The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-08-12

BILE to the prevailing affinity between your
population and ours. In the leading char
Rctsristics of society here, We recognizs
the qualities to which we have been famil-
iari3ed at home. While We witness your
suspicious progress, we take pride in re-
flecting that IT is the extension of our own
more immediate kindred the ripshinS Of O
frat which our fathers planted.
Nor is this similarity confined 10 things
Of superficial nature, belonging rather to
the province of manners than institutions
In many concerns of highest moment, and
particularly in the system of public schools
commenced in Ohio, we behold an assur-
ance, that your vast community is destined
to grow up into still nearer resemblance
of what We deem the best features of ours
Regarding The mind of the citizens, a. tbs
most precious part of the public capital, WI
have felt that an efscient plan of genera
education is one of the frst elements Q
public wealth. The diffusion of intelli
genes has furnished Us Our best compensa
ton for narrow limits and moderately fer
tile soil and the tax, which has effected il
has returned, with the richest interest t.
the citizen. We rejoice to see you adopt
ing the same policy, and providing for I
pssterity, instructed in the necessary branch
ss of useful knowledge. Such policy, be
sides all its other benefits, binds the differ
ent members of the body polite, by tn,
strongest tee 1T lays the rich under Goa
tribution, for the education of the poor an,
it places the ssrong Waterman of public in
telllgence ard order. at the deer of thu
rich. In the first adoption of such system
difRrulEo= IN hn oil
equally well into operation in every quarter
But The man or body Of men, that shall eff
fectually introduce it, will perform worl
Of public utility, of which the praise vii
never die.
1t has been frequently remarked that on
beloved country has been set up, by Provi
dence, as great exemplar 10 the world
from which the most enlightened and 1ss
governed of the ancient nations have mucl
10 learn. When we think how recently on
continent itself was discovered, that almos
ever since, it has been subjected TO foreign
rule, and left unshielded to receive any i'm
pressisn that could be fixed on it by foreign
ascendeney, we must feel that it is extraor
binary, that we have been able to consti
tute ourselves an acknowledged subject O.
envy and limitation, TO the oldest sommuni
ties on earth. But when we of the old
states turn eur attention TO the spectacle
beneath our eyes at home, we are astonish-
ed to find, that our comparatively ancient
Commonwealth, mentors as we deemed
them in the great school of improvement Mt
are obliged 70 come in our turn, and take
most important lesson from you. In you
great works of fRternal Improvement iii
fha tw,n 20 ale of xuhich
pleted, and the other of which you are push
ing to its completion-at large public ex-
pense and under circumstances requiring
ne ordinary measure of legislative courage,
you are setting an example to the oldes:
States of the confederacy. Forty years
since, and the only white population, con.
Rscted with Ohio. was on its way in sin
gle wagon to this place. You have now
q system of artificial navigation of nearly
400 miles rapidly advancing to its compile
ton; while the Massachusetts rail road il
still locked up in the port folie of the com
missionArs mhn have Ayad tho rasta -
1t is, however, one of the happy effects O
our separation into different states, that i
gives scope for a generous emulation in OBJ
iScts of public utility. 1t is hardly TO b.
believed, that the ancient settlements of thu
coast will consent to be hong behind thu
younger states of the west, in the march O
improvement; or fearful, with their abun
dant capital, to commence those great pub
lie enter prizes, which have not been fount
beyond the reach of your infant resources
Happy the region whore such are the oh
jects of competition between neighborins
states
Permit me in conclusion, gentlemen, Il
revert to the idea with which l commenc
ed. The asto1;shing-the marvellous pro
gress of the west. The settlement of Ohic
and the other northwestern states. may b.
considered rs dating from the ordinance 9
1857. The individual, who drew that eve
memorable statute is still living rsspecta
bic citizen and an eminent jurist of Massa
chusetts, the Hon. Nathan Dane Of those
also, who first emigrated to this region snc
encountered the hardships Of the wilder
ness and the perils of the savage foe, al
have not passed away. What events have
been crowded into the lives OF such men
1t is only when we consider what they
found the country and what they handed L
this generation, that we learn the efficacy
of public and private virtue-of wise ceun
sel-of simple manneH-a Arm purpose
and an inbern love of liberty!