Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-03-18

A NEW IMPULSE TO A GOOD CAUSE.
We regret that the attendance at the Educa.
non Meeting, on Monday night, was not large.
Still, the spirit which prevailed, was an excellent
one.
We would like to such associations this
in every county in the Commonwealth. As Mr..
Daniel well observed, what the friends of Educa>
ton now need, is organization and systematic eff.
fort. This is very true. We require new
arguments, no new facts, TO force conviction upon
the public mind. The time for deberation has
past the moment for action has arrived. The
foe with whom we have to contend, is before US,
and we must either retreat, covered with shame
and dshonor, OF bid our bugles sound the advance,
and drive from our borders the only enemy whom
Virginia has ever permitted to retain a foothod
upon her soil.
There was n time when Ignorance was bliss :"
a pleasant time indeed, when the earth was gar
den. and the chief business OF life was love.
Most people. the young folk, at any rate, will
agree with us, that that is very charming bust
ness, while it lasts, and even the gravest friend
of Education, we imagine, would willingly
render all the treasures he has acquired, If he
could exchange them for the destiny of our grea,
forerathcr walking beneath the shade OF tie trees
of Paradise. or, sitting upon tho banks of its
limpid streams. while Eve, his young and peerless
bride, worshpped him as the representative of
God in the new creation. But that time has
passed away. The world has changed its intel.
lcciual and moral character. 1t has become what
Is sometimes called ignoring" and knowledge
is necessary in selt.defence. There are Serpcnts
vet gliding about the ruins of our ancient Eden
and we must be as wise they, if we would pre-
serve the little remnant of virtue which has been
left TO us since the fall.
How often do we hear, until our patience is
almost exhausted With the repetition, that lulelli
geucc is essential to the perpetuily of free CO.
yernmentl And yet our apathy and shameless
negligence Just frequently contradict our words.
Here VIC have in Virginia a Commouw ealll
which we regard as the peculiar abode OF patriot
ism,-,he Holy of Holes in the Republican
temple. where the fee of freedom burns upon
the altar with an undying fang. and her priests
minister in seepless viglls at her shrine. Alas
We are worshippers of glory tina, has departed.
We stand absorbed in our abstracted coutempla-
tions. while an onward world is hurrying by with
lightning speed. Other States building new
empires we are searching for relics and cropping
among tombs. Forgetting the dwarfish and shrv
eiled proportions 20 which the Commonwealth
ha, fallen, we endeavOur 10 place upon her sun
ken temples the green laarels Of her glorious
youth, and in her palsied hand, the mighty sword,
with which she once led the vanguard Of the ma.
tons progress, and lowered upwards, the sdmi.
ration oi the earth We try TO trace upon the
sands of time the footsteps Of the hoEOred dead.
We never think Of contrasting our own GIminutiye
pace with their gigantic stride. We boast of
the ..seyen league boots" of our ancestors and,
encasing within their huge dimensions our own
shrunken limbs, we sttaighten ourselves proudly
up, and cast a glance of calm and contemptuous
defiance upon the whole civilized world. Let no
man presume to ridicule our attire. Let no man
touch OUT grandatheIs boots.
"He who doth these boots dsplace
Must meet Bombastes face face"
But thank Heaven, new era is opening upon
Virginia. Recent events clearly show that she
is realizing, in some measure, the fact thet her
free government cannot stand unless supported
by the strong pillar Of Education. She is be.
ginning to he alarmed at the Standing Army Of
Ignorance, already sixty thousand strong, which
Is menacing heF Institutions. 10 such benight-
ed race she can never consent to commit the
precious deposit Of her liberties. Better would she
give the parchment upon which her Bill of Right,
is Inscribed to the mad waves Of the ocean. l.
might then be carried to some other cline. and
become the model Of Republic for some other
race, which would know how TO appreciate the
inestimable boon Of freedom.
We must express our qualification with the
proposition made by Mr.. Gooch at the late meet.
ing, and unanimously adopted, to admit the ladies
20 membership IN the Association. We hope
this feature will be adopted in all future associa.
tons Of the kind in Virginia. No enterprise that
has the countenance and encouragement of wo
man. was ever yet known TO fail. We do not wish
10 indulge the language Of vain compliment. The
great Mother Of u all, it may be, showed almost
loo strong a thirst for knowledge, when she put
forth her hand and plucked the forbidden fruit
But that fruit is now forbidden no longer the Tree
Of knowledge has indeed become Tree Of ] ire ;
beneath it's shadow nations sit in pcace,-Woman
now may extend her hand, and gather the colder
treasure from the bough, and give it to the hus-
band at her side the children at her feet the way
iarer at her gate and the Almighty will lool
down in smiles. and pronounce bcDedction upor
the deed.
Mr.. BRYANT, TIE ARTIST.