The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1893-11-24
AMERICAN CHILDRl''
WHEREIN THEIR EDUCATIONAL Taf
ING IS DEFECTIVE.

or and Farseeing Trench-The Need o!
American Youth.
A subtle distinction between ''instruc
ton" and education" is admirably
drawn by that people most highly en-
dowed with strong analytical faculty
the French, with the habit of keen scru-
tiny, thorough investigation and just de-
duction usual with them The difference
existing between acquired knowledge on
the one hand and inculcated virtues on
the other has been embodied in these
separate appellations, which carry with
them two distinct meanings. Both may
be largely possessed apart from the 9th,
er.
But when both are combined in one
individuality the highest degree Of ex.
cellence has been obtained Of which the
human race is capable.
With us in America it is fair to state
that instruction from books. in school and
college, where the aim must Of necessity
be only the development of the mind and
intellect. in conjunction with religious
freside. sums up the education generally
given to the youth of the country, even
among the prosperous and the wealthy
But between these two lines of educa-
tion. both admirable and necessary,
stands more subtle and intangible form
of mental and moral training which
embraces the development of the finer
chords OF both the intellect and the
sentiments having for effect not only
to instill desire for knowledge and
virtue and reproval Of vice, but to ed
ucate as to the desirability of that SUI
perior excellence which enables the pos
SCISSOR to strive for the ideal graces and
beauties, which, when understood and
practiced. produce perfect civiliza-
ton.
That religion alone cannot give this
result is shown by the fact that the ex-
trerne and beautiful polish to character
and the broad aesthetics it evolves have
been possessed by men and women who
have acknowledged no attachment to re-
| ligious creeds and again By members of
/ Christianity and paganism alike. while
the bookworm and the savant, whose
mind is the crowded receptacle of mar
velous agglomeration of knowledge, may
be absolutely lacking in this particular
! phase of culture.
| 1t is this education. which does not ap-
ply exclusively to the intellectually nor
to the moral sense, but envelops the
whole being through a cultivation Of the
receptive faculties and finer instincts.
| which is denolninated education" by
| the French. and which should be applied
! with greater care in America to the
! training Of youth. for as a factor in en-
| lightenment and progress its value is
enormous With the many splendid
qualifications given by nature to the
| American citizen, and which the polt-
| ical institutions under which he lives
| has fostered. his sturdy self dependence,
spirit Of inquiry, his energy and natural
| intelligence. if aided by strong de-
veiopment in this direction, would pro-
duce remarkable results both in the in
dividual and for the masses.
For it is evident that from a cultiva-
tion Of this phase Of the human mind
springs the conception and execution of
all that pertains to the arts, fine and in
dustrial. they being the tangible ex-
pressions of the aspirations and genius
Of those from whom they have emanated
Unless the trend of a people be toward
an ideal existence, stretching beyond the
absorption of effort merely to supply
the wants Of mans physical life, neither
poet. sculptor nor painter nor the artis-
tic and accomplished artisan will emerge
to adorn and testify to their civilization
ard their superiority. Indeed expan-
sion in this direction proves the condi-
tion of national life with O sure and
true precision.
The time has come when an education
tending toward similar results should
occupy public thought in this country.
solving the problem of national exist
ence. It is just to say. however. that
there has bee1 an advance, noticeable in
large centers, which has been brought
about by friction and competition and
the contact with our nationalities. vary
ing opinions and antagonistic creeds
But the general Improvement has not
been in accord with the capabilities in
that direction OF the American people,
nor proportionate with the Increased
wealth. for outside OF our large cities, in
tho interior portions Of the country, Life
is still nnjustinably primitive. and
those living on plain and frontier. in
mountain and forest. are unculturea be-
yond what their isolation would justify
Again il is noticeable that the educa-
ton of the ctildren Of those classes pos
eessed OF ample means is in these Unit
ed States generally superficial The
American early youth among the edu-
Gated classes which are those exerting