Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-03-04
COM nj UNICATION
DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
NO. w.

rily embrace, subject SO great in ITSELF The a,
vantages OF Education manifest themselves in
many thousand different shapes, that volum
might be hiied with the discussion, and the subjec
still be but nnpertcctly presented. Ii we take
rapid survey of the world we are struck with I'll
diversity In the political, social and religious condi
ton OF lbs different quarters. Limit our field Of OBJ
scrvation to ChristendOm, and we are amazed tina,
, nations claiming common paternity and religion,
should be diverse in their notions of moral social
and political science and government In the des-
potisms of Europe we find ''the divine right of
kings" upheld by the strong arm Of power, at the
cost of the liberty of the subject In the republics
of America, on the other hand, we behold the sub
lime spectacle of a people governing themselves.
new maxim, ''that the People are the source of
all power" is here beautifully exempletb n, con-
tradcton to the old doctrine, that the King was the
fountain head from whence ii flowed If system
OF government and institutions, such as ours are
preferable to those Of the iron-ruled empires and
Kingdoms Of the old world. it is to the enlighten-
ment OF the human mind, as the prime cause, that
we must attribute the blessing. There it has long
been the studied effort and unyieding policy Of the
tyrant to shut out every ray Of light that might a
meiOrate the condition of the suffering and degra-
ded millions, lest, their eyes opened to their
true condition, they should attempt to throw off the
chains imposed by the elevated few. Here, ON the
contrary, it is the wish of every good ard patriotic
citizen to preserve the rights of his feow-country-
men, by teaching them to keep an eye of ''eternal
vigilance" on their rulers, and hold them to strict
responsibility in the discharge Of the high functions
delegated TO them by the people. In every associ-
alton of men, where each has voice in controlling
the destinics of the Others it is necessary for the
common veal that all should understand the object
OF the compact, and know how to act so as to pro-
mote the general welfare of the whole So i'm
Republican government, the constituent should be
able 10 pronounce judgment understandingly on the
acts and doings of his delegate To do this he
MIST he edncated Won n,rct n1,co in b;c b,nJe +.
key to open and understand the books of his coun-
try's Constitution and laws. Let him by himself
study the theory of the one, and the Spirit of the
other. Without such knowledge no man can ever
be great and good citizen 1t is not in the nature
of things that an ignorant man can discharge the
duties OF the ballot box with as much Judgment and
discretion as one who is better informed The cor
rupt demagogue asks no better field for his opera
tions than that presented by ignorant population
And finally, if we look forward to the perpeuity of
our Institutions, it mus. be the ground of the con
tinued enlightenment of the people. Education
does not stop here in its blessings Ii brings to
every one thousand pleasures denied the untutor-
ed. Look at the relative degrees of happiness en-
oyed by two persons families, the cultivated
the other ignorant. The ignorant have no sources
OF enjoyment save the limited range of the sensual
pleasures, and how soon do these pail by over in
diligence. Old age finds him miserable, desert
ed being his children, ignorant and degraded as
himself, feel none Of those high moral obligations
which bind together the parent and child but leave
him TO wend his weary pilgrimage unaided down
the stream Of time, and when at last under the
weight of years, he ''shufIes off this mortal coll"
he sinks to the last sad resting place, his memory
''unwept, unhonored and unsung.' Not SO with
the cultivated.-His mind ever actively engaged in
some train Of useful and entertaining thought, he
feels not the tolls and drudgery of the mere physi-
/ cal man, when engaged in manual labor and when
his hours of leisure arrive he is employed in
the acquisition of useful information. and per-
chance makes rich donation to mankind in
some great inventions which, but for his superior
| knowledge, would have remained forever hidden
treasure. Such men, even Franklin, Arkwripht
Fulton ard host of other bright ornaments to their
age and country, whose inventions have wrought
out more stuperdous revolutions in the affairs Of
men, than all the conquerors who ever deluged the
world with flood. Think you not that such men
have enjoyed hours of more exquisite pleasure than
ever fell TO the lot of the mere sensualist Can
any man believe that the Esluimaux when he has
swallowed his quart of train oil, and stretched him
sell beside his hut TO roast in the broiling SUM- ever
enjoys such intense delight as must have burst on
the heart or Leyerrler when he proclaimed in the
Hall OF the Academy of Sciences, that he had found
another world floating in the far distant regions of
illimable space.
And in pccuniary point Of view, who can esti-
mate the value OF the contributions made by learn.
ed men to the world? We need but TO compare
the relative wealth of neghboring nations 10 salts
. !
Mexican still ploughs his soil with forked stick.
and when his hard earned and scaniy crop is gath
cred, he treads 1t out upon the ground with oxen
conveys II home or to market on the backs of mis-
cradle mules, OF on clumsy truckle Wagons whose
wheels are sawed ready formed from the noble trees
of his forest. On the other hand the New Emo
land farmer turns his broad deep furrow with the
polished mould-board Of the improved centre
draught, whose very curves have been calculated
win mathematical precision to afford the least re-
slstance TO the yielding soil. His well cultivated
fields pay rich tribute to his industry and skill
and give ample employment TO his threshng MAJ
Chimes merchant mills, manufactures railways.
steamboats,, wharves. warehouses, shipping and
merchants, and furnish to the starving myriads Of
Europe the means of existence when all other
sources have failed. repeat education is of val
lie in pecuniary point Of vicw.-It makes bet
ter farmer, better merchant, a more skful me
chanlc, a more trustworthy lawyer more useful
divine, better citizen, in short is of ADVANTAGES
to every man, every community and every nation
In some future number | will resume this sub
Ject, and attempt TO show that every freeman born
mo the world has national rl9id TO be educated
well. LANCASTER
The celebrated UIitnot i'royiso, attached to tn,
three million bill, runs thus
Provided, further, That there shall bp neither
slavery nor involuntary setvude in any territor,
; IN the continent of America which shall hereafter
be acquired by annexed to the United States By
virtue OF this appropriations or III any other name
whatever, except Tor ctiries whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted Provided ai,ca,ls. tina
every person escaping into such territory from whom
labor or service is lawfully ciaimicd in any one O
! the United States, sfch fugitive may be lawful,
! claimed and conveyed out of said territory IN IN
! power claiming his or her labor service.
4