Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-10-09
ALEXANDRIA:
TIL RSn3U. OCTOBER 9, 1877.

Christianity il he will give place to the
following extract:
Er racts from the Speech Of the Rerd
NJ. Fe'tuS, al the c"nirersary Of tn
.Ns'c- FORK Sunday School Union So
ciety.
The usual plans Of education, sir, have
been always placed upon high and eie'a
ted ground: so much 50, that they could
only be courted with e1pensc--cou'd only
be approached with the constant sacrifice
ol labor and continual devotion In con-
sequence Of this, very large proportions
Of the more dependent classes OF our CT
tizens have been cut of and neglected;
and for one OF the most powerful OF all
reasons, because they have not possessed
the means to make these privileges their
own. 10 remedy thi, great evil, and a
great evil, sir, it must be considered,
free schools have been introduced with
becoming zaalS and free schools have
done much. The praises of those insti-
tutions cannot be too highly or extensive
" sounded. But even here, where the
important article Of expense was super
seeded by public bounty, the still more i'm
pOrtant article OF time could not be OBJ
tanned: time could not be brought to bear
upon the question, from the pressing and
imperious claims oi daily labor, in the
common efforts of family support. There
was then yet waiting some plan to meet
the exisency Of the case; some plan that
should embrace those short portions Of
leisure, that should stoop from the COM
mon ground, and pitch up those broken
fragments Of time, that might be devoted
10 tins great oGjer, and that pan, am
happy to say, is now completed and per.
tected IN the pracrlce OF Sunday schools.
They interfere with no claims of busi-
ness-they stand in the way Of no other
duties whatever.
Be ides, in political point of view,
the welfare Of the state at large is deeply
interested in this question 1t has been
dIy observed by some of the most
distinguished statesmen, that the cultiVa-
ion and improvement OF the more de
pendan. classes of citizens, apd the en-
jsyment OF civil liberty, we. e cou.:nensu-
rate blessings, and that as this liberty b.
comes distracted trom common use, this
education assumes 4 corresponding cha
racter, and is either thrown in corner,
and altogether neglected, or insulated
and Circumscribed within such narrow
Limits, as nearly equal prohibition. But
it is unnecessary to emplay the great ia
Tents of profound statesmen upon SUBJ
jcct so perfectly familiar and PLAIN at
first sight. Our own ordinary acquaint-
ance with historical facts, will furnish us
with ample ev'dence-we are sufficiently
informed, that those nations of the east,
that have employed the pens of historians
in their highest prosperity and glory, paid
particular attention to this important sub
ject and it was only when they aban-
doned this cause OF duty they were found
to have abandon ed Themselves.
Men must know their privileges in Or
der to app ec'ate their value, and they
must be Apr GATED to guard their pos
session Ii, an interesting truth, that
educa ION forms that mighty instrument
which calls forth and cuIIivates those Ia
Tents and adva tages which God and ma
ture has given US; and it is equally plain
to obse walton t at where this lamp of in
>trustiun is neglected, those talents Ell
Their lie dormant in the, mind, or only
show themselves by such offensive e1-
Crescence as is injurious to society.
We have reason to thank the good
providence of God that our public history
is not stained with uncommon turpitude.
No: the faults and fo!iies that exist a.
mong Us, however deeply to be deplored,