Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-03-19

the SureSt basis oil publlc happiness. In
one in which the measures of government
receive their impressions SO immediately
from the sense of the community as in ours,
it is proportionably essential. To the Sc
curity of a free constitution it contributes
in various ways; by convincing those who
are intr0sted with the public administration
that every valuable end of gouernnaent is
best answered by the enlightened confidence
of PEOPLE; and by teaching the people
themselves to know and to value their own
rights; to discern and to provide against
tnvasionS of them; to distinguish between
oppression and the necessary exercise OF
laacful authority; between burdens proceed
ing from disregard to their convenience
and those resulting from the inevitable eTi-
gencies of society,"; to discriminate the spi-
rit of liberty from that of icentiousness-
cherishing the first, aviding the last, and
uniting speed but temperate vigilance
against encroachments, with an inviolable
respect to the laws.'
This language is justly worthy of the
great source from whence it comes, and
fully sustains all that has been previously
said.
1t has been supposed by some that such
system as we have above described would
in part if not entirely break down our col
leges. We assume the position that our
educational system ought to be general and
complete. That every school ought to re-
ceiye five hundred dollars salary, and that
every one ought to be subject to one COM
mon head which can look over, examine
and control the whole. 1t is proposed by
some that the Secretary of State would be
the proper officer to guide and direct the
system. To that officer there would be
manifest objections. In the first place he
would continue in office by legal appoint
ment for three years, and during this time
would barely have an opportunity of be-
coming acquainted with the system, and
then be followed by successor who would
be compelled as did his predecessor to learn
the character, nature, extent and action of
the system-and thus there would be a
ceaseless learning and unlearning 1t must
be manifest that such process of govern
ment would subject the whole system to
great irregularity and ineficiency of action.
But there are other objections to the ap-
pointment of that officer not less strong
than those just mentioned. Party spirit
does and will always exist in country like
ours There might from this source arise
an improper influence. The committee af-
ter full and due consideration think that
the head of the system ought to be man
who devotes his time to subjects erczusive-
ly in the world of mind. For this reason
the central location of St. Johns College
renders it eminently proper that the Presi-
dent of that institution should be the head
His appointment is during good behavior,
and his exclusive pursuit is instruction and
an investigation and observation of the &C
ton and development of the human mind.
He would be constantly watching and re-
fleeing upon the progressive action of the
system; and could observe with a steady
and vigilant eye the mode by which it would
in its progress from intellectual exertion
throw off the imperfections of the social
system and disclose its own defects, just as
a wound on the human body, under the
care of skilful physician, will progressive
ly throw off its carious and imperfect par
ticles.
The proposed system could not PROSTATE
the collegiate system, although it would
bring what is now collegiate education
within the power of every citizen, even the
humblest. 1t is clear process. The pre-
sent collegiate system, or rather fragment
of system, is based upon a certain degree
of intelligence where some citizens can read
and write and others cannot. If then it
was established so as to bring an accurate
and practical knowledge of the general prin-
ciples of science and of our government to-
every mans door, the collegiate system
would still be elevated as much above such
degree of intelligence as it is elevated
above that which now exists-in other
words, for the future progressively improv-
ing collegiate system there would be ba-
sis of increasing brightness instead of that
which is formed of increasing ignorance.
In every country the graduation of great
men is almost imperceptible, just as it is
difficult to distinguish the superior bright
ness of one star from another. Thus if
every citizen, by means of instruction and
the degree of intelligence produced BY the
action for long time of such system as
we have just described, had possessed the
same research in political science which
Calhoun and Webster have displayed for
The last several years, where would these
two men, with their superior natural intel
lects, have been? Just as much above their
own present degree of learning in political
science as they now are above the masses
in other words, under the influence of the
action of such system as we have de-