Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-01-14
G0lltation.
POPULAR INSTRUCTION,
AND IT'S RELATION TO THE HIGHER INsTITU
TIoNs OF LEARNING.

AND IT'S RELATION TO THE HIGHER INSTITU-
TIoNs OF LEARNING.
Such is the title of Discourse delivered on
Thanksgiving Day, by REV. WoRTHING-
9: "And, moreover, because the Preach
er was wise, he still taught the people
knowledge"
Two ideas are drawn from the text : that
knowledge should be dfIused among the
people, and that educated men are re-
quired to perform this office. The ancient
Preacher seems not to have been limited
to Religion merely; he eXpatiated in the
broad field of human as well as divine
knowledge, discoursing on all themes that
pertain to the duties of life: because he
was wise-learned, experienced, compe-
tent-he taught the people,
Mr.. Smith proceeds first to show that knowl-
edge is an inalienable right of the people,
having Mind, they are entitled to its
natural aliment, which is knowledge
that it is necessary to augment the effic-
ency of man knowledge is power
the power to master the elements of ma
ture and subject the powers of the animal
and material world to his will that it is
essential to experimentation it, man
is but brute; and finally that it enhan-
ceS self-respect and fits us for all the du-
ties of life-and this is illustrated by
parallel between civilized man and the
savage, the freemen and the serf He
next shows what are requisite for teaching
the people, to wit: schools, in which all
our children and youth should be gather
ed but beyond these, means acknowledge
must be provided literally and constantly,
for the Preacher still taught, that is, ev-
erm0re taught But it was not because
the people had Preacher that they were
taught; but because the Preacher was
wiSe. There is need then of wise men
to oiliciate in the pulpit, in the academies
and schools, in all the learned professions,
and to preside over the public press; and
for such men we must rely upon the High
er Institutions of Learning, To have
men to teach heavenly and human knowl-
edge, to heal our diseases, and to aid us
in making our laws and defending our
rights, we must support Colleges and sup
tl,n,,, ,,,,tl, loornoH ,..;th III,
raries and cabinets, and so literally en-
dow them that the poorest and humblest
Of our sons and daughters may drink as
freely from the fountains of knowledge as
the more favored, who from their riches
can purchase Libraries or resort to the
highest institutions in our own or other
lands.
Vermont requires 5000 teachers, 600 minis
tiers, 400 lawyers, and $50 physicians
all of whom ought to be thoroughly edu-
Gated men, to be fitted for their RESPONSE
BILE stations; and to supply the demand
for our own state, the number of students
in our Colleges should be multiplied
three-fold vet those Institutions are
"languishing in poverty and neglect, and
"giving forth no equivocal omens, that,
"without speedy return of public favor
'to them, their springs will dry up-their
eight be extinguished p Mr.. Smith
concludes that the first duty of the state
is to aid those institutions. We quote as
follows from his discourse;
To the disparagement of colleges and with
1 view to awaken popular prejudice against
hem, it is often asserted that these institu-
ions are the public nurseries of an aristoc-
-acy. - but this charge, unless our own
misleads us, is without found
alton, especially in regard to the literary in