The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-20
may come benefcent peace and orde
and assurance.
and maybe widest dreams
Axe but the cetdfuI p-eIudeS Of the truth :

may come beneficent peace and order
and assurance.
and maybe widest dreams
Axe but the aeedful p:eludes Of the truth"
If so, most assuredly we are not faI
out q. sea, because We have super.
abundance of "needful preludes."
No scheme is so visionary; no dream
is so fanciful; no measure is so impracti-
bic; no undertaking is so idle; no move
ment is so Quixotic as not TO gather
about it quite a number Of advocates,
supporters, and sym pathizers.
These are statements of plain facts.
In the presence Of such aggravated
symptoms, one becomes a little un.
comfortable, aud this feeling is rather
intensified by the plain lessons of his
tory. recall an incident in the life OF
Scipio Africanus. The record is that
when this general stood in sight of
burning Carthage, with which Rome
bad for centuries been contending for
the mastery of the world, he burst into
flood of tears and repeated the we'll
known utterance Of Homer:
1.-THE time shall come when sacred Troy shall
! be leveled with the plain,
And e.iam and the people of that proud war,
rior slain
In explanation of his tears and
speech he said:
"Abyssinia has fallen; Greece has
fallen; Carthage is burning; and Rome's
time will be next"
Rome's fate would seem to indicate
that be was moved by the true spirit
Of prophecy. may not be thus actu-
ated; but l cannot thas feel as l look
upon the events of the present. Surely
we have reached that stage of Christian
/ enlightenment, which will qualify US
for needing the admopi.ions of history
aud for stunning the rocks upon which
other nations have been wrecked.
Surely we shall not suffer ourselves to
be compelled to make the humiliating
confession that history has been writ
ten in vain and studied TO no purpose.
turn t. more pleasing picture.
recall the glowing countenauce of the
late DR.. SInellzer, a former president Of
this College, as he used to recite to us
in the class room an incident which be
claimed TO have taken place in Nat
ional Convention Of Germany. This
convention had been called to consider
plans for recovering the lost fortunes of
Germany, when she had been defeated
in battle by France. Different plans
had been proposed and discussed. Still
no satisfactory solution OF the perpiex-
ing problem seemed possible. btlength
one arose and said Lets try educa-
sion." The unbounded qualification
which it evidently afforded the then
I yrcn h,,f SoiH tod
tor to recount the great success OF the
plan proposed and adopted, left no
room for doubt as to his just pride Of
national lineage, or as to his estimation
of the value, Importance, and possible
achievements Of education.
| I do not doubt the authenticity of
this incident though I have never seen
the record. We know, however, that
| in that critical moment Of the nations
history the philosopher Fichte success
fully carried proposition to reconstruct
the entire educational system of Ger
many. The wisdom of his plan was
demonstrated by the successful CAM
paigns conducted by those whose train
ing had been liz accordance with its
provisions. -.
The French leaders, declared: "It
was the schools of Germany that con-
quered at Sedan" D..
That declaration was a worthy compli-
ment to Germany g system ofeducation.
1t reveals, along with the very design
for which that system was constructed,
| that the military feature was promi.
nent; that a thorough acquaintance
| with tactics was emphasized, and thai
| her success was largely due to the pro-
vision which she made for training
and drilling and disciplinlng her men.
So | would endeavor to urge the i'm
portance-yea the absolute necessity of
Christian Education as being the essen
Glal and only adequate means by which
the great problems confronting US may
J be satisfactorily solved, and the antag-
onisms which are a menace to civiliZa-
tion may be permanently removed.
l use the qualifying word Christian
| to indicate where the emphasis must
be placed; and that, because, as every
one must recognize, the safety and
permanency Of our institutions depend
upon the wise aud proper settlement
of the burning questions, which have
for years, been struggling for recogni-
| ton, and which have low come into
prominence with an almost startling
| rapidity and alarming gravity, con-
tradictiLg the old theories of political
economy and spurning the quackery
which has hitherto given temporary
relief.
know of DO better definition of such
education than that given by Dr..
Phillip S. Moxom who says that it "is
the unfolding Of our entire nature-of
mind, heart, conscience and wiIl-into
strength, efficiency, and beauty" It's
design must be to develop and train the
faculties Of our being in such mann.r as
will render them roost easily available
and most powerfully effective for all
the duties and responsibilities of life.
It's aim must be to make 1.-The right q
principle of being and the good an
ohjecs of attainment" And just 80 far
as an education falls short Of instiling
that principle and Of giving that
metal, and physical training, neces-
sary To qualify man for the successful
pursuit Of that object, just that far,
ut leost, is it sadlv deticl. Ut, and just
that far, at least, is it failure in the
production of the highest type of true
manliuess and of true wopanliness.
In this connection, I have used the
phrase ''at least" deliberately and
thoughtfully. For it must be obvious
to all that the mere failure to attain
unto this high aim, or to inspire with
this high purpose, may not be the
most disastrous result of defective
education. Its crowning evil may be
the low, or false, or selfish ideal which
it sets up.
I doubt not the correctness of Locke's
position, when he said: II think we
may assert that in hundred men there
are more than ninety, who are what
they are, good or bad, useful or perpi-
cious to society, from the instruction
they have received. 1t is on education
that depend the great differences
observable among them"
"And such is mana soil which breeds
Or sweetest flowers or vilest weeds;
Flowers lovely Al the morning light
Weeds deadly IA an aconite:
Just as his heaIt is trained to bear
The poisonous weed, or the fiow'ret fair"
think that one of the most valuable
cont tributiOOS made tn tho oopcc rf