571
PAPERS oF 1Irn.\BEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
to have such, settle amongst you. As I cannot visit Texas immediately, I have another reason for sending on the enclosed letter, which is the hope that your attention may be drawn in a particular manner to the important -subject therein mentioned. As Texas is about to take a stand amongst the nations of the earth it .is of tl1e utmost importance that she start aright in the important business of education. It ought to be deep, thorough, and soon as possible extend to all the children . of the white population. Under a proper direction all children might be early initiated into habits of attention and habits of study, which would in a great measure preserve their minds from the contamina- tion of folly & vice, and thus by the constant acquisition of useful knowledge and the adoption of correct principles and sentiments, they would be enabled to come forward into active life as wise, honorable & useful citizens. It is the mind that makes the man. The cultivation and improvement, then, of all its powers and faculties are deserving our highest attention and consideration. If your young republic should aim at "this point, and undeviatingly pursue it, she would necessarily become the most intelligent virtuous and honorable nation in the world. All others have started wrong and it is difficult, ex- treemly difficult, now to remedy the evil. Your government is the only one in the world, that at present has the power of guarding against this evil, and perhaps the only one that will possess the power for many centuries. I have conversed with sev- eral of the most intelligent and influential members of the ·western College of Professional 'feachers & amongst others with the venerable President himself, and I have the satisfaction of finding that they agree with me in this opinion. And they say that if Texas will elevate the Profession of Teaching to that high stand in public estimation which its importance justly demands, the point can easily be carried. · And this she can do by giving encouragement to none, excepting those who possess high attainments and good character & who mean to follow the business of teaching as a profession for life. Among 'l'eachers, I- would include all engaged in the bus~ness of instruction, from the primary school to the highest University. And if superior qualifications are to be demanded for either department, I should say it ought to be for the former rather than the latter, for on that depends the formation of character, and there the foundation is generally laid, for future excellence or future degradation. Yv e all know that but a very small proportion of those who graduate at our Colleges or Universities can justly be considered as good scholars, and the reason is plain, they had become so established in habits of idleness and inattention, that noth- ing could be conferred upon them, but the empty name of a College Education·. Whereas, if. all children were established in regular hab- its of study a:t our primary schools as they might be, & ought to be, hundreds would flock to our Colleges & Universities, where now there is only one or two & in addition to this, they would all be good scholars. And the most of them equal, if not superior to any that we have now. If Tex.as should adopt the course above described, she will be able to call in our best teachers from the United States as fast as she will re- quire them, and the ·same rule of action that would induce these to come forward, would keep back the incompetent and unworthy. If
Powered by FlippingBook