The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-10-08

ST. IArI, sept 10Th, 1858,
Rev. EDWARD D. NELL -
DEAR SIR believing
that the sentiments of your discourse upon
the important subject of State Instruction, de-
livered in the First Presbyterian Church. on
last Sunday morning. ought to be more exten
sively known. we respectfully request the man
Inscription publication.
WILLIAM BREWSTER,
! and others.
ST. PAUL, Sept. 2Stb 1858.
GENTLEMEN In reply to your note deliver
the manuscript of the discourse delivered or
last Sabbath morning, as know of no reason
why the sentiments thereof should not be wide
ly circulated. Ifany one should show their fall
lacy after the discourse is printed, both you and
| will rejoice, for truth is all we seek.
Cordially, E. ID. NELL.
To WM. BREWSTER, W. G. LEDuc, w. r. MAR
SHALL, III. +. MAsrEEsON, G. l.. BECKER, RICH-
ARD MARVIN, and others.
DEUT. iv. S,9-And what nation is there so great, thai
h statutes and Judgments SO righteous as all this law
which set before you this day? Only take heed to thy
self lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have
seem and lest they depart from thy heart al the days
thy iife bm teach them thy sons, and thy sons
The Hebrews were in advance of all the sur
rounding nations. Occupying but small tract
Of land, and by their position debarred from
maritime enterprise, they nevertheless eXer
cised a wide and healthful influence on the
neighboring Kingdoms. Within their borders
they were industrious, hospitable, and happy
and in their best days were free from those large
classes OF beggars and vagabonds that infest
modern states In examining the causes that
exalted the Hebrews, we find a system of health
full public instruction among the more promi-
nent. Among the first things enjoincd by God
| tho rrnot lo,yUi tnro of hat,
pular education. Infinite Wisdom knew that a
nation could not prosper that was not intelli,
gent. In order that they might know what
good government was, the people of Israel were
thoroughly and Systematically taught the laws
of their land and the principles which promote
thrift and happiness. Moses addressing the as
sembled nation, employs this language -
These words which l command thee this day
shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach
them diligently unto thy children. and shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thine house
and when thou walkest by the way and when
thou liest down. and when thou risest up
And thou shalt bind them for sign upon thine
hand and they shall be as frontlcts between
thine eyes. and thou shalt write them upon the
posts Of thy house and on thy gates
BY this popular instruction, a nationality
and love for their peculiar institutions were
fostered, which caused them to remain dis
tinctivc people when their lot was cast among
other nations.
No nation bears closer resemblance to the
| Hebrews. in their intense nationality and gene
raj intelligence, than that under whose govern
ment we live, and for these we are largely in,
debted TO our system of popular education
From the very infancy of the Republic, and
even previous to its consolidation under gen
eral government, there was attention paid tC
the education of the whole people, by the civil
authorities. As early as 1912, law was enact
ed by the colonists of Massachusetts. "rcquir-
ing the sclectmen of every town. not to suffer
so much barbarism in any family, as that the
parents and masters should not endeavor to
teach by themselves or others, their children
and servants to read the English tongue, and
to know the capital laws: The penalty for
such neglect was twenty shllings.
The blessings that have accrued to the United
States from the system of public instruction, has
never been denied by single statesman, or by
one citizen distinguished for patriotism. But
since the assembling Of an ecclesiastical coun-
Gil in Baltimore, in the spring of 1852, num-
Der of foreign prclates, who acknowledge allie
glance to a foreign power, have melted the
priesthood which they control, to make a ruth
less and concerted attack, from the pulpit, upon
| the educational system of the United States
and have urged their people to petition the Le-
gislaturc of many of the States and of this Ter
rtOry, to pass law for the encourage of
sectarian schools, the enactment of which would
result in crippling the State in her efforts to
! instruct the whole people. Interested in the
welfare of the land in which dwell and anX-
ious to see the free school law of Minnesota re-
main unmangled by amendments foreign to its
spirit, l invite your attention to a discourse
upon the
NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE AMERICAN SYSTEM
OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
The Nature of the Instruction gipen in our
Public SchoOls.-The States of the Republic
educate their children, morally and intellectu-
ally not religiously. Though the Constitution
of the United States does not allow the Gene
raj Government to be public teacher of rcl-
giOn, it recognizes the system of morals that
was promulgated by Jesus Christ and his Apos-
tier. Upon it is based much of the jurispru-
dcncc and legislation of the land. The States
have, therefore, without any violation of the
Constitution, required that a teacher of pub
lie school should not only be competent to teach
the children to read, and write, and cypher, but
that he should possess a character for morality
| that would make him a proper guide for youth.
Should the State tolerate an instructor of
youth who was lewd or profane in his speech
who did not recognize the validity of a con-
tract. and had no respect for his oath, it would
pursue dangerous and suicidal policy. But
while it will be careful to foster. in every pro-
per way, the morality taught by the common
Christianity of the Republic, it cannot educate
youth rcligiously, any more than it can those
of her citizens who are advanced in life. The
State has no more right to employ teacher to
instruct the children in relation to the Trinity
of the GOdhcad. the disposition Ofall to sin, the
Divinity of Christ, and the influence of the Holy
Spirit, than it has to levy q tax and employ a
minister of the Gospel to preach those cardinal
doctrines of the Christian religion to the COM
munity at large.
While not teaching religion, however, her in
struction is not irreligious. The lessons that a
child reads in the public schOol,-the explana-
tions of the laws of nature to which he listens,
all tend to lift him from nature up to nature s
God,-to make him in every way better than he
could have been without any instruction. To
apply the term "gOdlcss' to the State school,
as it has been done of late, is slur that shows
either ignorance or malignity. In confrma-
tion of these remarks, is the following extract
from a recent speech of one of our most elo-
quent divines' =" The Popish Bishops are on