Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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.1 SPIRITUAL SOX(i. The weary Pilgrim's cumulation. 1st. Come and t:\->tc along with me, The weary Pilgrim's consolation, Boundless mercy running tree, The earnest of "complete Salvation; Joy and peace in Christ I find, My heart to him is all resign'd, The fulness of hi* power I prove, And all my soul's dissolved in love ; Jesus is the Pilgrim's portion, l,ove is boundless as the Ocean. Cd. When the world, or flesh would rise*,. And strive to draw me from my Saviour, Strangers slight or friends despise, I then more highly prize his I'avQj*; Friends believe me when I tell, ? If Christ be present all is well, The world and flesh in vain may rise, I all their efforts do despise ; In the world I've tribulation, "? r- . Uut in Christ I've consolation. 3d. Worldlings view me with disdain, Because I shun their carnal file anure, All in this which gives me pain, Is that they slight a nobler treasure ; But Still among them, bless the Lord, There're some who tremble at liis word, And this doth joy to me impart, To think the Lord hath reach'd their heart; O! the grace to sinners given, Peacofjn earth and crowns in heaven. 4th. When I'm in the house of prayer, I find him with the congregation, Music sweet unto my ear, Is the glad sound of free salvation ; When I join to sing his praise, My heart in holy raptures raise, 1 then rejoice and shout aloud, And disregard the gazing crowd ; Glorious therac of exultation, What I past expression. 5th. When I hear the pleasing sound, ut weeping mourners just converted, The dead's alive the lost is found. . The Lord hath heal'd the broken hearted; My heart exults, my spirits glow, I love my Lord and brethren so. 0 ! had I wings like Noah's dove, I soon.would sing with those above ; Glory honor and salvation, What I feel is past expression. 6th. \Y hy should I regard the frowns, Of those who mock, d< ride or slight me, Soon 1*11 lie beneath the ground, Beyond ?he reach of those that hate me ; Sorrows, toils and sufferings o'er, When once we reach that happy shore, There with the shining hosts above, We'll sing and shout redeeming love ; Blessings there beyond expression, liver roll in sweet succession. 7th. Mourners ! see your Saviour stand, With arms expanded to receive you, He spreads tor you his bleeding hands, Venture on.liim, he'll relieve you ; Cast all your doubts and fears aside, T he door of mercy's open wide, 1 he fountain flows which saves from sin, Come now believe and enter in ; Dont distrust your blessed Saviour, Come, believe and live forevtfr. 8th. Sim rrs! you may laugh and scorn, Your moments lost will be lamented, That fewful day is hastening on, When you will wish you had repented ; Death, in his embraces Cold, Will soon your mortal* bodies hold, Then all your pleasures take their flighty And down you'll sink to endless night; While you're of that guilty number, Your distruction doth not slumber. 9th. Fellow sinners go with me, My heart's enlarged to receive you, . Slight not mercy offered free, C-ome to Jesus, he'll relieve you But it you offered grace refuse, And will distruction ever choose, Unhappy soul your guilt and blond, Shall rest on your defenceless head ; Darkness, pain and endless horror, May be )ours before to-morrow. True CourageA quarrel having arisen between a celebrated gentle man and one of his Acquaintance*, the latter heroically, and no less la conically, concluded a letter to the former* on the subject of the dispute with k< 1 have a liu* at your service, it' \ou <lare to take il/' To which % the other replied) <? You sav you have a lite ai my seiwoe.nf 1 dare to take it. I must confess to \ou * tljHt I dare not lake it. I thank my God that I have not the courajre to take it. But though I own that 1 am afraid to deprive you of your life, vet sir, permit me to assure you thai I am equally thankful to the Almighty being, for mercifully bestowing on me sufficient resolution, if attacked, to defend mv own." This une\ pected kind of reply bad the pro|>er effect: it brought the madman hack again to reason ; a friend intervened, and the affair was compromised. 1' roni the Academician. COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS. Ubi passim Palantes error recto de tramite pellit. Horace, Lib. 2. Sat 3. - - " Where erroitr drives them in endl* ss deviations from the rizht path." Literature, well or ill conducted, is the grand engine by which all civi lized states must be supported, or ultimately overthrown. Pursuits of Literature. The friends of literature and science may |>erhaps have cause to rejoice at the growing prospects of education in the United Htnten, Our colleges have poured out a great num. ber of graduates, some of whom we ho|>e are to exalt the character of our nation by the exercise of their talents and learning. In every part of the union, the cry about the state of our universities seems to be raised ; and we hope, in the conflict of feeling and sentiment which appear to he manifested on the occasion, that