The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-28
MAKERS OF HISTORY.

'.Who saves his country, saves all things
And all things living bless him,
Who lets his country die, lets all things
die,
And all things dying curse him.
The probable destiny of America has
been and is a subject of much specula-
ton. We are apt TO smile when we
hear the school-boy discussing III high |
sounding periods whether the signs OF
the times indicate long life to the Re
public and yet that same school-boy |
has his part, great or small, IN deter
mining some element in the future of
this great country. And it is to the
aggregation of school-boys, gathered IN
all our institutions of learning, from
the powerful university down to the
mud-daubed free school on the mount
ain side, that the functions OF govern
ment, the duties and responsibilities OF
citizenship are finally to be entrusted.
There can be no such thing as
good government existing continuous
ly. without good subjects. And he who
aids in the work of making honest,
intelligent and capable citizens, is pa
triot and deserves the recognition and
support of society. He is maker OF
history. The schooI-teacher, wherever
he is suited to the task before him, IS an
active agent for the perpetuatlon OF the
institutions of free people. AS to his
work. from an intellectual standpoint
as to the beneficial results of instruct
ion. these need not be argued. They
have been dwelt upon at length a
thousand times They are the subjects
of any number of learned discourses,
profound theses and eloquent Oratlons.
But it is to the work of the teacher IN
the formation of character and morals,
that I wish to call attention.
The theory has been urged over and
over again that "What is in man will
come out of him" Or in other words
that education is nothing more than
the development of latent qualities
Possibly this may be true, if reference
is made only to the evolution OF the
mind. The man who was born with
the soul OF an artist might never sue
ceed as stock-broker.
But when we take the citizens char
acter, and not his occupation, into con
sideratiOn we find the declaration "W ha
is in a man Will come out OF him"
miserable and deceptive half-truth
More often what is put into MAJ
comes out of him, not what has existed
, in him from the beginning. The mine
at its creation is little more than capac
ity and tendency. Suppose there ha
been a generation of malefactors. TIL
child of such parents comes into tn
world with a capacity for good and
tendency toward evil. The office {
the teacher is to develop the good
to repress the evil. His business is
throw the attraction of personal lnf1l
ence over the pupil, until the boy ca
look at his master and say II wish
be like him"
The teacher can be largely instr
mental in imparting knowledge whlc
will enable the boy to know what
right the teacher can AID IN lmplan
- ing goodness that will prompt the DO
to do what is right.
. Is the teacher patriot? Is he a
" corded the importance that he deserve:
90 We cannot doubt that the faithful teacl
~ er is swelling the ranks of good citize1
in the Republic of America; and tn
'e many thousands have passed from u
d. der his guidance and instructions, Il
e by his hand, to become citizens OF Il
a kingdom OF heaven.
r. Four Big Successes.