Litchfield enquirer., 1831-02-03
FOR THE inquirer.
. ON EDUCATT()N.-.NO. 3.

ON EDUCATIDN.--NO. 3.
But orhcar. Already, if you have humanity IN
your lOsoms, you must have shuddered the recital
And perhaps you are really to ask, why isthis7 why
is that pc c ccntucsin this mannerl My friends,
can tell YOU Because they are deprived Of such pri
viIeges as you and cnj"y. They have no opporuni-
ties for gaining instruction. They have no Schools,
no Sai'Laths no Ministers Of the Gospel, no Bbles,
christian friends near them, and no knowledge Of
the God Of heaven. These are indeed "the dark
places Of the earth, which are fed with the habta.
tons Of cruelty" But they are Of the species
with us, and naturally inclined to nfde-
y and idolatry than all-and placed in our siiua.
ton, would undoubtedly he as well informed, and
shulder as much at these enormiles as sce now do
Place US 10 their situation, and we should be like
them. Blot out all means of obtaining education
from our land, aud two generations would not pass
away before, cven in this country, gods Of rood and
stone would lie erected, aud muudcs would flock 10.
gether TO pay their willing alterations these works
VI mans devise aud it would he nothing new, should
the whole sragedyb heather ldoairy be acted over in
this land Of light,
Perhaps you may think this picture overdrawn and
that never should become ignorant and british.
My friends, should think 20 too, had not tho con.
curing testimony history and revelation to convince
inc to the contrary. Think how soon the Israeltes
departed from the worship Of the true God and wor.
shipped Ilos, during only the short space Of forty
days, in which Muses. was gone up into the mountain
to receive the teu commandments; and this too under
,hc most awful dspI"y Of Divine majesty and glory
They strip. themselves Of their ornaments and made
caLf and wershipped il, sayi"g "thesc he thy gods
which broush. thee out of,he land Of Egypt"
Think Of Asia-once the of The arts and scien.
ces the place where oar Savior made his appearance
wrought many miracles. AMI accomplished his mission
and died. II 10 the Of heahenish in6deIity
aud pollution. This quarter Of the globe, which has
been more highly favored than any other region on
earth, has furnished the stage which have been
ar ted the most cruel tragedies which have ever black.
ened the page OF "'ss"~y And even now, Ecu indeed
nre the spots which begin to brighten, To relieve ,he
eye and cheer the ear Of the christian
while he surveys this dark region. Over the greater
part, the prince Of dark hOlds an undispued do.
minion. Nothing but that barrier which education,
tnnder God) isthe Ieans cf raising, prevents from
being Involved in the same ruin with them. Remove
from every Kind Of Instruction which we enjoy In
consequence of education, and you tear down every
civ, and religious institutions and open the gates Tor
the foods Of infrliiy aow 10 upon us and carry
into the vortex Of endless ruin.
Having briefly noticed few Of the lamentabls con-
sequences which will result, from ignorance aud cor.
rupiion, will now attempt to show some Of the ad-
vantages which result-frOm good education-That
while on the hand, expose the evils Of ignor-
ancs drive you from her grasp. on the other hold
up you the blessings Of education allure you
TO her embrace.
lst. Education Serrss to enlarge the mind.
We come into existence with very limited and con-
rac,ed views-we know very Ii,lle except what we
learn-and Of course oar knowledge increases 10
net prOporiiOn to what we learn. Could person be
placed, in early life, in situation in which he could
derive information from any human being and con-
time in this situation through Iife may easily
ceive aha, his informalioa be very limited, his
views very erroneous. Strip the world Of all the adj
van,ages ofedueaon, and you place al the human IA
mily in exactly the same situation with this man.-
They would have no idea Ofihe variety ofthe human
species which people the earth, knowledge Of the
arts aud sciences no correc, knowledge Of the over
ruling Power which governs I'LL things, the reqsre-
meats Of their Judge aud Awarder. This life they
would consider their only stale Of exislenee that
portion ofths earth which they ssw the whole Of
creation; the people wIth whom they had corrsspoD-
deaee ~ the esy peoples and their present indvidu-
al happiness % the highest object Of their ambition.
/ IT. A. Aa,sf=..aA A