The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-10-21
MESSAGE.
FtlIo1p Citizens The Senate and House o.
Representatives:


vince orits civil government. has by the la
vor of Providence, been committed to us
and we come together for the purpose OF 1t
execution. five would discharge, IN III
best manner, the duties it involves, we shal
begin and end every thing, with a recogniuo'
of our dependence upon Him from whom
all good counsels and all just works proceed )
while His claims upon our fidelity 10 nun
self, will become an ever-present incent''e y
fidelity in the service of the people we rep
resent.
The wear which is drawing toward close
has been one of prosperity TO our people
Though threatened drouih has repeatedly
filed them with apprehension and ALARM
thew have finally been permitted TO reap an
abundant harvest,-rhus happily finding IN
creased motives to gratitude, in delverances
from impepdipg danger, rendered The more
impressive by strong contrast with less Ia
vored portions Of our county
A great trust has been committed to u.s. as
the constituted guardians Of the interests Of
this people. If, in the struggles connected
with the election which has sent us here,
we have suffered unworthy passions 10 gain
tho ascepdency, rs they too often do in Po-
I;;i,aI contests, we cannot come here and en-
ter unon the sober work OF surveying our re-
,oon,ibiIitieS, without dismissIug them all
raLiu. each other by the hand as icllow -ciu-
z.oS and brethren, and striving together Tor
tb,. G,ith Of our fathers. and the furtherance
nj ;be GREAT ends for which they established
tho Government we have been appointed 10
administer How shall we best accomplish
those ends, within the brief space OF our an
nual >essiun! is question to which you VIII
allow me briefly 10 invte your attention.
The institution ofcivil government IS. de-
stoned TO become an actively benefcent aeen-
cy. The restraint of force Is far from being
lis only object. Excepting in governments
purely arbitrary, law derives lis energy from
= force exlraneous TO iiseli-ihe force Of
decp and abiding sentiment of vencratiOn Tor
lava love Of order-habilual seli-restraint
elevation and purity OF moral feeling, and IN
telligcncc to guide ii wisely IN the complica-
ted affairs OF human life.
Civil government, then, accomplishes its
object not ~ hen it Furnishes crime, but when
il prevents its comm:sSIon,-nut by providing
iails and penitcm'iaries, but by preventing the
necessity uftheir existence; by training the
people, as far as law can properly jntepose lis
power, To intelligence and the love o. virtue.
The fathers, of our State felt this, when, with
chara cteristic wisdom, they declared in the
constitution, that laws for the encourage
meat Of virtue and the prevention of vice and
imiuoral:,v ought to be constantly kept in
(orce and daily executed; and Il competent
uuu.hrr o. schools ought 10 he maintained N
each town. for the convenient instruction OF
youth, aud nne or more grammar schools be
Incorporated aud properly supported III eaci
county III the State Thus were the Ell
enlargement of virtue. the suppression o
vie, auA III. maintenance Of schools,deemef
50 vital to the welfare Of the Stale, as to de
mInd for them special provision IN lis OF
game law.
So large ror;icn ofmy irs; annual mess
age 10 the General Assembly was devoted
10 The subjcc; OF education, that deem Il
necessary 10 do little more. now, than To re-
fer vuu. rs most respectfully do, TO thai
message for nv views IN regard TO it.
The present has hecn truly denominaiec
nn acc of progress. The human mind i
vigorously seizing. and carrying out 10 prac
,ical results. the momeuious truths which re
sDect the relations of men to each other, ant
the appropriate means Of accomplishing thu
PURPOSES of hunian sncirty and government
Al The foundation Of this vast movement lies
The great work of Educa'ion-the work of de-
veloping, and giving right direction 10 men
tai and moral power. And if human gov
ernment is TO be regarded as an institution de-
signed TO perfect the purposes oi society, and
Improve the condition OF man upon earth, II
needs no Iabored argument 10 show, that ed
ucatinn. thus defined, is among the highest
duties of those entrusted with lis adnlnistra-
ton.
Nor should it be forgotten that there arc
rights correlative to this duty Every child
in the State has IA right TO be edncaied-a
right as essentially reciprocal 10 the claim of
the State To allegiance, as is the right TO pro-
1ec.on. The question whether the children
OF 4 State shall he educated, is no more
question of mere expeGiency, than is the
question whether the people have right TO
protection from foreign aggression, aud do
:mestic violence. Indeed. protection from the
effects Of ignorance aud vice is, itself, pro-
seetiou, i'll the highest sense, from all the
dangers which can arise within the limits of a
State. Would we have obedie nee to law
lie, the children be learned, IN the common
school rs well as at the domestic iireside, the
Auty of self control, and of reverence for the
law of eternal rectitude written in the word
ofGod: while the development, ID Just and
harmonious proportions, oftheir whole mlnd'
rndii SANC d. ouSS. u
of the worth Of mind, and all Intelligent con-
viction of the great purposes it is lifted TO &C =
complish.
All the children in Yermont-especially
the children of The poor-stand in the attI-
tude Just claimants. in respect 10 educa-
tion, upon the fostering bounty. and guardian
care of the Sta:c. Aud what has Vermont
done 10 satisfy this claiml We have, indeed,
declared, by law, that each organized town
shall keep and support one more schools,
provided with competent teachers; that the
towns shall be divided into school districts;
that certain district officers shall he appointed;
that taxes shall be assessed and collected to
build school hGuses and support schools;
and that. to the income arising from these
taxes there shall be added, for the current
Use of schools, the annually accruing interest
cfthe surplus revenue of the United States
deposited witt; this State. And here with
the exception of maa;ng provision Tor cer' al
returns of school statistics, we nave 'e'l 'ne
matter. il school houses are built We nave
taken DO care whatever for their proper Ioca-
fion or construction; and if teachers are EN-