Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-05-16
Education.

system OF Education.
Second. our present system of Education is
wrong, because it is not in harmony with Nature
i, does not rightly develop the PHYSICAL, intel
Iectual, and moral nature of man.
Third, right system of Education will do this
consequently, wllreform and renovate the world.
There is no subject so worthy the attention of
an intelligent community as that of Education
There is no subject that has occupied so large a
share of the interest of the learned and the phlan
thropic of all enlightened nations; and yet venture
to say there is no one so little understood by all.
1t is sad truth, that the moral and social pro.
gress of man has never been in the same ratio
with his advancement in the arts and sciences.
Human ingenuity and invention have been racked
in bringing these TO perfection and what glori
Gus results.
A Raphael and Michael Angelo make canvass
and marble speak to US in all the touching pas
sions Of humanity, until we almost believe that
the artists were possessed of Promethean power.
Milton and Shakespeare charm us with their
harmonious versifcaton and exalted sentiments.
A Calhoun and Clay entrance US with their pow
erful logic, and burning eloquence.
A Caesar and a Napoleon as.onish us with their
reckless ambition and deeds of noble daring. A
Chalmers and Charming ill our souls with
mind ennobling views of God and our fellow be-
ngs. while an angle might venera,e the intellect
of Newton and listen to the sage remarks of
Franklin. The land is full Of labor-saving ma
chimes, of most wonderful power, that hourly per-
form the work of thousands, and they are daily in
creasing Railroads Iadlate to every point Of
the compass, making the solitary places glad
Steamboats,, with their untiring wheels, plough
deep into the bosom of all our navgable streams,
and, ere long, the whole globe will be traversed
by steamboats, and steam engines, connecting land
and sea, TO its remotest corners.
Science, eagle like, has scared above the clouds,
and seized the lightning by its flaming tongue, T.,
compelling il to become machine of thought be-
tween man and man. Wonderful !! to compel that
fierce power to utter, not terrible. but friendly
aCords, that is born of the warning elements, that
goes with leap and a shout on its mission of de-
struction and death. tearing the gnarled oak as if
it were toy, and rending the bosom Of the ever
lasting hills! But while science has done so much
has forced the clouds, winds, waves, and all the
elements of Nature to its bidding--rhy has our
social and moral advancement been so slow Is
the fault in Nature, rather Natures God Has
he imperfecty developed mans moral powers 2
Nay He has impaired to them the same ele-
mens Of progress with his Intellectual and vastly
higher. Where shall we look for The cause of this
wrong, but to our leaders who say to the mass of
mankind "You are incapable Of thinking and act
ing for yourselves; PIN your faath on our seeues.
This eternal deJfcatlon Of certain men men, too,
land here's the ruby who have remained nert--at
least many Of them-covered themselves with the
learned dust of centuries, and rested like mighty
incubus. upon the cause Of human improvement
men, who have oftentmes embraced hateful princi-
plies opposed to advancement, as incontrorertible
truths many of which were adopted for the govern
ment of barborous people-principles whose ten
dency is consequently, to barbarsm- whose spirit
is opposed an enlightened pure Christianity. And
adhering to them, with spirit as ndomitable as
if there were no lac of progress written all over
Gods works, on each atom of our globe. and in
burning, shining characters on the sy stems Of
worlds filling immensity. and how much more dis
tinctly on mind for ,ohich all matter was created
Can we longer marvel then that our social and
moral progress has been slow, when there has
been so strong an inclination among our leaders
to go back, instead of forUqrd for light-to pore
over tyrdnnical, intolerant superstt,ous, b goted
terrific, false, musty Books, and Creeds ofm
devices, and perpex themselves with indecipher-
able hierOelyphics, when the fair book of Nature
lay spread out before them. But while these lea
ders have been engaged in disputng about the let
ter Of the law and gospel the people have been
catching aportlon ofits spirit, and are no longer
willing to be kept in subection to old barren dog
mas. Progress 4! is their watchword. Progress is
Natures eternal law and all her forests noun
tains, and seas, respond to them in one univer-
sal song. But the doubt and speculation, in which
the minds of many of the wise and good even Of
past ages wandered without guide, and were
lost in the uncertain lights that 1ickered around
them are yielding to the doctrines of Light, Truth,
and Love. Society grasps with one hand the
most noble and elevating Truths, but retains with
the other the prejudces and customs of darker
age. There is now existing in the community two
powerfully antagonistic principles-the lore prin-
ciple and the force principle. The former says. ''lf
thine enemy hunger, feed him if he thirst, give
him drink" the latter Away with him; kill him;
cruelty him." Mankind have crucifed their Sa-