The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-03 00:00:00

Mr. Roebuck, M,P., on Education,

Roebuck, M.P., for Sheffield, who is now
eta. fin at Swanage, in Dorsetshire, delivered an
ad' tress on Education in the Congregational School-
ro am in that place, on Thursday evening last, to a
r.%ry crowded audience. The Rev. S. Saville occu-
pied the chair.

Mr. ROEBUCK, M.P., on rising to address the
meet:ing, was received with much applause. He said,
Mr.. Saville, ladies and gentlemen, I am obliged to
do now what I did on a former occasion when ad-
dressing an assembly like this—to begin by making
an apology. From an infirmity under which lam
labouring I feel a difficulty in reading at night ; in
truth, I find it much more easy to make a speech
than to read a lecture. Therefore, I will endeavour
to lay before you what few ideas I have formed on
the subject without .committing them to writing,
and simply by speaking to you. Sir, I wish it
clearly to be understood that I feel very great diffi-
dence—sincerely I speak it—in attempting to ad-
dress an audience like this. It has not been my
habit to lecture ; it has not been my habit to descant
upon mutters connected with education. My busi-
ness in life hat, been far different. Still, sir, as you
tell me that you and your friends are endeavouring
to spread the benefits of education among
your fel-
lows, and as you have called on me to render help
in that great work, I said I should have
the greatest readiness to assist you as much
as I could. Now that you are met for that purpose,
I will endeavour to fulfil the promise I
made
to you. I understand, sir, that Y" and. Your
fellows are endeavouring to spread education among
the uneducated classes by whom yon surroun
though your desire to do that is frustratedare ded,
in a
great measure by the great difficulties you have to
conquer—the ignorance of the persons
address, and their utter ignorance whom you
e of the great value
of the education you endeavour to lay before them.
rn
thoughts on that
Now, Sir, in stating to you
myself first to the class
'whom you wish
subject, I shall
aidaddress
to
s upon this occasion ; then I
to those friends of educa-
tionshall address myself, Sir,
who are to be the teachers in these schools, be-
cause I think I have sonie things to ley before you
which may smooth the, difficulties in your way; and
lastly, I shall address myself to the gentry by whom
you are surrounded, and I shall endeavour to point
out to them the advantages of the course you are
taking, and tb.e great duties they have to fulfil in
the position ',hey hold on the present occasion. Now,
in address;.ng the class whom you represent, it is
nay wish to point out to the working man the great
advantriges of education. Firstly, I will speak of
education, as giving him the moans of raising him-
self ;among his fellows, of carving out for himself a
grfatt fortune among his fellows. Now this, Sir,
seems to me to be a great mistake. Very few peo-
ple can draw prizes in the great lottery of life;
-where one man makes his fortune a million must
rest where they began. Therefore, the great object
I have in view is to point out to the working man
the benefits—the great benefits which ho may de-
rive from education itself—to make him understand
that his life will be purer, his life will be better, his
life will be a more virtuous life if he has obtained the
benefits of education. I don't point out to him such
great examples as George Stephenson. I don't know
whether the working men here have heard of that
working man in the north 3f England, who has lived
in our own time, who at 18 years of ego did not
know how to write; that man taught himself how
to write, taught himself everything that he knew;
he acquired a great fortune, and was, in fact, the
father of all the railways in England. That man's
life is almost a miracle, and I would not point out
to labouring men him as an example, because mil-
lions of labouring men cannot attain that which he
attained. But every working man can get the
benefits of education, can derive the advantages
such as no other means can give hint, which would.
make him a happier and a better man. (Applause.)
Now, sir, it is not for me to say whether among the
-various races of mankind one is better or more cap-
able than another ; but we say this of the race to
which we belong, that we are among the foremost
of mankind ; that England has exhi'aited in all her
classes the greatest possible greatnese to which man
can rise. (Hear, hear.) Our nobles, our gentry, our
merchants, our clerical class, oar lawyers, our far-
mers, cur workins men have F:n.own themselves to be
among the foremost of mankind. Therefore, I say
to you who are among 'the working men of this
country, who arc posseased of great intellect, which
God has given yon, laut from the want of education
have not the opporainity of making use of it, it is
indeed like the bright diamond hidden in a dark