The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-07-23

country. Schools aud books
and all the modern appliances
and means Of education are at
your com nand. Your school
houses and institutions CO learn
ing, and your churches all un-
der y0ur own nlanageinaDt and
control, greet the eye Al every
cross road all over the country.
Oh, you are ten thousand times
ten thousand degrees hlest
above your an ;estors i'll all that
is good and great aud glorious,
in all that makes life worth
living. There's d divinity that
shapes our ends, Rough-hew
them how we will"
| am no prophet. ] ain Ii It
even the son Of prophet. But
If | we're one or both it would
require no prophetic eye to see,
III your thirst for knowledge, in
your noble efforts to elevate
yourselves and Your race i'll the
scale Of civilization, the magni-
ficent future before You. The
same Providence that brought
you out of the jungles Of Africa,
the same Providence that threw
around you chains and slavery,
the same Providence that broke
your manacles and set you free,
never moves without a purpose.
Who says, who can say, you are
not the chosen instruments In
the hand Of God to carry glad
tidings of great joy" 10 your
benighted brethren in Africa?
Who says it is not yours to
Garry to them the blessings Of
civilization. Yours to carry to
them tho gospel Of peace and
salvation. Yours to arouse them
from q state of savage cruelty
and barbarism to the full snd
perfect stature Of men before
God. Oh, what q glorious mis-
sion. It is q work worthy the
Isublimest ambition. All the
glory Of Alexander the Great
and the mightiest chieftains Of
song and story pale to utter
insigniticanCe before it. 1t may
be a thought or theory Utopian
in its conception, but you will
find its parallel in the story ofthe
children Of Israel. Some Moses
may yet arise and lead you to
d land Of Canaan all your own.
But let us leave these flights
of fancy perbaps, and come
down to the subject jmmedia-
tely before ns.
Ever since | became a NOM
Der Of this board it has been 81
source Of pleasure to me to
witness the widespread interest
in the subject of education
manifested by your race. Ac-
cording to my observation your
interest far exceeds in intensity
Of purpose the interest
manifested by the white race.
| hope you will not suffer tlis
intereat to flag. And l trust
this Institute will be the means
Of arousing you, who are TO be
the educators Ut your race, TO
renewed zeal and ENTHUSIASM in
The cause. You are in great
measure to mould the life,
character and morals Of your
race. 1t is yours to deal with
the young mind when the sensi-
| bilities are tender, when deep
and permanent impressions may
be made. No truer saying ever
| entered into the lnaxims Of any
language than this line from
Alexander Pope. Gust as the
twig is bent the tree is inclined"
AS you train and develop
the child SO will be to very
great extent Its future career.
| The little tree, the offspring Of
the acorn, under your fostering
care and culture becomes the
tall and stately oak giving
shade, comfort and protection
to man and beast, but neglected
it becomes crooked, gnarled aud
worthless, fit only to be deYour-
ed by the flames. There is a
trne education, and there is q
false education.
The Greeks and Persiaus and
other nations whose names have
come down to us on the scroll
OF ancient history, attached so
much Importance to education
that they made it compulsory.
In Sparta famed for the hero
ism and valor Of its people. &C
cording to the laws Of Lycrugus
the State took the education OF
children into its own hands.
VIII 81 boy child was born
the elders of the tribe visited
HIM and il he was found to be
deformed or weakly they con-
demned to him perish. They
wanted soldiers. They educa-
ted their children for war, for
c2ueuest. They exposed them
to every species of self-denyal
and hardship, cold, heat, hunger
and thirst. Literature was only
learned as a matter of necessity.
All the sciences were banisned
out Of the country. Their whole
college course could be sum |
med up in. how to obey, how to |
bear hardship and fatigue and |
how to conquer III battle. They |
vera taHpht fn ataal hao.,co - |