The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-14
THE TEACHERS, ASSEMBLY,.

Today an important gathering is to
AXE place at Wrightsville Beach.
near our city. The Teachers Assem-
bly, will meet. It is a notable body,
and at this time OF educational discus
sion. interest and progress, it can add
to the momentum, n broaden the
views Of men and and enlarge the OPP
erations of education as pur-
sued now. While the common
schools are of a very great m
p~ortance as in them the beginning of
teaching occurs, and the dawning
mind receives ordinarily it's first i'm
pressions of what it is to learn, it is
not to be denied that they have not
yet been madel all that they should be
or could be made. The Teachers As
sembly may even aid here. and give
a fresh impetus to their development.
In the walks of the higher education,
in its true meaning and effects, this
Assembly of teachers has lone al
ready much, and has yet a great work
to do. The Messenger recognizes the
Importance and influence of this great
DONg VI (CoSLcIS. 1IIclI IllS
sion is a noble one, and when rightly,
conscientiously pursued. is one of un-
mixed blessing to the homes, to So
ciety. to the state. The best education
does not stop with the Improvement,
the disciplining of the mind. The
moral nature is involved. and that ed
ucation is imperfect hat does not
make mon and wromap hattar &C uaII
as wiser. The school machinery may
be admirable, may run without friction
of any kind, may turn out scholars
and men and women of gifts and as
piration and usefulness. but unless the
moral being has been educated also,
has been uplifted, purified. ennobled,
there is failure in part, and, it may
prove most g%rievous. most lamentable.
So important is this double response
bility, this twin-duty, to educate the
mind and the soul, that if failure does
come the education received may to
many prove a serious curse in the end.
So impressive, so grave, so pregnant
with veal or woe is this education of
which we write. that it is every way
worthy of the best minds. the profound
est learning and the deepest RESPONSE
bility Of all qualified teachers n
friends Of the best, truest education.
May the present session of the Teach
ers' Assembly have this double inter-
est before them, and may they set in
motion some plan that shall greatly
help to increase bot sound scholar
ship and a spiritual edification and up
lifting.
A very able, thoughtful, distinguish
ed divine. Rev. DR.. Henry Collin Men
ton, moderator of the Northern AS
sembly of the Presbyterian church,
preached before that great body a ser
mon of unusual interest. power and
clearness. We read it with very special
interest and copy from it a passage
that is some what germane, and must
interest teacher generally. DR.. Men ,
ton said: J
Nor is it merely intellectual discip- !
line for which we plead. The educa-
ton which the church wants for her
young is edification. character building, |
character finishing and furnishing. In
religious speech, education spells con- |
~secration, but is this What we have
OOd o1 IlC VI NtS /
twentieth century, no more serious
problem faces the Christian patriot in
this country than the drift and destiny
of the educational forces that are at !;
work. Certainly we cannot recall the
past if we would. New conditions in
troduce new developments to meet new
needs, but to you and me the grave
question is whether the tendency is
for or against a wider separation be-
tween education and religion. between
the school and Christianity. We can
not regard that question with passive
Indifference. The faith of our sons
and daughters is involved. The future
of the preached gospel is involved. 1t
is not formal infdelity; it is not reas-
oned doubt; it is not an i~ntelligently
fortified skepticism that threatens
American education today; if there Is
anything that threatens it. it is a God
forgetting secularisrn, a character
dwarfing, partial seeing of the truth
of God" +,
A most cordial greeting to the Teach
ers' Assembly. May everything be
propitious, for an awakening, edifying,
energizing session. May a higher con-
ception be seen hereafter as to what
teaching means. May the destiny Of
each member be one 'of well-grounded
we'll rounded Christian character
which will bring adornment, usefulness
and satisfaction. Wilmington says well
come to all! Says DR.. Mention quoting
first the eternal truth-"In thy light
shall we see light" and then adds
Science is nescience until We have
looked UP. Nature is a wilderness
without the upward glance"