The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1853-10-06
Oripinal.
FOR THE JACKSON STANDARD.
AMERICAN EDUCATION.

In society OF treemen like that whicf
exists in The United States, when by
usage and the constitutions Of our coun
ty, the will OF the majority is law, from
which il it be wrong there is no appeal
and for whose decisions il they be in.
furious, there can be no redress, it is o.
the utmost importance that its members
be SO educated, that they shall choose lo
do right.
1t has been often said, 10 the commen
dation Of our people, that if they were SO
educated as to understand their own true
interests, they would be inialhble-thal
they would not sin against themselves
Our prospect therefor Of order, happiness
and intelligence, is proportional 10 the
nearness with which 10 the ma jority ap.
proach this inlallibiIity. The constitution
OF the United States, and Of every State
in the Union, supposes that all our citi
zenS can read-that they can acquaint
themselves with the laws-,hat they have
virtue TO sustain and enforce the laws
that they can scan the conduct OF their
representatives, and that they can protect
their rights from uSurpation by their pub.
lie servants.
The great moral struggle which is at
present going on in the world, is, The
struggle for empire between precedent
and principle. Until recently, men in.
herited the opinions and customs, as well
as the features OF their parents; here,
the world went on in the torpid, dull rou-
tine of imitation; every thing being pre-.
scribed, and no one thinking Of his being
slave, or Of deviating from The beate
track, so that reflection, and consequent
| Iy education, was unnecessary. 1t is
perfectly easy and natural for brutes with
halters 10 their heads, to follow the foot.
steps of their leaders, but since Martin
Luther, and the fathers of Our Resolu
ton apprised mankind that they had minds
and rights, the moral attitude OF society
has been changed; The passive monoto.
ny Of ages broken up, and now people are
obliged 10 think; for amidst the endless
and conflicting views and guides solicit.
ing their appreciation. they know not
whom 10 follow. rhe war OF opinions has
commenced; it is conflict in which neu
tralty is out of the question, and who
ever aims at neutrality, knows not how
soon he may become the football OF the
ignorant, or the designing. f'-
One OF the most momentous questions
ever proposed TO the world, aud which
must soon receive practical answer from
the experiment now in progress in this
country, is this. Is people, under any
circumstances capable Of SeY.gorern.
ment?
The reply is, they are if properly edu.
Gated, but not otherwise. 1t is therefore
perfectly synonymous question, can the
people be universally, or even generally
educatedl Tyrants say not; and form
this assumption, they draw the rational
inference, that they are incapable OF gov.
erning themselves, and therefore out OF
mere parental kindness, they undertake
to manage for them. Grant their pre-.
mise, and their conclusion is unavoidable.
Such reasoning would drive US to denIoI.
ish our school houses, silence our presses,
burn our books, and commit our conSci
ences 10 the keeping OF men Of like pas.
sions, and fraiIties with ourselves. allu
ding. as they do, when uttering such sen.
timents, 10 their own deluded, degraded
subjects, they uuquestionably speak the
truth. That the body of the Spanish and
Italian peasantry, as we'll as the serfs OF
Russia and the masses OF many other
States, are in their present degraded con-
dtion, but their rulers should remember
that the ignorance and servilty which
constitutes such disqualification, are OF
their own creating, and not of their sub.
iectS. Their conduct is like that Of all
arbitrary monarch, who first binding and
ilnprisoning a wealthy subject, and decla
ring him incapable to manage for himself
should appropriate his goods under the
pretext OF receiving pay for his friendly
services rendered in taking care OF him.
We are now, at least, and for some
time TO come, must be, self governing
people, and should make our provisions
accordingly for lengthening out our exis
tence as such, while we have the power
and the means. The crisis of our nation
is but Just commencing, and the trans.
forming power of education-of N 'tional
Education. has never YET been brought to
bear upon The people as whole. In that
Transforming influence when rightly ad
minlstered, fondly trust, will be found
an amulet 10 secure and shield us from all
dreaded evils-that it will prove an am
pie, as it is the only pauacea, for all our
social ills. Our political circumstances
imperatively demand natul al system oI
education which shall have a ust regard
10 the philosophy of fmind--shaIl prescribe
philosophical methods Of instruction, and
introduce into our schools, course Of
studies suited in variety and extent, TO the
wants and dignity of self governing iree'
men. The amount of intellectual and
moral development attained by the moSI
of our citizens in our common schools
il far below the demands Of our political
relations. The theory oI our government
calls for the highest kind of intelligence
and morality among the people, and il be
comes us to consider that an education
fitted TO subserve our purposes, cannot bt
forced upon our youth in the short space
of Two or three years.
The mere attainments of reading, wr
ting and cyphering, essential as they are
III ~ rIonn or thamselues m AXE MAJ