Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1843-01-17
I VOL. I0-.-NUMBER 4.


her would possess large moral and intellectual or.
pans with moderate propcnS,cs should a.
range her hair in simple elegance aud imptn, Sc
rene onioymcn, bcngnty, aud wisdom on her
brow. She should rcprcsrn, moral liberty or ,he
unlimited freedom 10 accomplish all thn, is good
and the absence OF every desire to do evil Such
alone Is the liberty after which You should ASPIRE
desire, then, to see in this country moral and
intellectual machinery put in vigorous action, cal.
culatcd 10 teach the Young the legitimate spheres
in which oil their fsculhcs should act and to train
them 10 impose tha, restraint upon themselves TO
practise that scfdcnal, and that Subtraction
which are indispensable TO happiness and prosper
iiv desire TO public opinion which IS here
your great restraining power composed not ofihe
sum ofthc ruling prcIudiccs passions, or Interests
OF the day bat OF the concentrated wisdom and
virtue Of millions oftraincd and enlightened minds
Such public opinion should regard as the bcs,
and safes, OF all governing powers An ignorant
public opinion is, to the wise aud good u revolt.
my tyranny Ia this country YOU have chosen
public opinion for your chiefrcgulatlng influence,
and II is impossible for YOU to substitute for it any
other You have established universal suffrage,
placed supreme authority in the hands of your
maJortes, and no human means short Of military
conquest, can deprive that majority of its sway
You have, therefore only mode of action eft
to reach the goal Of national happiness cnlght-
faculties aright--frain them to sci ccontrol-frain
them in youth TO bend all the inferior feelings IN.
der the yoke Of morality religion, and reason In
| short educate thcm-and educate them well
| Most Of you will probably acknowledge tho
/ advantages OF education point to your common
schools, TO the large sums appropriated by tho
states for public instruction, and ask what more
can any reasonable man desire ? With every
feeling of Difference towards your learned men
and drvnes, | would answer that you stand in
need Of a philosophy Of mind capable of guiding
your steps in your efforts TO boStow education on
your people Many will SAYS not common
sense sufficient TO enable us to manage with sue.
cess both our political and educational institutions
] repeat the observation of Archbishop Whatcly,
that men never acknowledge the sufficicncy of
mere common sense to the Accomplishment, Of any
important undertaking when they fully understand
its nature and the difficulties that must be sur
mounted to ensure success blacksmith will
probably assure you, that common sense is sufi-
Client to enable you TO farm, If he knows moth
ing about farming but fyou ask him whether
common sense will enable you TO shoe horse
he will unhesitatiDglv answer, that If YOU try the
experiment you will probably get yonr brains
kicked ont for your rashnes, and presumption
DO you imagine, then, that the successful direction
Of the affairs of great nation and the training of
the human mind, demand less Of scicn,lGc skill
and experience than shocng horscsl
But allow me TO ask, what do YOU understand
by common sense, which is supposed TO be such
an aIl-suficienl guide in the United States2 What
is called common sense means the notions which
have cntcrod the mind of any individual from
such Occurrences and sources Of Information as
he happens 10 have enjoyed Mems capacities
differ, their opportunities Of observation differ and
hence their common sense differs The indivdu.
al who PROCESSES TO have no theory, no hvpothc-
sis, no system, but TO follow plain common sense
has theory IS that formed by his innate Gu
paciy aided by his own individual experience.
In some Of your academies the talent f1r Eng
fish composition is supposed to be the most vau
able attainment that can be communicated TO
the young; IN others arithmetic and mathematics
arc regarded as the best studies for developing all
the faculties while one female teacher assured
me, in all seriousness, that The human mind is a
blank, that all minds are alike in their native ca
pacltles, and that she can evoke whatever talents
and dispositions she pleascs This is her theory,
and she has prac,ised on ii for many years You
must have observed how the practices Of teachers
differ you cannot suppose that each adopts his
own method without some reasons for preferring
t;-thcse reasons, however limited and lame, con,
sttute his theory In point Of fact, they all have
theories and the vast differences in their notions
prove that nature is not the author Of them be,
cause She is always consistent with herself and
gives one response 10 all When we have stu,
died nature we agree. Hence, the great princi-
pies Of astronomy. chemistry, physiology and Of
other branches Of natural science, are no longer
in dispute But on the subjects Of morals relig,
ion and education, the diversity and conflict Of
opinion are boundess Does not this indicate thai
our notions these subjects do not yet IlSt on a
scientific basis in short, that we ENJOY 10 sound
and practical philosophy ofmind7
TO you this state Of mental science is an evil
Of the greatest magnitude Ia this country YOU
need not only educate bat an education that shall
communicate 10 youth the knowledge Iaaxims,
and experience Of age. Here YOU commit r., M.
cal power 10 he hands Of nearly every man MO
has attained majority Your population doubles
every twcniy1hrcc or twenty-five years The &c.
,ual majority Of your voters is probably under
thiuy-hye or thinysix years Of age There Is no
other country IN the world which is ruled by men
50 young and 50 inexperienced | was told before
| came here, that the Americans are the most eI-
cIlable nation the globe that you take fire in a
moment and instantly rush to action, whether il
be speculation, in legitimate oulcrpfsein war, Or IN
political change AMI since my ssy among you,
have heard the d,optonfd war-cfy uttered with
force ond unluimdy which IS iull Of Gahul
omen. And the cause Of this may be discerned
The mind all ihiuy.hye acts more under the in.
pulse d the feelings lhan under he guidance Of
intellect By the very laws Of our nature Com