Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-03-11
Educate the People,

s,Iuciions upon the heads of The people-you
owe them that baptism Look at the boy in
the gutter haless, shoeless, and almost ma.
ked, he is part of our king; part OF our SOW.
ereignty. Should he not receive sovereisn's
education! Should he not be prepared for
he throne our institutions have given him
There is gem in every human form; let the
diamond be polished, and it will shine in truth
and beauty. There is still in the most debased
beam elherial, though unsullied and dishon-
oted, still divine. And our motto should be
Teach and hab'uate the people 10 make a
right use Of the faculties which God has given
'hem, and then rus, them fearlessIy TO them
selves. Give democracies education and free
dom of action, and then lei them alone"
Uneduca,ed mind, is educated vice. for
God made man to know He is the creature of
instruction; for in right education there is a
divine alchymy which turns all the baser parts
OF mans nature into gold. We are told by The
ancienis that as soon as The frs, rays of the
morning sun fell upon the first statutes of Mem
non, it sent up music. Ii is after the first rays
Of knowledge 10 fall upon man tina, his nature
discourses harmony-all before is The dark
ness of barbarism
All can see that wickedncss leads 10 misery,
ye, very few find out that which is equally cer-
tain that ignorance leads to misery, and mise
ry to wickedness. DR.. Johnson was once ask
ed" Who is the most miserable man ~ and
the reply of the sage was that man who can.
not read on a rainy day" Tie writer was
once passing through park. and saw nailed
10 one of these trees this warning =" All dogs
found in this park will be sho,."--A friend who
was with US, remarking, unless dogs can read
they are pretty badly off here" Now God
has not only written his laws upon the trees,
buI in The stars and in the flowers his laws
are above Us and beneath US, on our right and
on our left, and If man is not able 10 read, he
is pretty badly OFF here--worse off than the
dog, for the dog has master to read for him
but man has no master between him and his
God.
A maxim. of more truth and force than any
remember ever 10 have seen, was thrown of
by British s,aesman-by man WI ho was in
learning vivid varied, and philosophical, and
who in conversation threw out more gems,
sparkling and brilIian, as they come, than any
other man of his age. His profound apolhegm
was that Education is tie cheap defence Of ma
tons" And if might pu, lruism by The side
of this, would say, it is cheaper TO educate
The infant mind, than 10 support the aged Grim
lnal. Yes, besow the pence on common schools,
and save the pounds on prisons. Man was not
made 10 be sent 10 prison, but 10 be educated
and the very worst use you can put man 10
is TO hang him. Neither is man Human
Poor Box into whose mouth we are TO drop
few cents daily. The ignorant child left TO
grow up darkening into The deeper ignorance
OF manhood with all lis jealousies, and its mar
row miidedness and It's superslilions, and It's
penury OF enjoyments: poor amid the intellect
ual and moral riches of the universe blind in
this splendid temple which God has lighted up,
and famishing among The profusion of o,nnipo-
tence"
/" wo for lhose who trample on the mind,
That fearful thing. they know not what they do !
Nor what they deal with--
TO lay rude hands upon Gods mysteries there"
The Ten Commandments Versified.