much good may result; a reformation of abuses where it may be necessary; an enlargement of the course of^stu dies; the employment of men of abili ties ; and crushing some, that are no more entitled \o the name of univer sities or colleges than many of our com mon schools. ^ We are not sure, that" a multiplicity of these places of edu cation extends science, or benefits the community. At least, we are con vinced, that colleges irt name only, prove detrimental to expansion of in tellect, and retard the progress of improveiMnL If schools, in which are to lie found no science or moral rectitude, sap the very foundations of society, we *? c no less convinced, that colleges whi h arrogate to them selves much, but have ii* foundation on wkicli they may base their arro gant pretensions, are if possible, still more pernicious. Heldom do we see in any place of learning, where there is not talent to preside, youth acquire any thing but a supercilious petulance, the husks of science, or an opinion that tltey are wondrous wise, when every man of common sense knows them to lie fools. The attainment of technical terms, or a smattering of Latin and Greek, will not compel the thinking to acknow ledge these characteristics of geni us or integrity of conduct. They are no more the marks of a snperio* , tv of intellect, t}ian a knowledge of the French is a mark of a mathema tician. These, to the exclusion of all natural or physical science, will make but a poor show ; and as much as the sticklers for Latin and Greek think of these, they will neither make a man wiser nor better, unless with them is joined an enlargement of mind, which perhaps, is more to be expected from moral and physical science, than from any thing else. We know full well, that there are many in society (ami among them teachers, from whom better things might be expected) who rate the tal ents of men from their knowledge of the languages, and consider all who are unable to scan the metres of klot ?ace or Virgil, or translate Pindar or Homer, as dolts and blockheads, IH only to be made the sport of such marvellously wi<-.e l>eing* as them selves. No men, perhaps admire the writing of the ancients, or value them it .:e limn we; but we,must confess, thai we can see no shade of I reason w hy so much time is devoted . > them in schools and colleges, I while. t;u? iihvsical science* aie in many almost wholly neglected. In France, here the human mind as highly cultivated as in any part oi tlic world, we <lo not find vootli Irani melled down hy languages ; ^ l>u^, while to these a proper Attention is given, the ph.sical sciences are not forgotten. The languages may adorn s?M?se, but sense they cannot give. Tii^re is scarcely a sUte w iiich has not preiensi- ns to something called college or university. ?? e know that some of tiiese so nethittgs* are mere impositions, and that nothing of any iiii|>ortam:e cau he expected to result from Mem, while they are regulated as they are, or are so deti cient in talents to rule over them. W e need not anticipate, thai literu Cure will flourish to anv uiv.it extent in our collegiate establishments, un less there is a solid course of ins ruc tion pursued, men of genius to-itt~ struct, and a steadv and firm disci 7 %> pliuc be kept up. Out colleges, col lectively, are shamefully neglected in these respects. i* true, we are i building colleges, hut^ pay little at tention tii the means hy which they may exist. It won id be im less folly to commence the building of a church ?at the steeple, and proceed down wards, till we should come to the foundation. VV;* are under the im pression, that feicev of these esta blishments, on a inure extensive sc de, and better regulated, '.\ouht answer the expectations of the friends of li terature, and prove far mare benefi cial 4o society. Colleges, like h ;iiks, j if multiplied, will destroy themselves, j and those who are concerned in them. j Forcolleges,conductedasall places , of learning ought to he conducted, ] we entertain the highes respect; lie- ! cause from these, those w ho are to support the liberties of our rounuy, J and exalt her in the scale of learning ] among the nations of the earth, are I to receive, in part, the means by which these are to be accomplished. -AUbeugh we acknow Vedge-ihis, yet we are hy no means convinced, that colleges are the unly places in w hich human beings may be prep \ red for society, lint a comparatively small number of our youth can he blessed with a collegiate education: they * 1 lie iol o*ving extrac. of a u-uw iroin Mr. t * i okon M'Millan, of Dayum, v) 1 no, ia worthy of consideration, lie is a valu able correspondent. 