The weekly Placer herald., 1853-08-20
BEEcHER's LECTURE ON CoMMoN

O"o't vi one ol tue most lmpOrraiit anu
interesting questions of the tilnes-thP
ira ming of The american citizen, an Com
mon Schools, for the discharge of duties,
by learning him To restrain The temper,
moderate the passion, cultivate habits OF
reading and reflection, so as to obey the
laws AS well as to make them-and to abb
stain from anarchy, wrong, riot and out
rage. Few lectures of the day contain so
large an amount of vigorous though:, and
so immense number of useful sugges-
tions; all bearing direct on the proper
manufacture of the American citizen, in
common schools-whose defects and de-
ficiences he points out; AMI whose in
creased usefulness he indicates after this
brief, but emphatic manner.
81 here are few in this audence--in-
deed presume none ut Al - that have
felt what the word, compulSion neanS
aince the days of our chi dhood. We
have all been whipped, nope.-we have
all deserved it, | know; but now none Of
our acts are borne of compul>ion. You
s"nr" ~"-..,.-h a. b" s'.os. .i,i4,s,r, y-.,. II
know that law is law unit repealed; you
know there is II remedy for private rights
and public justice; you know that to fight
is unnnanly, but mob Is anarchy, and
that every right can he protected 10y law;
you know how to purge corrupt legisla
lures, or even sometimes to indirt your
rulers-you are freenen. But mark you,
and go about in the streets and find the
trnth of what say. There are men
among us who cannot understand it
There are precocous boys, ali but manly
in their knowledge and virtue, who cannot
learn by reading, for they cannot read,
and who cannot learn hy thinking, for
they never think, but feel. 10 them
justice and revenge are synonymous terms.
Judges ~ rants, and legis atnrs ohl!garchs.
With them blow is The only conceivable
remedy for vioence-a rehelli0n, II ma
sional revolution. All government seems
with them outward compulslnn. They
cringe to n constable, while they curse
him. These, fe low w-citizenS, are voters.
Is there not such a thing as an instructive
American education | fancy there is
A citizen should read the constitution,
and laws, and political Arguments, the
daily press, and other instructive mattrr.
1t is the boast of our nation that the Ame
rican press will save the Democracy; bur
it never will un e>s the Democracy can
read it. He shou d have some habits of
reflection, and foresight and experience,
for every question has two sides, and he
ought to know it, He must know that he
can think as well as feel. Look at the
crude notions of freedom entertained by
nine out of every ten men you meet.
man may jump into the river;-fhat is
freedom with the multitude. But a
man should rule his own temper-know
the tendencies and horrors of anarchy
and despotism. The common school,
shen, must prepare the future citizen"
Too COOP TO KEEP.-We have been III
possession for some days past "t nm ex-
cellent Joke on our worthy senior, VINO,
as most of his friends are aware, has HIST
gone to housekeeping, but have neglect
ed to tell our friends the JOKE
The day previous I" taking possession
of his donlicil, he had the house painted
throughout, which from the inclemency
Of the weather, was not dry on The day
he moved. On his retiring TO rest the
first night, he concluded to leave all the
windows open, thar the air might have
free circulation to- permit the paint 10
dry. Slowing himself away III bed com
fOrtabv, George was soon Obvious 10 All
around him, and would no doubt nave
continued SO until the rising ot the sun,
had not his better half awoke him about
three O'Clock in the morning, with IL
punch under the fifth rib, with an exca-
nation Of "George! there's somebody
down stairs!' "Ugh!' grunted George,
rs over he turned on his other side to re-
sign himself to the arms Of Morpheus
But in this position he was not permitted
long to remain, for soon he received ano-
ther dig in the ribs, with "George, tell
YOU there's thieves down stairs. Don't
you hear them in the pantry!' George,
seeIning'y becoming aware of his position,
cried, emo, you don't say sn," nj the
same time bouncing out of he'd and com
mencings u search for his inexpressihes,
which he soon finnh, and by dint of per-
severance succeeded in encasing one OF
his pedal extremities, when he heard an
awful clatter among the dishes down
stairs, which for moment brought hlnl
10 a sense of his condition; and remem-
herring that the house had just been neatly
nainted. he rushed to the door OF his
chamber and yelled ut the top of his voice
10 the burglars below: "Hnllo, y"n down
there! Take care Of the paint! ~ be
hown i'm n minute" " 1t is needless 10 say
that the scamps s'oped in haste on hear
ing this speech, while the better nall OF
our senior burst into roar OF lnughter
at his ridiculous position, which was not
.,.,.,.J mill GeorUe faithful prOrElS-