Year: 1862

Education.


This subject is much talked Of. and people
generally imagine that they understand what it
means. An educated person according to the
popular idea, is one whose mind is stored with
certain amount of Geography, Arithmetic.
Grammar &c. 1t is stuffng process where the
mind is made lumber room, for all sorts OF old
odds and ends of Greek and Latin, equations.
,ranglcs, parallelograms, squares and circles be-
sides any other possible thing person is expect
ed to acquire at school, and never use in any 9th
er place in after life. person who has acquired
the statistics of history is said to be educated in
that line although he may not have derived
single lesson from this accumulation of facts.


The Republicans are continually making
boast of this power. and draw invidious compari-
son between the free and slave holding states.
They fancy that this stufing process is education
and that therefore the stu fed exalted to SUI
perior plane of thought. We would not despise
the power to read and write, or any other ele-
mentary mode of acquiring facts--but is that ed
ucation? These are great conveniences in the
affairs of life. but it often occurs that the
person whose mind is thus crammed is thereby
totally untitled for the practical affairs of life.
We call such people learned fools--and there are
plenty of Shem.


On the other hand we have known men without
even knowledge of reading or writing, acquire
wealth and Importance among their fellow citl-
zens-as shrewd men in the transactions OF life.


The truth is, this popular theory as to what is
education is wrong. 1t is a very paatable piece
of hattery to New EngMnd--but nevertheless
verv gross error and one calculated to work
great injury and injustice.


Education in its true sgnifeation. is what its
Latin derivation indicates; irc m. and duco to
draw that is to draw from or draw out. 1t is a
drawing from the mind instead of pouring. 1t is to
train the mind to think--to Judge for tselfand call
forth all its powers--give it independence OF ac-
ton Does boobish knowledge confer that quail
ty? if it does. then that is education. But we all
know it does not; we all know it is as apt to
smother under ponderous tones all originality
and independence of thou ght as to improve the
capacity for correct logic. Colleges of learning
are last of places where newly discovered TACT
in nature finds credit because it upsets part OF
their educaton-their previous acquired theo-
res Moreover it is the easiest thing in the world
TO repeat parrotlike facts and principles, with
out ever comprchending their true spirit yet
the parrot is educated The brightest boy in his
lessons at school is often the Ounce among men -
he has not been trained to think. and therefore
although wearing his college medals, is not edu-
Gated. Thinking requires exerion. and men are
naturally averse TO that. They prefer some one
else to do this branch of labor for them. Hence |
if the .Ne,c York Tribune states an aphoriSm, its
hundred thousand readers swallow it without |
question. When it asserts 1.-The South cannot be
kicked out of the confederacy." all its readers
repeat it, If it says when the South wishes to
60 let them depart in peace, it is wrong to coerce
them" they all say amen Also when it declar-
ed that the last dime and the last man must be
sacrificed rather than the South should success
fully rebel. they are equally convinced of its
truth. Such men are not educated. In most
cases you cannot induce one Of them 10 read |
paper of opposite politics, because it may possi-
bly farce them to Hinh They prefer this tyran-
nv of dictation. to the labor of thought. How |
many people in this State get all their thoughts
cut of some paper?--go upon the streets of one |
of our mountain villages two hours after the
Union arrives. and hear the educated C) men
holding forth--repeating like so many mimics
the ideas of that paper for the day--and usually
without even changing the language


II this is education ii is rs apt to lead us into |
darkness as light,--to render US incapable of
thought as to strengthen our powers OF reasoning,
Ito debase our sense of self, to exalt to indie
pendcnce. A people once moulded into such an
education. are in a fit position to become the tools
of demagogues and usurperS.