The examiner., 1849-11-17
Heu.e I'D Auoasio..


before the Salem High School Of Green county,
Mississippi, and published in the Western
Clarion.
The interest which Judge Thacher has al
ways felt in the cause of education and his per-
severing, arduous and highly successful labors
In behalf of this cause in the State OF Missis-
sippi. but especially in the city Of Natchez, en-
title him to a respectful hearing whenever he
speaks upon his favOrite theme. We accord
inqly have read the address before us with care
full attention.
This address, which is written in fiorid style
but with considerable vigor and occasional e'e-
gance of expression, is-a plea for education al
home. the term 'home' being used in political
rather than private signifcation, to designate
ones own State in contradistinction to other
States of he Union. and to foreign countries
The object proposed by the writer Of the address
which is to awaken the minds Of his feliow-ct'
izeus to a sense OF the duty of giving to their
children the opportunity of a thorough educa-
ton at home, that is, In their own state, Is
worthy of all praise; but some of the reasons
presented and Of the motives appealed to In be-
half Of this object are, to say the least YER,
ouestio enable. Such, for instance, is the reason
implied in the following sentence:--"The Idea
of sending children far abroad for education io
give them independence and strength OF mino'
IA most fallacious, and has ever conduced t0
mental servility and ,oant Of sectional f"dsPsna
encs." The italics are our own. "Sectiona
independence" This is a peculiar and susPi'
cious phrase. "SeetiOnal Independence"
"National independence" is familiar anC
delightful phrase, but sectional Independence
has a strange sound, and as unpleasant Al
strange What does the writer meant Ina
the children Of Mississippi, in being sent abroa'
to school, are in danger of losing their inde
pendsuce as Americans No, for had that beef
hi, meaning, he would not have prehxed tina
sinister word "seciional'' TO the glorious wor'
so dear 10 all American hearts. What, then
does the writer meant Why, that the childrei
Of Mississippi, in being sent abroad to school
are in danger Of losing their Independence a
Aississippians. "Sent abroad. &" What doe
Judge Thacher mean by this expressionf Doe
he refer to lands beyond the broad Atlantic i
Not solely nor principally TO them, but TO Po'
tions of our own land, to States of the Unior
which ars thus deliberately clsssed among for
sign lands.
We have long observed with sinking Of heal
the influence of that miserable sectional sPir
which causes man to forget and disown n
honorable privilege and distinction OF Amer
can citizenship, but no manifestation OF Its II
fiuencs has so panied us as that presented !
this address. That an ignorant, hot-heade'
narrow minded demaaogue should appeal TO se'
tiOnai pride and prejudice in behalf OF som
low personal end surprises no one, but that
friend Of education, a cause which knews n
sectarian nor sectional barriers, should aPPe'
to sectional pride and prejudice in behalf OF th'
cause, we confess does surprise and grieve u
Judge Thacher, we believe, is native OF one
the Northern States, and we cannot but deplo'
the prevalence of the spirit which can cau'
him or any other American citizen TO regard III
State which gave him birth as a foreign land.
Another reason presented in the address VIII
Mississippi should educate her children at hon
is, that thus she may save those children froi
wrong and dangerous notions upon the suble'
Of slavery. To give weight to his argumen
Judge Tbacher alludes to the awful condition {
things brought about by the emancipation az
tation in Kentucky, where, in his strong lar
guage, "sweet home has been made tumultu
Gus HE'LL This agitation and its dreadful re
suits, the Judge says are owing TO "northern G
foreign education" We imagine that tn
Clays, Breckinridges and other prominent Ker
lucky Emancipationists would be somewhs
surprised TO learn that their interest in th
cause Of freedom is altogether owing to thei
"northern or foreign education;" for, in thei
delusion, they had supposed that love Of free
dom was not altogether an exotic in Kentucky
but in some degree native to its soil; and they
moreover, had supposed $50 pitable their delu
sion) that their love of freedom had been some
what developed under the influence Of a certai
| document called "The Declaration Of Indepen
dence," mot sectional independence,) docu
ment containing some very heretical notion
about the rights Of men, and also under the in
huence Of another document larger in size an
Of more binding authority, in which some quit
clear intimations are thrown out that "whatso
ever ye would that men should 90 to you, y
should do even so to them" documents mucl
used by many emancipationists, though not re
garded as peculiarly "northern or foreign" -
Judge Thacher's allusion to Kentucky does no
strike us as particularly happy; and there
another allusion in his address, with the peril
nency of which we are not as much impresse
as the Judge. He alludes to Washington as
striking illustration of the influences Of hom
Us somew nat remarkable that one, who enjoye
so fully, and who illustrated 30 remarkably tn
benefits Of "home'' education, should hav
come to conclusions upon the subject Of slave
| ry directly opposite to those to which Judg
Thacher supposes all who enjoy that education
muat be brought. The Judge, We fear, has no
become quite sectional enough to be soun'
adviser in regard to the delicate institution; an'
II he really has the welfare Of the institution a
much at heart as his address indicates, and de
sire, to give truely valuable counsel, we woul'
suggest to him the propriety Of become une
quivocalIy sectional and unscrupulously ultra
so that when he gives another address befor
the Salem High School he may advise the peo
pie Of Mississippi not only to beware of al
"northern or foreign education," but also t.
exclude from their State the Bible and Declara