The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-07-20
THE CORNER STONE.
Speech Of Col. j. =. Thomas at the
Laying Of the Corner Stone Of the
Public school Building at Abbe-
willie. JUIy 80. 1892.

Appreciating the high characteristics of this
comrnunily-irs elevated manhood and re-
fined womanhood-I feel specially honored in
the invitation to address you to-day.
And l congratulate myself upon the cir
cumstances OF the occasion. II is pleasant 10
me that we are not TO engage IN the poleinlcs
of politics. however important in their place,
but i'm the dalecticS of education-that We are
TO deal With influences, not cyclOnic in their
character, but with those that operate like
the silent, unseen forces of nature-inflnence>
that TALL upon community like the gentle
dews from heaven upon the place beneath
blessing them that give and them that take.
The occasion iariteS US TO consider the
teachers work-a work that does so much for
home and State. Nor is II possible to InnEnl-
~ unduly what the true teacher accompllsheS
in his day and generation. or TO honor him
too much.
His Influence survives him. and not unfre-
quently he deserves 10 rank among those
dead but Sceptred soverelgnS VINO rule our
spirit from their urns."
More enduring Than laurelS of warrior, or
bays OF poet or wreathS Of StateSmanshlp Is
the civic crown of the masteriul teacher.
Not wanting, therefore, in true dignity is
the purpose Tor which we are assemDleu III
old dAbbevilIe-around which gathers memo
ries of arms as well as arts that 1--WE would
not willingly let die
HISTORY WHICH HAS NOT BEEN FULLY
WRITTEN.
The history Of education in South Carolina
"a subject so worthy OF historic genlus-has
never been fully written. True, valuable con-
trlbutions have from time 10 time been made
thereto from the periods OF Dalcho and OF
Ramsay to the present time. But no artist
has arisen TO collect these scattered parts and
iorm them into one harmonious Whole.
Hence our epic OF letters, with its strikiE ep-
isodes, remains 10 be composed.
Much light, however, has, II Is conceded,
been thrown upon the question In some com
paratively recent publications. we refer 10
Prof r. Means Daviss Historical Sketch in
the South Carolina Hand Book to the paper,
entitled, Education in South Carolina prior
Edward McCrady: and to Mr. Colyer Meri-
wethers Monograph. published by the Bu-
reau OF Education at Washington-an admir-
able treatise more thorough ana com prehen.
sive than any hitherto written on the subject
"a treatise well calculated to excite the inter
esl and kindie the State pride OF South Caro-
linIans.
THE CHURCH AND THE SCHOOL HOUSE.
To 90 back TO the beginning in this great
matter OF education in the State, one fact con-
fronts US in the earliest settlements OF the col
ony-the prompt provision for the church
and the school house. This point, more eSpe-
cially as to the school, is what General Nc
Crady's paper establishes. MIR. McMaSter in
his History Of the People of the United
States, having made the charge OF the neglect
of education IN South Carolina prior TO and
during the Revolution, Gen. McCrady takes
issue with the historian and conclusiVe!y re-
flutes his statement. He proves that there
no neglect as alleReQ-ludl dl luc ClOSe VI
The Revolution there were twenty-five schools
In the twenty-fOur parishes and districts into
which the State was then dlVided-eleren
public and three charitable grammar schools,
and eight private schools. In summing up
the results of his acute investigation, Gen.
McCrady says: I'VE have shown, then, that
not only were our schools kept open during
the Revolution until actually closed by In
vadng armies. but that, even amidst scenes
of conflict and the distress OF war, our people
were alive 10 the interests OF education as
well as Of religion; that nothing but fire and
the sword closed our school houses
EARLY EDUCATION.
The truth Is that the record Of these early
efforts in behalf Of education as we'll as the
record OF subsequent achievements In The
sume cause furnishes striking demonstration
OF the fact that whether as colony or State
South Carolina has ever sought 10 provide the
means for the mental elevation of her sons.