44 A few individual* here have sometimes made fruitless exertions toetf eta reform ation ; but so widely lias ignorance extend ed her reign among all classes, from the state representative to the poor mechanic, rbat I fear a long lime is yet required to effect any thing vrreai. It is a deplorable truth, that many of the members of the legislature have no more knowledge of the political state andphysical resouri s of their country, than a paif.y paper, edited by a man as ignorant as them *v Ives. affords them. I hey are so i;;ut;rant in ography, as nyt to know the. <utfe*vncc uctwccii lati tude and lon^ituae ; and their knowledge ot nistory is about as copious as that ol a pedantic schoolmaster, whom 1 once heard maintained, that 44 Archimedes %\>aa killed at the (trig of Troy by a ^Koman soldier In imitation of some of the sister ststes, they have granted large tracts of land, in different actions of Ohio, for the purpose ot promoting the cause of litera ture : large buildings have been rutted, but no care is taken to procure c^m,/i tjnt teachers. The tirst person who offers hiin seit is employed as a firofenKor. Such is the ease at , Great care is taken oy the teachers of that semii>ary to obtain, but j Hone to retain pupils. Scholars are sent to the modern, with the same design that Horace went to ancient Athens, 44 ut fioa- j sent dignoncrre rectum : btque inter nxjlvan Atadcmi </u<rrere vrrum but I am sorry to say, they go away completely disappoint ed' I l?ey are hurried through their La tin rudiments into Liber I'riunis : and be fore they can be supposed to have acquir ed much knowledge of the construction of the languages, or to hate any taste for the beautiful and sublime style of the Mautuan bard, he is put into their hands, and his verses they are taught /trrelere ttrldenti sn/iulu) viz. a la *ral translation, Horace, C icero, fcc. come next, and share the same fate, being gabbled over by means of tne same pernicious helps, and at the end of two or three sessions, the scholar (juits the college (as it is called) just ready toei^er Liber Primus again 1?The cause of litera ture is regarded with a more aupicious eye at Cincinnati. The school established there will, I am persuaded, call forth the imi tation of many neighbouring towns, and may be the means of effecting a happy re format ion, if intelligent school committees be chosen, who will interpose between quacks and the public, and thoroughly guard the latter from tne imposition ot the tonne!/' a mum from necessity, he limited t?. common scuooU. it is not douli.ftd, 'hat it is a w 1^0 polity to organize a course of studies Tor our higher places of* learning, as tlley are called, nor should it l?e doubted, (hough h> (ho conduct of our citizens we should julge it to he so, that it would be cjually ?is wise a policy to organize t plan of so)id instruction in ever\ section of the Union, which w ill place mi* youth, at least, on a level, in the active concerns of life, witli gra duates. Elementary sc hools require ?ne fostering hand of the patrons of learning as much as our colleges; but by some unaccountable caprice or neglect, little or no attention is paid to them We anticipate a different result, however, at least, in the city of New-York, as soon as the iiitai School get into operation; every thing seems favorahhrto it; many of our teachers and literati have'taken an active part; and the exertions of the one must necessarily aid those of the other. When this school shall have arrived at that period, to w h'O every friend of his country is anxi ous to see it, we believe the citizens will have ampje justice done them fro '? the great body of, instructers : I and f?,ose teachers, \\ho have often [tailed in receiving that credit by winch alone they can live, but which has been taken from them in a man ner not very honorable to the ones l who have done it, (often by vile in 1 sinuations, mingled with calumny, and sometimes by oj>en denuncia tions,) will then have an op|H>rtuni ty of vindicating to themselves their pretentions, ;-?nd thus showing to tin public the treachery and- 7indignity by which some of those, who pre tend to be guardians of our youths' morals and talents, are actuated. \\ e hope, then, to see tuose men who have trampled down the lawsi of honor, which are supposed to ex- j ist octweeii members of the same profession, treated with that indigna tion which their couduct justly merits. To the credit of the great body of instructers in this city, there are but, few who violate the feelings and cha racter of their fraternity; but those who do, (we speak of both English and classical teachers.). do it with ? .shameless tongues and audacious! countenance. More of this hereafter. To re turn. The truth is, the progressive steps 4>y w hich a youth ascends the hill of science, art*, too often consi dered as unworthy of notice; but we believe there are few, 011 mature con sideration, who are so stupid as oot to see, that a solid preparation for college is indispensable to the pupil's future progress, and that our ele mentary schools arc the nurseries of our universities. The only thing necessary to insure a radical profici ency for collegiate entrance* and success, seems to l>e the want of a solid system of instruction and quali Hed instructers in our elementary schools. With respect t<f those teachers ehgaged in the system of instruction adopted by the state of New-York, the law requires, that all shall be duly examined by the district school committees, l>efore tilt > can assume the high responsi bilities pertaining to the scholastic office. Were a law of this nature enacted, and enforced with the ut most vigour in every state, and alj who wish to l>ecome teachers tried by it, it would exclude from the profession that swarm of ignorant, idle, and vicious itinerants, who ar rogate to themselves a universal re medy for stupidity and idleness. It reouires no uncommon exertion of ?reflection to perceive what must be the ultimate result, when such men stand at the head of our places of learning. These causes may In*, re moved, were proper means taken. xVIen of talents and integrity are tlie ones sought furJ?y those who wish th^ir children to be taught well; but ? 