moral Education.
PAPER READ BEFORE THE POPE coUE TT TEACHERS INSTITUTE BY
 A. E. LEE.

PAPER READ BEFORE THE POPE coUs-
 TT TEACHERS INSTITUTE BY
 A. E. LEE.
 In the work of education parents and teachers are lsboring for one common end-the highest good of children. We should live for the children; the links in the generation of the human family, the hopes of the future of our civilization, the men and women of the days soon to come.
 This, then, should be our first study-the being to be taught; the child with al, tho possibilities before him which are implied by the pos session of the wonderful faculties: Human Intellect, Sensibility, and Will. Ah, how few of us study this threefold nature as we ought! Yet this is what we mean by edu cation-the development of the soul activities, knowing, feeling and will ing. Tue proper development of these activities secures ideal man. hood, the aim Of education. Let me for moment draw the distinction between knowledge and education. Physical education IS not the knowledge Of physiological facts alone, it is the symmetrical develop ment of the physicial organism.
 Intellectual education is not the Knowledge of facts of language, mathematics and science alone; 1t is the harmonious growth of all the faculties of the mental being.
 Neither is moral education the teaching of morals, the knowledge of what IS right and what is wrong it is the development of the moral nature, the soul, that God given part of human being that lifts him above the animal, gives him con captions of right and wrong, of du- ty, of conduct, and all the relations of man to man, man to himself, and man to God.
 All education is so blendid with, and 80 subordinate to, moral educa- ton that Col. Parker has said there is but one education and that is nor al training.
 The child's physical education should be our care as teachers and parents. Those stoop shoulders, those sunken chests, those shamb- ling galts, those deformed waists are our care. A little attention to hab- it's of erect carriage, graceful figures, and the laws of hygiene would pre- vent years of suffering and perhaps many an early death. The temper ance question if eyer settled will be done by educating the young in the effects of alcoholics and the benefits of right living.
 Watching thelr expanding lives and training them to be strong and nealthy when the lion of passion comes, this is the work of well conducted education. might dwell at length upon the culture of the feeling and the intellect; but in this realm of mental education we all feel most at home.
 I only wish to impress the fact that thls should be a growth; that the mind IS a tender plant to be nourished. not 8 storehouse to be filled; that as the body grows and natures by exercise, the same pria ciple holds good and the mind grows by doing and not by being done for. The teacher should be mind sutd ent He should know the natural order of the development of the mental faculties, and should shape his school course SO as to train them In this order.
 The moral faculties differ from the intellectual faculties in that they tend to action and not to knowledge. The moral faculties form the char acter, the intellectual faculties form the mind. The former leads us to virtue, the latter to knowledge.
 This, then, is our work-character building. Three .fourths of the mis cry in the world comes from fail ure to control the appetites and pas sions. Character building should give the power to say to the appe tites and passons, no. That man has an efficient education whose body is a ready servant of his will. By the will we mean the self.acting, self determining power Of the soul. The power that resists the appetites md brings them to reason.
 By sn abiding purpose the soul nay subject all its lower feelings to he higher and even to the control ,f moral principle. The forming 'f such supreme purpose has been O man the beginning of \ new moral fife. And 1t Is this voluntary or will clement in human action that gives | moral quality. An act of the will involves a choice, which must pass nto purpose to act in accordance with that choice. A choice Is present. act. A purpose Is state of will reaching from a choice to it's re Ilization. But neither choice nor Q pur- ,ose can pass into a deed until 1t is , xecuted by q volition, the final act f the will. A yolitIon Is the com. nand which the will issues to all ! he powers of the soul and the sub. { act body to attain the chosen end { 0 execute the settled purpose. It is this power of the soul to hoose and to put its choices into \