The long list-the strong array OF schools,
academies apd colleges marshalled before us
10y our historians of education the generous
support long given TO the State institutions
the several schemes 10 develop the old system
OF free schools and the recent system OF pub
lie schools; the schools and institutes organ-
lied Tor the training OF teachers; the CROWN
ing provision for the higher education of wo-
mana long neglected. lributt-al II unite to
show how this common wealth, rejecting The
typical instincts Of HuguenOt and Cav raler, OF
Teulon and Celt. has nobly ana wisely met
the obligations growing out OF one OF It's high
OF the past come inspiration Tor the present
and hope for the future.
MILITARY AND LITERARY GLORY.
Nor have these educational enterprises that
bright the history of the Slate failed to pro-
duce signal results. Its not possible 10 meas,
ure their influence. That 1t was wide and
deep and strong-this may be taken Tor
granted. To no other single cause can be AS
cribed the pre.cminence OF South Carolina in
arms aid IN arts. From this source-from
these springs OF Iearning-Small and large
has sprung her military and her literary
glory. 1t was in her schools OF training and
discipline that was born and nurtured the
spirit of her eminent scholarship p and master
ly craftsmanship 1t WAS In these schools, re.
tnforced by the influence OF The home, that
her character was moulded. In military pres
iige, IN the departments OF history, poetry
and philosophy, how honorable Is the record
OF the State!
OUR ILIUSTRIoUS DEAD.
For Illustration in one line, read the roll of
our dead statcsmen-Drayton, OF Revolution
ary lame; Rutledge' OF heroic cast; Gadsden, Zen,
sentiment that the Presidency was an office
neither to be sought nor declined: Hayne, the
graceful Trojan Who measured swords with
the Grecian Achilles: McDuiiie. the Demos
themes OF his day; Preston, It's Cicero; Cal
houn, our Aristotle II thought and our Cato
in public life; Hammond. scholarly and phi.
losophical; and a host OF Others Of whom II
nest, patriotic men.
Thus has it been shown what South Carroll
na has done for education, and what cduca-
tion has done for South CaioiiDa.
ABBEvILLE's EDUCATIONAL RECORD.
Passing now from the State to the county
let us turn the light upon AbheNiIle and eX-
anime her educational record.
Familiar Us this record no doubt Is To her
citizens our analysis us well Us cur Synthess
need be but brief For long period OF years
the recognized exponent OF tn" best thought
and the highest tone OF the Stale, no county
in South Carolina has more suggestive edu-
catiOnal career.
IL was on the bequeSt OF DR.. John Della
Howe, of Abbcville county, that the first
manual labor school in the United STATES was
founded-a school conducted Tor many years
at Lethe, the home of the ttStatOr-the name
implying q characteristic Husuenotic contri-
button to the cause Of practical education Tor
charity's sake
il was too, in the County of Abbevile that
there existed the school of james j.. l.esly,
and that of NJ. J. Williams among whose stu
dents were men who In after years achieved
State reputation.
THE STORY OF WELLINGTON.
But the greatest Of all the private schools,
with which the county is credited, and one OF
the most remarkable in the Union was the IA
NOUS academy established by DR.. Moses Wad-
dell at Wlllington, his country Scat-So ably
conducted by the founder and Su uoSeQuently
carried on with varying success by the line Of
teachers who one after another bore the ban
ner appraised in lsOi by him, aptly called "the
Thomas Arnold OF South Carolina"
The story OF Wellington reads like Il ro-
nance Of letters. Surely, II any educator has
ever deserved the civic crown, II Is Moses
Waddcll, the masterful teacher. Time nor oc-
casion allows here the history OF his life and
Iabors, so rich in the fruitage OF great men.
His was q work essentially grand-suggestive
of the power of thought-the magic OF mind
illustrative of the victories Of peace nobler
al nf,ft 4 tIn