1 ne Editors know it to be a fact, that, in several of our colleges, student* have cn ? tcrcd (contrary too to their spcu ified rules*) who knew nothing of grammar, ^eo^ia phy or history, and whose knowledge of aitithmctic did not cxteiid heyond tiie cotn pound nucs. \\ ustnisooiie merely to tret students." buu; Uiiu^* are uhameiui ! Mil be romembere i! il ? n *?ttl" 'II j luc 10 tlu ill, lliv'N l??USt l\'Sj> V. ami remuner;Ue litem. . lint in place of these, b ?lh the common Itirni* 01 civility, ami a compensation of their labours, inv ol'irn ihnii'il in th>> \ ,.n . i ,x, *TIT ? T I \ persons tl*ev are to get. Many will dispute a teacher s hill fnr si\ ii'iik; !)iit they w ill spend twenty d.nlai - in vUiting the theutie, or in expciwr* ior a tea party. We have heard L even among the most wealthy ami ?>oli!e, tli * * ?? the schooling of tivir children is extravagantly high, , ml that the\ do not get the worth of their money, ami children's time." This is no doubt in many instances true : I?i;t let parents employ sue(i persons as w ill do their children justice, and they will not have cause to complain. The iliinsv g\stem of instruction, if system it may l>e called, acted upon by men wliuhave no c x | wh4 ence, or who have become teachers to prevent starvation, is extremely dangerous to intellectual improve ment. Thev require no exerlitvn of mind, no stmh oi> i..e part of the pupil. Tiiey p: :..i:se. mur/i but do little. They always have some new plan by w hich the ignorant are to be made wise in a fex minutes, and all mental defects supplied. What would require many \ ear-'study and application, under the direction of the most skilful instrncters, is to he. accomplished in eight or ten lessons, or by u course of lectures! What the experience of ages testifies to he I correct, is to be refused by some ma chine, leadenorarle, or magic lan , tern, in an ho ty! This mockery jeven on empiricism, ought to make ! the most brazen faced quacks as'aam . ed; but as long as they can ilu<? ( er ' sons who are so credulous as fo t?ut % N # 1 j implicit confidence m the pretenH*>na t of such *? KuA(*^u<K'lns*" siune of i whom we uud< rst ud brag aintti <;i I their schools of their own abilities, the\ will have just ground* for ex claiming againsilbe expences ol edu cation, and the impositions of de signing instructed. Al'bough -??n many of our cit /.ens are daily de ceived, yet we . to learn, that men at the head oi ?#?o- literature, and some of our most inllnential and in telligent citizens, have uken a strong stand against them, and are deter mined to drive fro.a -u iety ail of this description. There are some !: r notable tricks which ought to m "xposed. One is, the practice of teacher*' coins round " to beg scholarsIt i* n <p truethere is nothing criminal in it, but it renders them so much below themselves, that all their instructions are of very little effect. It is maul) dignity aod moral deportment that will com;n; ml resuect^ not cvinguu; importunity or futsome adulation Ghildrey and parents despise a liter dry beggar as much as thry do a ne <?es*itou9 one. u Sir, if you v ill send your children to me, I will teach them better than any other pel - son, and for less. I will take them for two dollars, or for nothing ra ther than they should go to Mr. . I will instruct them for no?hing!"? This is the Janguage which teachny of this description use: it no doom well becomes their motivea. It i affirmed," and we believe it, th n some t'orf play exists among teachers of a certain cast. They moat insi diously endeavour to destroy the r? putationof others of their profession, by depreciating their characters t\;\ t abilities in the presence of tl? v scholars. I low mean, how piliabh , impolite,!?But where is the parent who w ishes his ehildreirs minds con laminated with the |H?stiferous bre;.ta of, calumny ami detraction ? Y e trust there is none who would sob*? his innocent little ones to set muter the instruction of a teacher guilty < .* u practise so base aiul detestable a > tlus. From these general observation ? the public will see that there is mil of a reformation in the character n i abilities of many of our inshncii1. . and in the sxslem of instructio;. ? dopted and pursued in many of < ? r scliocds and (iui<.ges. ()?:r renr : * on the, latter, are not uieaut" f<u . . / 1 individual place.