The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-07-31

And here should do injustice to the occasion and TO
my own feelings dla no. pursue this painful theme
to the memory OF him who for many years, often un-
der most adverse circumstances, but still with signal
administered the affairs OF the University as its pres
ding officer No one, am sure, who has ever shared
his counses or proted by his mild reproofs easily
forget the wisdom and the virtues of President Caldwell
Uniting extended learning with sound Judgment he Dos
sessed the and difficult art to temper amoniton with
Kindness, and to render discipline efectua by
king it less repulsve
His life was gentle and the elements
So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world this a man."
His character and his usefuness--what he was, and
what he was enabled to do-suggest theme, which
in this theatre OF his labors, and among these wit
nesses of his fame, it would be grateful task I'M
der other circumstances to pursue But his exam
pie would rebuke u.s. il we should allow his merits
to turn aside from contemplating the great objects
his toll Let seek rather to understand and TO do
homage to those vast interests Of enlightened culture if
country, which he lived and 4 had almost said,
he died to promote
To this general subject invited not only by the
prophecies OF the occasion, but by its intrinsic dgn
ly and worth. In its broad and comprehensive sense,
the work OF education is the grand business of human
e and in these United States need hardly say, it
be neglected. but at the hazard of conseq
ces which no patriot can contemplate without alarm
This belief was present with America at its very BIRTH
and stamped upon its rising institutions the great impress
of freedom and perpetuty In the history of other ma
tons, learning has been the slow growth OF society al
ready formed and has existed at last only the
ment OF wealth or the champion of power But with the
thing thought of not as luxury, but necessity
not as the handmade of privilege, but the of
equality not the child OF endowment the accident
of place. but the surest basis of public prosperity and
of private happiness They planted knowledge therefore,
in the wilderness established schools as they
builded habatons; and laid the foundations OF Uni
versty, while yet they were struggling with the rayages
OF disease and the apprehension OF want More than
century ago the charter governments celebrated for
promoting letters by free schools and coeges-and to
this feature of their character has been traced the secret
of their great success Every child born into the world
was lifted from the earth by the genius of its country,
and in the statutes of the land received lis political
brhrght, pledge of the public for its morals and
| its mind"
Il has been said that under government like ours what
nation becomes less truly intelligent by becoming
thoroughly republican. Yet country has done SO
much for learning in SO short time America I'm.
examped as has been its growth in all the elements OF
physical power, lis means OF education have multiplied
with its advancing population, and gone hand in hand
with its increasing wealth. When this institution was
founded in 1889, it had not than ten associate col
eges the whole Union and many of these every thing
but the name, hardly on level with our modern
academies. There now in the United States at least
ten times that number, with aggregate of nearly eight
hundred instructors an attendance of twelve thousand
Students and library of six hundred and fifty thousand
volumes Independent of these, but labong the
field of usefulness are thirtyfour schools of theology
hry-two OF medicine, and eight OF laval of them in
successful operation, and some OF them munfcenty pro-
vded with the most costly apparatus and most valuable
works. The true glory, however, of republican culture
found in those less ambitious nurseries OF learning,
which, scattered broadcast the Union, extend the
opportunities of free instruction almost every family
in America From the imperfect returns of many of the
States, and the different systems adopted in various
tons for accomplishing the end, accurate
mary this subject cannot well be obtained Five years
ago ii estimated that, in the whole country there
not less than two millions of pupils who attended
common schools but better idea OF their extent and
influence may be gathered from the statistics of single
State In New York, there nearly eleven thousand
public schools; not less than half million of pupils
and district Libraries for the alike of children and adults
he mil
In that State, am aware the school system has been
the work of many years. but even the system of Ohio,
one of the youngest States in the Union, may well at
tract establishment and respect Here, if anywhere
in the land, considering her late existence and marvel
lous growth we might have looked to see the cutva-
ton of mind fatally postponed If not wholly over
whelmed, by the throngng demands OF enterprise, and
the pressing empoyments of active life Yet her consti-
tuition declares, in the genuine spirit of the republic,
human happiness" and that schools and means of in
sructon should be encouraged in such way as con-
ssent with freedom Of conscience" Acting on the ad
mabe sentiment OF this provision she had established
as long ago $780, eighteen colleges and nearly SIX
thousand schools which attended by two hundred
and twenty five thousand scholars.
These illustrations evnce, at single glance the ex-
tended interest OF our people IN the diffusion OF know-
edge and the magnificent results which that patriotic in
teest has achieved If States have done less than
Ohio for the OF instruction, there others which
have done more and all of them believe without ex
cepon have recognised Its importance by wise constlu-
tonal legal provisions The public funds set apart tor
this purpose the whole Union, including the generous
grants of land by the federal government promote the
sales of its public domain need not shrink from compar
son with the boasted literary endowments OF Europe
and yet they fall very far short of the entire expenditure
in the United States for the education of the young The
cost of private instruction forms of itself additional
item of immense amount, while the grand aggregate is
still further increased by the frequent contributions OF in
dvidual benefcence for the foundation of Libraries, or
the Improvement of schools In the field OF letters, as
everywhere else in country, the great principle OF
voluntary effort ceaseessy at work, and constantly
rivals, by the energy OF its movements, and the magni-
tude of its effects the most successful action the part
of government The exercise of their combined power
of moral and mental culture and has extended the
Of education to every grade OF society and every
condition of life.
Aided however by no combination with the State the
religious teachings of America the work purely OF
private beneicence. In the republics OF antiquity, rel-
gon only part of their political system and the head
OF the State was also the father of the church This
ery, which yet fingers in the Old World has been
wholly repudated in the new; and the land OF Roger
Williams and Thomas Jefferson proclaims liberty OF con-
from sixty thousand churches, and ncucaes virtue
and liberation in many Sabbath schools Free gov
eminent is valuable after ALL much for any direct
exerton OF its power as for what 1t permits the
people to work out for themselves
The press began its work in 1889 century afterwards
it had earned the prohibition OF England, and was strong
enough to defy it and at this day. asserts its freedom
by influence which only moi despotlc because II is
not harmonious. Far oufsrpplng by its enterprise the
fertility OF our writers, the American press appro
PIRATES unshrinkngly the literary treasures OF the whole
earth; while it almost forbds importation OF books by
the cheapness with which it reprints them, and the ac
reading community. But the most striking displays of
its actyitc only be Witnessed the field