American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-01-13
GOT-ER.YOR'S MESSAGE.
Felloio- citizens Of the Senate,

II
and Of the House of Representatives,
h You are acquainted with the unhappy occurrence
which has imposed upon me the duty Of addressing
YOU from the executive chair. Permit me condole
with you on that affective dispensaton ofProyidence
(which has deprived tn. state of another chief
@gistrate
u As this State is at present, unre2resehted in the
NSenae OF the United States, your immediate atten-
Ston is called to this subject. To the performance
Not the duties of the high and important trust OF a
Senator Of the United States the best talents OF the
Bcountry should be put in requisition. 10 regulate
Z the conflicting interests of the agrcnlurast, the
manufacturer and the merchant, so that all may
Nh benefited and none may be injured, demands the
wisdom of our most able and most experienced
Statesmen. But, in addition to the magnitude OF
our domestic concerns, if look abroad, and OBJ
Serve the Jealous eye with which foreign nations
view this great and rising republic the importance
I Of iudcious selection will be greatly enhanced.
AS czens, TOO, OF small member OF this great
Scommunty, we should be careful not to throw a.
way the only opportunity we have OF exercising any
8nhuence over the destinies Of the nation. 1t only
by the influence of great talents in the councils OF
the nation, that we can raise ourselves to level
with our more wealthy and populous sister states.
Sensbly alive to the honor OF this State, and anx.
iousy solcitous for the welfare of the common
wealth, it is confidently hoped that you will ap
proach this subject unnhuenced by private amino
4 sites or local jeaousies.
4 would earnestly press upon your attention the
propliety Of adopting some plan, by which the
I means OF education may be accessible to every
member of the community. This is subject o.
primary importance and trust it will receive from
you that serious consideration to which it is Justly
\ entitled. The school fund isgradually increasing
but il permitted to remain untouched, IT would re-
quire least twenty thirty years before 1t would
4 be sufficient to carry instruction into every family
q II nursed with The most assiduous care one genera
y ton must pass away before it would be productive
q of any benefit to the community. In these porten
N tous times it seems rather hazardous experiment
\ TO permit one generation to sleep in ignorance, II
order that light and knowledge may be extended
4 TO the succeeding. The best way to secure thu
blessings Of education to the next generation IS Il
confer them upon the present Ignorance canno
appreciate what it never enjoyed: they alone who
have been favored with the blessings of education
can estimate them al their proper value; and theJ
alone will be anxious to transmit them, unmpaired
TO their posterlty. II the rising generation IS per
mitted TO remain in ignorance, there is little secu
Sy that the treasures you design for their children
will not be diverted into some other channel: bu
It we bes'ow upon the rising youth those beneht
which flow from virtue and knowledge, it seems
needless apprehension to suppose that they will b.
less socitous than we are to transmit to thei
descendants those blessings from which they them
selves have derived such sensible comforts.
would, therefore, recommend TO your consideration
the proprcty OF calling the school fund into activ
operation, and Of supplying its deficiency to pro
mote the object for which ii was originally designed
by school tax. Such tax would be blessing
4 TO the people, rather than burden; for it wou'
tend to relieve them from the most intolerablc O
all burdens, the burden OF immorality and ignorance
II, however, you should deem it inexpedient to en-
croach upon the present school fund, would urg
upon you the proprety OF laying school tax, TO
the purposes of the rising generation. small ta'
would be sufficient, If the State was divided int
school DISTRICTS, and certain sum allowed to ever