The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-12-07

IN a., = HFifh. We I1hg1'i, arc Ia flaa i "
ine 80 4 ieh ether shah oidef more
pond = -, lnoiiuin' at to a. erected 10 thr
,nrmnf4 0 arm. nul be Sorthy OF your serious
delihrra'in.
While ianentng tine loss which We have sus-
,,ined in lie de.th - that cstimahis ciazei. We
.hall Il ! abnrfl.lni cause or thu expression Of
nat q At aie Ia a. overriding Providence soI
nc Q jtsr1fy and happiness Which has attend
ri IS a naiioa- AuidI the trembling apprc-
h,s,itbs tie friends OF ui iah lfb,rfy aud TIC
glunm predictions of the enemies oi Tree gov
! clniieut pe hayr ronplctcd under cIrcWnstan-
Cos highs anspieoas tire fitch year ofper cN-
! ,.tcnee. onf growth in population AID wealth
| stands who'll. urri, aHcd. "e the future unveils
! The inasi cheering prospects. We hue already
I verified tie great truth. that ma Is eapable Of
| ,ccrovcinment, and are advancing under Pro-
4 yidenco with rapid s'rps To tie iuihfsent oil a
higher destiny than ~ annals OF history nave e
yer VT unfaidrd. Dur form of government can
no longer he coasdcred lu erptoialf1t IN poll
| tics. Crowned with succrss, It slnds iorif an
/ cNample to he world and exhibits the proadcst
triumph Of reason and philosophy. To peipct-
uate the blessings which We ENJOY, 50 that gen
/ cratic ;, IN endless succession, may possess the
same bgh privileges with ourselves, cannot be
other han the ardent wish OF all-and II belongs,
! especially, to Legislators, by th- adoption Of
( Wholesome and necessary laws, 10 throw around
I the public liberty. entertainments osef which the
| evil propensties and passion, Ol mankind cannot
! break. Much has bcrn done by Your prcdeceS-
sors toaccalnpiis fils most desirable obJect-and
| as wateniul guardians Of the public good, feel
! every assurance that you Will labor assldaonsly
in the same holy cause.
Among tipse subjects possessed OF the most
manifest importance la the accomplishment of
f.t
diffusion of general Instruction among thu great
mas Of the people lIthc mind ne set free from
thu bonds, IN which ignorance would bind ii, the
body will sooner o. later partake Of IL condition;
and the me5t efcctuai mode Of cnslati IN the one
! Is by brnlg lining the other. This is sufficiently
evinced by the history OF the world IN all is sta
! gcs Not TO 70 further, ia search Of an exam
! pie we lnght be content To refer 10 that period
OF English Hi3ort, when under the eatlt hinss
all the learning was confined TO tie Clergy; and
! II was denounced rs an offence ugh magnitude
! for any other than Priest TO be found IN pos
! 5, sion even ola Bible This was the age of
slavery. the offspring Of mental ignorance and
super tition. That age was succeeded by one of
/ greater light and greater liberty aud, in all
countries, the anclioration or debascment OF
| man 5icondtion, has been the constant attend
ant on the spread of intelligence, or the extn-
/ punishment OF the lights of science. th us.
| new motives exist, for so enlnrgng the means
! otIIstruction, as Ia embrace all the community.
( he happiness Or misery OF any individual Is for
| the 9ira,er part, merely comparative, and what
! j, T. rs To an individual also true in regard to
| "A community. Hence the great importance IN Il
government Ike ours, which fears no comparison
with ary other that has cqcr existed, but claims a
proud p.c-rIniheuce above them. that the mass
oft, ctizens should be well informed 4 gov
crnimnt emphadcnlly ofthc people, necessarily
rcnis for its support and durability on them, and
| their general instruction becomes therefore de-
J s,dernnun of the first Importance: Otherwise
they arcaptto be made thc ready instruments in the
! hauds oil ne designing for the overthrow of all
| that Is dear aud valuable. These truths have C.
tcrnore been acknowledged, and Nonr pfedeces-
80. sm tao legislative Hall, acting under ther III
! ilurncc, have act been uuniudinl OF the solemn
duties which they IMPOSED. the University Ht
ChaIl0ites viii has commenced its career under
Circumstances the most iiattcring, AID promises
/ fully 10 cro"n the hopes aud wishes ofthc State-
| II exist, as proud monument OF Legislative Wis
| dom, and eS1ftes II ne" cVCruohs III the same
| generous cause of literature and SCIENCE LIS i'm
mediate benefits must, however, be confined to I,
few; aud Turn, therefore, with anxious soici-
tude u the examination of that - stem whose ct-
forts are directed to the diffusion of information
among the great body Of the People. Gu this
subject and all others to which ia the exercise . I
! my duty under The Constitution may advert, |
| shah speak openly and without reserve. We
/ are fcll3" -labeacrs in the same common Cause
! the cause Of GU County, and Should io>fl, be
esteemed Is unwor thy lie station which hold
! did cloak or disscmble my opinion on any
| question connected with the public good.
The Literary Fund dc"oted 10 the diffusion Of
primary Instruction. has had its origin in the pun
~, i
! ICY; but sentuleto sAgccst the enquiry, whc
Their it does not require new organization, in
order 10 fulfil tie Just expectations OF the State
! Under Its present arrangements It fails to pro-
! ducc any Of those grca results which ought To
| flo" from IT. IL Is devoted, exclus, civ, 10 mere
| clcinosinary purposes; and the reports of the
trustees throughout the State, present as the re-
suit Of lis charitable operations the education of
9719 children. II is exclusively directed 10 the
instruction of the children of ppnurv aud want
and looks no fun ther. In this light, il nndeniablv
possesses much beauty, and is productive of
some benefit But, should not the condition OF
all the youth ofthr country excite the efforts o
| parental government Does net that condition
call for the establishment offs system of instruc-
ton embracing all aud alike a,ailablrsto all If
II be SAID, that the rich require no legislative in
deposition 10 enable them 10 educate tieis cal-
dren, YET there sill remains neneraas portion
| OF our population, who, Willie they are iar FROM
being incidents, would, nevertheless be greatly
hrn. h'cd b. such Interference. This portion
too. Is every day ausncntiug. and must, nercssa-
| T'ly, augment, so long as the Act regulating de-
scents, and which deserves justly To he regarded
| as one oil the main props to CTR political insli-
tutIons, shall remain unchanged But. in add-
| ton 10 the circumstance that the Eund j. thus
confined IN lis operalion. bring little more thau
mere Fund of Charity, it may well be OBJECTED
that II fans 10 bcstow any great good even ON the
! ic" on whom il Is expended. There is nothing
! permanent or fixed in its character, and its az.
! plicaton IS altogether tortuitous and accidental
| ! on few months, sometimes tor whole year. Il
school Is opened and m opportunity is afforded
| To the school Commissioners to search out such
INDECENT children Us reside in its neighborhood
! ana TO seud them Ia il /; but how often does il
happen, that before the child of Legislative bouu.
| ~, has been advanced through the elements of
instruction, the school reascS to exist and he is
restored 10 his parents with the certainty that he
WA forget the lutte which he may have learned
! tlcrc, then, exists an aborti,c effort. the sole
/