Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Southern Review, Vol. 1: February and May, 1828
The former of these gentlemen, upon being inducted into the o?ice which he now so honorably fills of principal of the South Carolina Academy, was requested by the committee of trustees or managers, to deliver a discourse explanatory of their views and anticipations, in making the changes that have been recently introduced into that important foundation. In performing this task, he very naturally adverted to the opinions of Mr. Grimke, which had been just before published, and in his examination of them, though very little time was allowed him for preparation, acquitted himself to the entire satisfaction of a most numerous and respectable auditory. The style of this address, although occasionally too ?orid and ambitious, is in general, however, very good. We were particularly pleased with those idiomatic turns of expression with which it abounds, and a certain air of colloquial ease and freedom so rare in our American writing, and so essential to all true grace and elegance in composition. But we were still more pleased with Mr. Read's style of thinking. This brief and hasty production shews him to be deeply imbued with an enlightened spirit of improvement, and to combine in rather an uncommon degree, for so young a man, the refined taste of a scholar, with more enlarged and philosophical views, than have always directed the studies of philologists and gram marians. We have very little doubt about the success of the experiment, of which the results depend so much upon his zeal and ability; and we need scarcely add, with what heartfelt satis faction we anticipate a complete revolution, or at least a visible and decided improvement, in our hitherto defective system of elementary education. We would not be understood as denying all merit to the primary schools established in this city within a few years past, some of which, we are well aware, deserve the thanks of the community for the progress they have already made in the great work of reformation.' But much - very much remains yet to be done before the system will be good for any thing, and the establishment of a rival institution of such pro Q'se as the Academy of the south-carolina Society, under the conduct of a gentleman so zealous and accomplished as Mr. Reed, can scarcely fail to inspire a new ardour, and lead to more vigorous and persevering e?'orts than have hitherto been made to perfect those improvements, and to secure the benefits of them to a future generation.
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