The Litchfield County post., 1826-07-11

why the tide of revolution, in this country, has brought to us nOught but honour and hap- piness, when, to SO many notions it has pro- we'd an overflOwing scOurge The cause of the freedom of our institutions. and, cnnse- quently, of the prosperity If our nation, is owing, under the blessing of heaven, to the character of our education. To he free. fa- tiun must not only be exempt from nOxi0tis laws: must not only be allowed to elect its own rulers ;sbut have the security. which the intelligence of every member of it's c0mm.ini- ty will give, that good rulers will De always elected. An ignorant peasantry can. never know the character of the candidates, that are presented to them, and therefore, may be easily rnisled byan aEtfnl denIagOgue. O dag zIed by the spienduur of a military adventl- Ter. The only security of liberty consists in the intelligence of the people, and the hood of light, which yoITsschoOls. your senlinaries and your presses are continually pouring upon your people, will be of more service to the preservation of your liberties, than all that Par per constitutions can afford, or bayOnets per- form. The light of your revolution flashed in purity and briliancy over Europe, and kindled corresponding brightness there but the flame was not fed like yours, and has left that continent in worse than it's former dark ness. The nations of Europe cannot profit by freedom, without the light of education, and republic, formd in their dark domains will soon crumble beneath the weight of its i'll constructed powers, or be pushed to the ground by the violence Ofsome military tyrant. France saw our urreyolution; her armies caught the infection of liberty here, and spread it in their native land; bat they could not bring with them the intelligence and virtue of our country, and her revolution which began in principle, was cOnsummated in blood, and ter ! hona the French did not love liberty, nor desire it, but because the electors had not sufficient knowledge to choose proper representatives, or unity4of action enough to hold them ac- countable for abuse of power. sEnlighten the world and it will become free. The artificial distinctions of European society; the blood besmeared fabric of European tyranny can no more exist where universal education and virtue prevail, than the snow wreaths on the brow of the cataract can live an instant before its impetuosity. France has tried it and has failed. Spain had a dream, feverish dream of freedom and is now wakefully and vOlun- tarily riveting the chains of her monarc.iy and her priesthood.
 Italy had heard of revolutions, had read of liberty and thought that freedom from Aus trian tyranny would make her the Italy of antiquity. But Italy was unenlightennd and the surges of revolution beat in vain against the mounds of Austrian despotisn,, and the pillows have again settled into the stagnation of ignorance and seryitude.
 We hope better things of Greece. We hope to see her rescued from an almost de- moniacal tyranny; to see her rise from the tomb of ages, and become enlightened as we'll as free. But Greece has much to learn: {: the settled principles of self government are almost unknOwn, and must be acquired. The freedom of her people must be founded on their character, or Greece but changes her master from despotism to anarchy. We have have been as the North star to the Republics of South America, tossed, as they have been, on the ocean of revolution, and even now, when the noise of war has hardly ceased its echoes among the Andes, they are instituting schools and finglng the light of education over the darkness of minds, long shrouded, by Spanish despotism and Catholic ntole- rance.
 Can we then, iA our retrospect this day. be too grateful to the virtue, the sobriety and the religion of our ancestors, who not only gave us freedom, but placed into our hands the means of preserving if. Are you then disl,O- sed, young men, to sheer at the morality of your Puritan ancestors? It is to them you owe the bright prospect that every where meets your eyes this day. Are you disposed to loosen the obligations of that morality, as bonds too grievous to be borne? you are fling ing from your hands, the power of preserving and perpetuating that freedom, you this day enjoy. Yourliberties, fellow citizens, are now secure, and before the demagogue at your doors, or the despot from abroad, can des- troy them, they must break your printing presses, burn your school houses, and drive education from your land; and even then, to perpetuate their chains, they must extirpate to a man, the present generation, and wait un- til another generation shall arise in ignorance and vice.
 Thedirections for the preservation of your liberties are few and plain.
 Preserve your own virtue and that of your children. Place the means of education in their hands. Teach them the character of the constitution and the necessity of it's pre- servation. Guard yourselves against innova- tions: that government, which can be amen ded with facility, will become rotten by the handling. Never delegate powers that you . can as well exercise yourselves, and never, by your own ignorance, render yourselves unfit for the exercise of any power. Trust not the election of your rulers, by nomination or oth- erwise. to any body of men, that are unac- countable to you, whether called caucus or convention. Accustom yourselves to judge -c Al -f-l- x@G~