Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-10-29

hand of oppression. This is not right
and.ihe attention Of tho young shonlt
often be directed to this matter. No
thing will tend to increase and strength
an their love of country more than this
I, will be impossible for them to com
trare the condition of American families
jIHi,h that of the families of Italy, Aus
tria, and other despot-governed nations
without learning something of the value
! of civil and religious liberty, and feeling
concerned for its preservation. But, a
las F.! there are thousands, even in this
enlightened land, who are unable tc
draw any comparison on tho subject
and whyl Because they are entirely
ignorant in regard to the condition OF
other nations. They neither read his
tory nor newspapers how then can
they know any thing of what is happen
ing in other lands? The question is of:
ten asked, "what good will i, do to take
a paper2" and it might easily be an
swered here: for good Paper not on.
" assists in the development Of the
mind, but it also teaches the young how
much better off they are than millions
of others, and thus causes them to love
aud cherish American Institutions.
Fathers and Mothers of this favored
land. turn your eyes to France, where
no patriot dare speak or write his scnti-
ments, without danger of the loathsomc
dungeon or the assassin's knife look at
Italy, and see how every word and act
is scrutinized: how fathers are torn from
helpless families and dragged to dark
and loathsome prisons, on the bare sus-
picion of their being the friends of LIB
ERry! Would you knowingly do any
thing to assist in ushering in such a state
of bondage here! Would you neglect
any duty, the omission of which might
plunge your now happy children into
such vortex of gloom and misery as
this Well, what assurance have yon
that our land will not one day suffer the
witllering Jligh, Of dcspotisml Where
rests the only hope Of your descendants
sufety2 answer, in the yet uniformed
character Of your children. Ifyou train
these up with enlightened minds, and
well developed moral and religious prin'
ciples, our land is safe if not, all our
bright hopes Of the future will be dash
cd to atoms. Would that could por-
tray my feelings on this suhject-that
could paint in vivid soul-convincing Ian
guage the worth, the inestimablc worth
of Education; and that l could make
every reader feel that he had something
to do-some part to act in the preserva-
ton Of American freedom. Some ap-
pear to think it wrong to take part in
political moyements--are afraid e"en to
attend an electica,-aad thoy bring up
their sons TO the same aotion. Now,
while mere party zeal is always to be
avoided, he does not deserve the bless.
ings of liberty who is not alive TO tho
interests Of his country and who does
not use all proper means for the elec.
ton of that man whom, after careful
investigation of the claims of all, he
considers the most competent to dis
charge with fai,hfulness the duties of
the office sought.
I shudder to think of the Indifference
manifested by many on this subject,
when so many evil designing men arc
seeking offices of trust; but I shudder
worse to think of the smallness Of the
number who are eulighted enough to be
capable Of investigating and deciding
the momcn,ous questions connected with
the happiness or misery of millions yet
to populate our globe. sEBA.