The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1826-03-15
MIR. ROBBINS, SPEECH.
U. 5. SENATE. Frn. IA.

hS"' oi ''V Navy, WHICH PROVIDES lor ulc
establishment ola Naval Academy.
After an eloquent and forcible speech
OF great length from Mr.. Hayne, of 5. 4.
Chairman Of the Naval Committed eX-
tending TO the merits Of the whole bill,
which he advocated,
Mr.. ROBBINS rose. He said, 10 the
very able and impressive exposition made
by the Chairman of the Naval COMMITTEES
of the principles of the bill, and of its du-
ties, beg 70 add few words only on the
subject of the Naval Academy. propose
to speak merely to this abstract question:
/ is il eXpedient for the United States to es-
tablish Naval Academy? shall forbear
to touch upon those principles upon which
/ the plan should be formed and adjusted, in
order TO ensure It's anticipated results
These principles would open an interest.
ing field Of inquiry; but o field too wide to
be attempted on the present occasion: for,
! among other things, 1t would lead to the
examination OF certain opinions, which ap.
| pear TO me, however consecrated by great
| names, or by long and almost universal a
I doptlon in practice, 10 be erroneous; opiE.
ions which have an extensive but most per-
nciogs influence upon the whole business
Of education; opinions which abridge It's
Improvement, in all Instances, and in ma.
nv, occasion iis totul failure. But, then
TO do this, we must 60 back TO principles
must 60 into explanations, must give Hits
tratops. Now, neither is the time fitting
for this exposition, nor would IL be reuson-
able till first we are agreed as to The ex-
pcdlency Of the thing itself.
II appears 70 me, II "A navy is TO be part
of our system of common defence, for our
common security, that we must have Ma
val Academy; that is, if we intend TO
dopt our means to the ends we have in
view. Genius IS the gift of nature; but art
is the gift Of education. THIS is true ofoll
The arts, no, excepting the slightest 1t is
eminenty true of the great art Of war; and
no less OF Us naval than OF It's military
branch. No man was ever born an artist
~ any art, not even in that OF poetry,
though 1t Is SAID, poctd, adScitur, non M, la
poet must be born such-he cannot be
made. But this is a saying oi posIic va.
nIty or poetic license. The genius is
born. but the poet is made, and made by
education, as every artist must be. 1t may
happen that this education may bo wholly
himself; he is then supposed TO have had
no education; whereas, an truth, he has
then had the best; and that which never
fails, unless nature has tailed to give him
an aptitude for his pursuit. Some indlvid
uals of this Gloss, II mean the self cduca.
ted clCss) have astonlshed the world by
their power, and have astonlshed it the
more, as nothing in them il attributed to
education, but every thing TO the force OF
nature; whereas, III truth, these are the
very individuals who, Of all others, were
the most indebted TO education: for learn
ing, that is, TO know what others have
known, is not education, as IL Is commonly
supposed 10 be. Education is that system
of exercise which devclopes and pcrfeCtsl
the faculties Of the individual; and which
system is dictated and formed, as 10 the
given art, by the principles of that art.
Here is found the true secret OF those re-
suits which astonish us SO much in the ed
ucation Of the ancicnts: It's lnIsllbility, in
every instance in which nature had given
to the faculty to be improged; the rapidi,y
Of its operation in developing the faculty
and giving to 1t its ultimate periection;.
and the sublime heights to which that per-
fection ascehded: results so astonishing,
that they would be incredible to us, if we
had them only IN history o. tradition, and
had not the monuments remaining 10 attest
their existence.
If a country is to have particular kind
of talent for It's service, It must'be lndebt-
ed for IL to the appropriate education; and
the only question IL, whether 1t VIII depend
for this education upon accident or upon |
system: upon such education as II may |
hnppen that individuals may happen to
give themselves, or upon such as the coun.
try may provide, and by which II may 10 /
certain that the kind of talent wanted Will
be produ ed, and will be forthcoming when |
wanted, and as wanted. No one, think,
will hesitate To say, that the latter OF the
two, system rather than accident, Will be
the preferable resource.
All our prosperity, all our prospects OF
its continuance and increase, depend on
our security; that depends on our means
Of common defence and the efficiency oi
those means. Now, the navy ls the prin.
ciual mean Of those means; II il the night
arm of that Of the Union, and the streH8ui L
Of that arm depends upon that skill winch
education alone can give. Jhe revenue
OF the country depend on its commerce.
that depends on us protection; aud that,
again, On the Nav; the Navy, on It's tac-
tics; and these on education.
In every point Of ,giew, therefore, look.
mo nt our security; looking AZ all our IN
ierests depending on that security; we see
hat tl;s eduestion is indispensable. BJ,l
(, ,nay no eatd that the Navy itself is a