Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-02-25

from expressing my surprise and
sorrow at the proposition, which
must regard as barbarous, to CLOSE
the recently opened avenues of edu.
cation and to perpetuate ignorance
and to extinguish light and learning
And, considering with how mucf
pride, / recur to the small share
which | fortunately had in the crea.
tion of the schools now attempted
to be abolished, | feel it my duty
and it is my delight, especially tc
vindicate them,
Sir, in my opinion, all the sins ot
the last Legislature were redeemed
by that noble act of wisdom and
munificence. think, sir, that
now hear the anthem of praise and
the grateful song of our remote pos
terity. see light penetrating the
recesses of the forest, revealing its
treasures, its beauties, its stores OF
moral, mental and physical wealth.
see happiness diffused with informa.
tion, merit drawn from obscurity, and
patriotism gathering fruit from the
desert.
This hall in which we legislate is
appropriately placed on lofty and
solitary eminence, and our prospect
is as extensive as the powers of
vision.
Is it not affecting that we should
behold nothing but wilderness
That the eye rests once only on
a village and scarcely once on a
cultivated plainY Yet, sir, dark and
deep as is the natural scenery around
us, deeper and darker are the human
pictures it contains.
Who that has seen man in a high
state of impr0yement-in the midst
OF the arts and sciences -actuated
by the desire, and blest with the
meanGhof usefulness--full of noble
ambitions, and gaining in their turn
all its honorable rewards-who, /
say, can appreciate the immense
disparity between such an individual
and the unhappy being born and
living and dying in penury and igno-
rance?
Sir, my compassion is always pain
fully excited by the condition of
many of the country people whom
see on my journey here. Without
education themselves, or the means
of imparting it to their children,
how many sources of happiness and
utility to them are forever closed |!
How much of intellect is there run
ming wild and wastep How much of
manly ardor and sensibility, without
an object to elicit them2 How
much helplessness against the mis-
fortunes of life! How much of vice
and misery, which are the lot of
ignorancei
In several of their lowly cottages
l have seen signs of those mental
fires that are doomed to struggle in
vain for exercise and display. l
have seen beauty buried in obscurity,
as in a premature grave, and genius,
unconscious of its aim or it's powers,
indolent and useless.
AS / pited their situation / was
delighted with their relief. When
we addressed these humble inhabi-
tants of the woods, and proffered
the means of instruction, on behalf
of the State we were as wise as we
were liberal; we consulted their
happiness not more than the States.
We unveiled to them their duties
"nd their rights. We extended the
horizon OF their hopes and their
views. We opened to them new
world, hitherto occupied by the rich
almost exclusively, and rescuing
them from their obscure destiny,
we bade them aspire after all the
needs of emulation.
We raised an infant corps of fu-
~. u
ture patriots and that year was fruit
full in children for the State. Learn
ing never produced ingratitude and
from those infants thus adopted
patriotism may look for ornaments
and sacrifices.
In the course of two years six
thousand poor children have
been partially instructed, ad the
State expends thirty thou,,s.nd dol
lars-in several instances returning
to the districts, for the education oi
their poor, q larger amount than ii
receives from them in taxes. Now,
sir, if only one Of those six Thousand
should in the day Of pegil defend
this nation, and, like, Perry, cover
this country with the mantle Of his
own glory-if only one of them, in
the holy offices Of religion should
illumine the path Of yirtue---if only
one should ably, ad, locate in the
Senate Che liberties Of the country