Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-07-07

that any school system, any thing pertaining to ed
vocational interests or system of efforts for the
improvement of the youth and children of the COM
munity, is to be discussed and settled, adopted or
rejected sustained put down, by the body of the
people, and accordingly as the masses are ignorant
or enlightened cultivated or uncultivated possessed
of elevated or groveling views will their measures
and provisions in regard TO a system of public in
struction be wise and LIBERAL or the reverse
Our views OF the necessity of general cultivation
TO prepare the masses of population in free coun-
try to preserve and properly to manage their nsti-
tutions, are abundantly confirmed by the evidence
of existing facts, and the testimony of all history.
There are, including Hayti, three republics besides
our own in North, and eight in South America.
Hayti has been Independent upwards Of fifty years,
and Mexico and the South American Republics
from twenty to thirty wears And let any one who
has the means at hand, sit down and carefully exa-
mine the history Of these republics, OF any one
OF them. What an uninterrupted series Of tumults,
party strfes Instructions revolutions and counter
revolutions from the hour Of the first for free
dom till the present This has not been for want
Of the true idea Of republican institutions for, du-
ring the last thirty years. federal and state con
stitutions, translated into Spanish, have been more
extensively circulated and read than any other book
whatever And not only have they possessed and
examined but, in most Of It's provisions. copied and
adopted our own constitution. And yet what have
national independence and free institutions done to
make those communities prosperous at home ORE
spected abroad What one Of them has ever had
any thing like an efficient and stable government!
What one of these governments has ever afforded
enough Of the prospect OF permanent quiet and Sc
curity to make it an object oris people TO be in
dustrous OF to enter largely into manufacturing or
commercial operations? The true explanation OF
the unsuccessful working of free nstlsutons IN all
those communities is the almost total lack of cul-
tyation among the masses Of the people. They ale
all too unculiyated properly to comprehend and
appreciate and too scI-willed and needless TO con
form to and carry out the policy of enlightened self
government
\ chaos of fierce weliering change;
All pow er of check and guidance gone
Dizzy and blind the mass sweeps on
! Subiugation, to foreign power, or to a crushing
iron dcspotism at home is their almost inevitable
fac, and that not very remote, unless they succeed
in educating the barbarous hordes of their popula
ton
The Ike evidence of the failure of attempts to
maintain free institutions among an unenlghtened
mass OF population meets US ii we turn our attcu
ton to the eastern hemisphere Spain has been eff
fenezcing with the spirit of revolution for some
40 years; and with no benefit or prospect of benefit
to It's wretchcd inhabitants. The republic of France
stormy and bloody as it was, had duration of less
than fifteen years. The commonwealth of England
held out only twelve years. And .thus it must in
varabIy be where the attempt is made to establish
aud maintain free institutions among unenlight-
/ ened population General and thorough education
cultivation and intelligence among the mass of the
population let the cost OF it be less, the
best and the only eAcctual insurance upon the pros
perty of free community, or upon the stability
and pcGmancnce OF It's institutions.