The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-03-28
n Wurtemburg one for every


And if we compare those countries in re-
spcct to crime, we shall find striking cor
respoudence with the state of education.-
Spain for example, had till recently but one
Newspaper, and not one in twenty instruct
ed in school. She has population about e.
quail to England and Wales. Compare the
state ofmorals: In England in one year the
convictions for murder amounted To thirteen;
in Spain the same year twelve hundred and
thirty five! In England, for wounding with
intent TO kill, fourteen; in Spain, seventeen
hundred and sevcnty-three
All these striking facts go TO prove incon-
testbly that ignorance is the great highway
to crime and poverty and misery.
All experience goes TO prove that thorough
and universal education is the most eficctiIal
way to prevent crime, and surely II rs more
agreeable to the feelings ofn benevolent heart
TO prevent it thus than To punish II; 10 sup
press it 10y the winning appearance of the
school, rather than by the frowning aspect
of prisons. A general and thorough system
ofschool education is the most efficient and
economical police for city or for country.
Fourthy. Another important benefit of
educating the common mind, is, that ii will
prove the best safeguard ofour liberty.
The first article in the political creed Of ev-
cry American citizen, is that "a free govern
ment aud republican institutions, are the in
dispensable condition of nttaining the sum
NIT of social happiness" hut no fabric of IA
vision is more JGselGSs than the suppostion
that republican institutions can long exist
without intelligence and morality. The SCH
timent was proclaimed by the "Father ofhIs
Country at the very commencement ct our
national existence, and has been repeated
again and again, till it has lost, we fear, It's
deep signicancy for us, that popular liberty,
good laws and free institutions eau be MAIN
tained on no other basis than the virtne and
iutelIi gence ofthe people. Our freedom Is
! based on the assumption that every mau is
| qualified by education 10 go to the ballot box,
and discharge the high & responsible duties
of freeman intelligently, conscientiously,
and independently; and it that assumption
prove false in regard TO the mass ofthe peo-
| pie, our freedom is ut an end.
ssTherc is a bondage which is worse TO bear
! Than his who brcnthes, by roof, ~ floor y wall,
| Pent in, a Tyrnnt $ solitary thrall
| IT'S his who walks about in the open air,
One of a nation who, henccforth must wear,
| Their letters in their souls.
Fnnaticism and every form of extravaganza
and error, find in ignorance their native soil,
and iostered 10y it will shoot up with rapid
growth. Partizan disclaimers and dema-
gogues succeed best with an ignorant people,
4 and there are such in every political party
WHO tlatter the people in their ignorance, and
persuade them, "the sovereign people," that
they are as wise and knowing as need be
they the real rulers, and tie officers of Cover.
meut, their humble servants; thus they serve
to hold them in contented ignorance, and
pave the way to deeper aud darker ignorance
and more fatal demson. There are those
whose principles hang about them so loosely
that they would not much hesitate, under the
name fpatriotism, To sacrifice their nations
honor, or interest,to their own selfish projects
Let the people have that discernment which
will not be blinded by fiattery, g. that discrim
mating mind which can separate truth from
falsehood, and the arts of designing mel
, would be harmless. Among all the cause:
J which threaten the overthrow Our liberties
perhaps no one is more 10 be feared than tina
, spirit of ia,oIessness and disregard for author
ity, that is already rife in our land. feeling
too plainly expressed in acts that the poputd
,UiH, no matter how suddenly excited or how
, manifested, is the highest appeal and the sll
preme authority. Sound education will re
l veal n higher ground of authority, fixed & n
. biding, 81 teach one to cherish profound rev
erence for law. This should be prominen
= object in our schools: Ldic should always b
maintained and authority respected. The law
: less violence alarmingly prevalent, the mobs
: lynching and riots, which have disturbed TIN
/ peace of the nation, disgraced her name, ant
5 trampled upon sacred rights, ought to arous
4 every philanthropist to new zeal in promot
y ing sound education Let the young be subject
: ed to wholesome discipline in 1.-THE school a
g well as family, and let them learn to govern
t by first learning to obey; let them be humbled
G that they may be exalted; let them be laugh
: to respect superiors, and reverence authority
i let these lessons be duly impressed, and Their
n is little danger that their voice will be hear'
s in the angry shouts of an infatuated mob
4 The rushing, headlong power of frenzie'
: populace is difficult thing to withstand, o
|: control: then let that power, while yet Stun