The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-10-24


out the reflex Of their will. How all-im
portant is 1t. therefore, that their opinion
should be intelligent and enlightened!
shal not pretend TO assert that The e!ltc, 4
education IS TO exempt people altngelhe
frnm crime, or sin, or Weakness. Educate te
men are very cfien wicsed men, and enigh
tened nations ure not always free, But d
'nssl that in a government Of liberty an
equality liberty, restrained by law, an
eqnnli'y Of political rIghts--tIle surest wa
TO PcTPetuatc both, IS to place the means Il
education within the reach Of every citizen
IL has been so much the custom of >peak,I
and writers, candidates for flee aud incum
ben's of Office IN this State, to prn,e abou
education end its importance. that the peo
pie are apt 10 lislen or to rcRd, with ar in
crcduious smile. or n half supprc .srh sn." r
But let us. gentlemen OF the Legislature
endeavor 10 accomplish something that vii
remove their doubts. and turn their ridicu
linto upproba l.2h. |. slnlrrely sJus, ahat j
will be your fortune to signallze your name
and labors by the establishment Of liberal
effective and general system. The object i
by no means unntaInabIe. Other State
have succeeded in their Efforts, ard profi'in!
by their example, why may not Iennesse'
achieve like result? That will be q prout
day in her annals, when no man shal b,
found within her limits who is unable t
read CT write. ond, to be instrumental in ac
compii,hng $" great an object, may wei
satisfy The ambition Of the most distinguish
ed amongst you.
The progress which has been made by Sc.
vera Of our sister StaIes. within the pas
few years, in rairon ds--that most llnpor-
tant brunch Of interna! Improvements is
astonishing; and il we do not hcsir our.
selves in earnest and speedily. we snail be
lett far in the re.r N this noble contest
We have .aado a highly cTedilaole begnnlng
1t Is true, but iHuch remains to be accom-
pllshcd to place us il, the front rank. /,
winch we belong from our position and re.
sources.
II any one will take up and examine q
map OF Onr country, he will be struck will
the commanding locality Of Tennessee.
I Situated not far from the centre Of the re-.
preventative population Of the Union. and
10 her Whole length, occupying almost one.
third Of the distance from AIGermale Sound
|
tion of Arkansas, her borders are touched
by six States, and separated from two oihr
ers only by the Mississippi river. 70 tra-
vel from the colossal NORTH b-west to the
South enst, or from Texas and Louisiana to
New York or Massachusetts in direct line
you will be obliged to pass through her i'm
Its. Eng 'neers are beginning to discover
that the cheapest routes for railroads are
| those which approach o s near as possible to
an AIRLINE, and when this rule comes to he
| generally adopted, our State will be found in
he way 10 almost every important portion
OF the Union. She IL placed, moreover, Just
Jelw cen the Provision-raIsing and the cot
ton-growing regions, uniting in bsrself ma.
ny OF the advantages of both; and thus cen.
tral in position, nnd temperate in climate,
escaping The rigors Of n northern winter,
and exempt from the diseases OF u southern
summer, she seems marked out fer great
and glorious destiny. But as if TO take u
way oil excuse for falling to secure tins des>
tiny, she possesses, in addition to The ad
vanages of her geographical position, no.
tural resources within her borders, unsur-
passed by those OF any other Slate in the
Union. Her coal beds are abundanl; her
iron ore inexhaustable, und equal in quality
| to any IN the world, while her timber, of
the most valuable kinds. cannot be consum-
ed for centuries 10 come. These advanla-
yes she has too long neglected; these re.
sources are, in great degree, yc, undevel'
oped. While her character stands high ia
The estimation Of tho country, for military
prowess and political intelligence, she has
been Oulstrrpcd in the construction of rail-
roads,-so important in their social, moral
and commercial effects, by several Of her
younger sisters. The s;rth State in point
of population, and amongst the first in ma
tural dvantages, she is yet oEiy the eigh.
teenih in respect 10 the number OF miles oi
railroads within her borders-a kind Of. In
ternal Improvement almost absolutely neces-
sary TO her, a. many Of the mos, valuable
and productive portions of her territory are
shut out from prof able markets by The want
of the meuns OF transportation.
Your constituents, gentlemen ef the Le>
gislature. are giving much OF their ntlen>
tIon to this srea, subject: ami | am sais:i'
ed that they will approve and rall!y any
measures you may adopt. which shall be Ii.
beral and judclous. After much reflection
| have arrived at the conclusion. that the
people Of Tennessee would be willing to see
the credit of the State brought to the aid of
individual capital and enlerprize, whenever
il can be done without serious danger Of
loss, and in undertakings of a public char
acter. which are calculated, beyond doubt.
TO develope the resources Of the State. ard
to increase the general prosperity. To a.
dopt The best plan to curry this objec, into
fleet will require deliberation and care on
your part. but | sincerely hope tina, some
thing may be done. bearing at leus', a rea-
sonable proportion to The extent und posi-
,ion. the advantages and resources, the
prospects and destiny of cur beloved Com
monwealth.
In the successful Establishment and The
subsequent career of the government of the
United States, phenomenon has been pre-
sented without parallel in the history Of
the world. A weak and wide spread colo
ny, the offspring of a higher and holier
motive than the mere spirit Of adventure,
found itself, after ars o: tilial affection
and devotion, compelled to submit to con-
tinued and heartiess sggressions. or "'o
ka up arms" for the maintalnance sf those
rights to which they were emitted even un.
der the British constitution, and which had