The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-03-03

sand abuses IL reform; with its half fed untausht
| millions, crying for food and guidance at the
| point Of the bayonet. No but prosperous, free
people, with four millions Of children to be edu-
| Gated. There have always been two empires in
the world-one of force, and the other Of reason !;
for men can De governed only in these two ways.
Consequently, there must be either soldiers or
| schooiIna STEERS books or bayonets camps and
| cam paigns, or schools and churches ballot
| box, or the cartridge box Nov the first public
buildings Ct our forefathers were the Schoelhoase
and the Church. Their united instruction has
| made us great people may their influences be
| impeiishabie. (Cheering applause) have tables,
obtained by travelling in sixteen of the states, and
hon close nvesIs alton for the last eleven years)
which prove, that from those taught TO read in
this coun ry, nineteen ont of twenty, receive all
| taeir instruction in the common Schools. This
important Information shows us that, as Is the Com
mon school, so il the education Of the people. TIE
education ofthe American people, taken as whole,
| 10 just what the Common Schools are prepared to
give How many in this large assembly have re
crIvcd any other education than that from the Com
mon Schools .! If these schools had been better
the education would have been better Although
| all here have been imp owed by education, every
one OF reflection is conscious, when he begins
TO reason and compare, of many defects in his
mental powers, and many inconvesient and
embarrassing habits, which might have been
prevented, or remIdied, by a better eally educa-
ton Yet the Common Sch OILS, whatever may
| be their condition, teach the nation. These
| schools educate the farmers they educate the
chanics, the merchants, the legislators the mothers.
are the people cOlleges-ihe sun oil inc peO-
pies mind-lAmps of freedom, lit up all over this
land to pour their light upon our institutions De-
fective as they are the elementary schools bestow
and sustain the nations liberty. 1t was inteili-
Ernce that reared mp these majestic columns, and
the empire and liberty Of these States will stand
fall with Common Schools: for liberty under law,
| carnot exist without the schoolmas,e!. Whoever
builds school house, or teaches good school, is
erecting the ARREST monument 10 freedom. Blow
out the Light OF the Sc institutions, grntlemen-lock
npt doors Of the school hsuse-let darkness rest
upon nsse roofs aad agric allure is forgotten manu-
features shut down their gate' and commerce casts
her anchor Strike from existence llectual
fouA aims, and rapid would be our steps back the
savage state But fellow citizens, to neglect these
| schools, is worse than TO destroy them. Nal in
formation 10 worse than no international hunger 10
| better than poisoned food. The worse people
the whole earth to govern is a halfcducated peo-.
ple-educated enough to read what the demagogue
or not: Gentlemen, as have passed through this
| city, have said we may pile our hill tops with
Gree ian architecture, but let the plain scsool
house go down and where is our foundation
| (Strong applause) If the time shall ever come
when this great government will totter, the cause
will be found ia the ignorance Of the people sAnd
the people per sh for lack acknowledge" will
now ask your attention to the connection between
Common Schools and the higher literary institu-
| tions-academies, colleges and professional semi
naries. If the children all the land, in their
hrst schools can receive love of knOwledge-a
desire for a higher improvement-if they can in
these first steps in knowledge, find their studies
their delight, if they shall associate with the i'm.
provement Of their minds every thing that is agree
able, they will 60 from the Common School to the
academy, and from the academy to the college and
professional seminary poverty nor parents cannot
keep them down. And thus will the Common
School give the college i,s best support Bat let
Children IN them learn to cipher to the Rule If
Three. and hate knowledge all the rest of their
lives, and yon will scarcely be able to drive
| them to the Common School; they will never
desire to enter the academy or college
Take care Of the primary schools and they will
take care OF the colleges attend to the fountains,
and you Will have river. The most valuable aid
| we can give to the college, 10, to improve the
| Common Schools. Some have said the Common
Sehools can never edncsf. tn. p.ePi., hncwiesss,
down among the people. But, gentlemen, know
ledge will no more descend, than heat will descend
II you wished to warm the lower stratum of ar,
would you heat the upper stratum first? No;
warm the lower stratum, and ysu cannot keep the
upper cold -(Applause )-Would the prudent
housewife build the fire on the top of the pot, to
make IL boil Selfeducation, the best education
Why are not the people their own instructor?
why, DO we not see more great selfeducated
mel? Franklins, Shermans, Henrys, rising up
up all ind us? Why ara there not more Of our
/ young men, to-day, under the sublime process
Ola self-education, because the Common Schools
have neithe: given them the desire ability to ed
ucate themselves They left the miserable school
half Knowing and not half knowing, with feeble
thought, and vacant,i uncertain perez ptions, and
there Is now nothing to stand upon to work with.
But one thing well understood excellent start
,ns point t tor sss!ything else The great
the Duke Of Argyle; and when Edmund was but
| seventeen years old, the Duke was one day walk.
ing in his garden and noticed Newton's Principia
laying on the grass; directed it to be taken to his
library. Young Stone appeared and claimed it.
Yours" said the Duke, edo you read geometry,
and Latin, and New,on?" "a llttle," answered
the boy, who being further questioned, excited the
m m eut att And HOW
you with all this knowlcdge" the Duke at last in
quired. "a servant" said Stone, 'taught nae ten
years since my letters. Does man need to know
to know everything elseT Let the schools teach
the people six letters as they ought to
be taught; with delight-with certainty, and they
would Afterwards educate themselves A gr.s%,
school education is valuable far, and far only
as II has prepared us to educate ourselves. Mans
great concern ON earth education, aud the labor Of
with truth and effect. Look at the farmers of this
State, wringing from the soil scanty subsistence.
They have powers which, had they been evolved
BY an early seftraininE, would have placed them
after their cheap schools and penury Of instruc.
tion,
The State neglected the school and lost her true
source Of wealth; for ignorant is like lump
of iron ore, worth one SOU while be who is educa.
ted to look before and after who observes while he
lump of ore refined, and made into watch springs,
| worth six millions of sous The suceess OF chris.
tain effort depends on Common Schools We will
take for illustration that best Of all causes, the
bible cause. And, ladies and gentlemen, five wish
to secure the triumph Of the bible, we must begin
| by securing the triumph Of Common Schools. The
| Rev DR.. Duff: Missionary to india told the Gene.
eral Assembly that, from want Of knowledge and
science, the Hindoos were not capable Of estina-
ting the evidence Of the gospel, whish, to their
dark, feeble minds, appeared like an cid wifes "a
bic. DR.. Duff proposed that the Board Of Missions
should give to the Hindoos instruction in the va.
rious branches Of common education, that their
minds might be able TO see the truth and importance
| Of the ssriptures Before the sowsr goes forth to