Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-11-23

III the popular Orancn or Congress; every
two years we have to listen t. speeches. and
read circulars. and 90 to Barbecues, aud
pay for them, to secure the proper men to
act in our places in the STATE Legislature
every two years we take much pains to find
out and have elected good Governor ey-i
cry four years we take our Sherffs to a gen
eral reckoning before all the people and
every year pass on the Constables.
Then we-all who read-very properly
take the political papers to see what cur Of
fcers are ahout-and we discuss all public
matters, and quarrel over them from youth
to age. Now We could have selected form
of government invohi ing none of this trouble;
we could have taken, for instance, gov
ernment like that of Russia, country which
is just now attracting much attention. The
people there are never troubled with public
matters; the entire responsibility of aflirs
is thrown on miserable being called the
Car Or Emperor, and few unhappy friends
who constitute the nobility. The people
have uninterrupted, profound, eternal peace
from public quarrels and political squabbles
and so careful is the government of their
ease that if any one, forgetful of his com
fort, in fit of dyspepsia or excitement Of
any kind, utters even a whisper, in his chin
ney corner, concerning the troubles of the
State or the condition of public affairs, he
is immediatel ly dragged from his family and
beat to death with rods or banished forever
to the frozen wastes of Siberia, to cool and
CONCEAL in that purgatory of snow.
Thus careful is the government of the
ease of the people; and it goes even farther,
and will not allow them to be troubled with
an education at ALL nor to bruise their brains
with study or burden their minds with ideas
No, they, the people, are in the happy con-
dition Of our mules and horses, having moth
ing to do but to work and eat coarse food,
to fight and be slaOes.
We thought this was not the highest con-
dition Of human happiness we selected, in
preference, form of government involving,
on each citizen, the perpetual series of
troubles before alluded to; and he is un-
worthy to enjoy the privileges of that gov
ernment and unfit to be one of its free citi
zens, who will not cheerfulIy assume all its
troubles, multiplied a thousand times, rath
er than submit to the infamous ease of ser
of Russia
And chiefest Of its responsibilities. the
greatest in its results, and the least difficult
SO far as mere labor is concerned, is the pro
per education and training of our children
this is the instur oniniuna, the one thing
upon which the maintenance and usefulnes,
Il Of ahr fFAA uiHst; ;49aieqe la~AraJA thar
~ al tbo nd Of
State are enlightened and noble minded
makes very little difference what party sue
ceeds, or who is elected the State will b
happy. prosperous ard powerful; if all tn
men and women grow up in Ignorance, vic
and idIeness, elections and parties will b
powerless for good, and the republic Wi
decay and give way to despolism.
If we cannot start and uphold system c
Common Schools, could we have begun an
maintained a Republic as our fathers did
The whole world was against them-the
were few feeble coloni>ts, with no name c
influence among mankind, and surrounde
with one universal night of despotic powe
vigllant, aggressive and threatening.
And when they began the experiment
common government, for the common goo
to be administered by all the people, te
thousand new and startling difficulties sprun
up in their path. unseen before; nor cou
there be unanimity Of opinion on any su
iect while even the father of his country hir
self, the Incompatible Washin gton, was oftt
opposed in opinion by his highest Officer
Did they do as some propose to do with OF
Common Schools because there are dificr
ties and various opinions! Did they, in
pet or in fit Of unmanly and un-republic;
timidity, declare they ought to give up t
government and fall back on a King? Th
government has descended to US, now powt
fuI, respected and feared would we ha
had the nerve to have initiated, or found
and maintained it, as did the men of IT
If we believe we cannot carry on our Co
mon Schools-if, on account of GifferenC
of opinion or little difficulties, we aband
the undertaking, we declare, before the wor
that we, the people, are incapable of self g
:. ernment, our Declaration of rights becon
, solemn mocKery, and our Constitutions
= meaning riddles, since the spirit that C
u ceived is no longer here to interpret the
= In another respect We also most solemn
J, believe ourselves, and are sitting for m
l. humilia;ing picture in history. AS pol
d cians-when we want to be promoted
universally profess unbounded confidence
and respect for the people and in all po
e cal affairs there is now a violent race am
y us to see who can say and do most to pl
d the government or pure republican ba
y All paities claim the honor of being the
ple's parties and yet, at this very time
u our acts and words we are, some of US, dec
N ing the people unfit to manage a system
rs elementary education, and some even
O. furious and denounce those Of US who il
le that the people can, ought to and must C
Il on system ofrepublican or Common Schc
E In the language of the politicians mig
not exclaim, oh, shame, where is thy blu
US Will it be believed, in history, that any
n, from the same stump or place of harar
lie could proclaim himself candidate for
ular favor on the ground that he was
m pies man, for letting the people rule.
us then denounce a system ofCommon Sch
BE and declare war on them because, as
Of were public School,, managed by the pc
les at large, they never could prosper or be
thing else but nuisance. That he c
ed enlarge and expatiate on the beauties
te. government administered by the people
ch Ely. and then do all he could to destroy
,ut confidence of the people in themselves ;
,ur instead Of encouraging them in their eI