The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-30


for the franchise Technically speaking, an Ameri-
can citizen is man who has lived certain number
ofyears upon American soil; and with equal felicity,
q witty writer has declared that, chemically speak
ing, man himself is but fortynve pounds of car
bon and lime, equally diffused with fveand a-half
pals Of waters" and the one definition is just as &C
curate and satisfactory as the other. Now, to manu-
facture American citizens, in this technical sense it
ia only necessary to take any white boy and feed him.
That is all Or, if time is an object, and that some
times is at the close Of election, the imported
ticle may be had 1t takes little sworn declaration
and few pen scratches Of the appointed officers and
the article is warranted to vote. Uaughtero There
is little wear and tear of conscience in this latter
process; but conscience is not necessary ingredient
In the technical citizen. The manufacture Of voters
therefore, is not my theme; but the genuine Amer
lean article, whether native or imported with which
have to do; and the problem is how shall we train
boys that they shall become intelligent uph0lden
of American institutions. If such is to be the manu-
featured article, at once you guess where the manu-
factories are-schoos, of some sort. But allow me to
narrow your guess, by announcing that my theme
our American aspects and adaptations. Let me say,
then, as l here announce the subject, upon which
controversy already RACES in various parts Of our
country that / shall sedulousy bear in mind the
courtesy due TO this audience and at later occasion
my aim shall be strictly afirmatively constructive
will remember that this is Peoples Lecture, for
very certain that have chosen peoples subject
(Applause) 1t is a sound American doctrine, that
whenever and wherever government can be spared,
its room is better than its company. Human govern
ments necessarily productive Of both good andevil
the best do some harm and the very worst do some
good. The greatest conceivable social evil is anAr-
chy. Government therefore, in every sense, Is .
necessary evil 1t is to man what harness - to
horses-a buIthen, no doubt, and yet two or four
lighter it is the better, if it be only serviceable The
less the governing the better the government, il An
axiom as true as it is tried. In democracy, there
fore, the aim is to reduce the government to
is the price Of liberty. The common school
question is undergoing investigation all
land. 1t is urged very forciby that education may be
safely left to voluntary effort and, therefore, by the
American axiom, the State has no business to inter-
fere if the results even be good and that the results
cannot be good for the precedent itself is dangerous
for if the State may make writer's and readers, Why
not hammerers and weavers, lawyers and doc
tors? Some say that the system Of taxation would
not be fair for taxing the sterile bachelor Ia taxation
without education Again it is said that school mo-
Ieys ought to be kept from the Legislature Com
mon Council; but indeed no moneys are. Applause
and laughter) Is is not the system Of free schools
an essential feature Of American democracy Have
they any improbable American foundation, and they
do no harm to cannonade it, for the balls will only
knock of the moss and show the rock. If they have
not it will do good to cannonade it, for if our insti
tutione are built upon unsoundness it is well for
to discover it, and renew them upon foundations
that are not unsound. | affirm, then, as PROPOSE
tion that system of instructive American schools
is absolutely essential to our perpetuity a demo-
cracy, and that such a system has the impreg-
just spoken. What is it 1t is not this, that know
ledge is good for children, and therefore ought to
be furnished by the State for 80 is bread and butter
and milk and now and then little birch. Nor
is it that an educated people will be happier
than stupid; for this is by means certain for the
Peruvians, under . paternal despotisnl. were the
happiest but yet the stupidest Of people. In this
country and under constitution there is such
thing as q self existing government. There is
no such thing either as governing class. Ten or
an hundred could die, but their dying would not
stop or even slack the spin OF government wheels
When we speak fthe state Of government we mean
. part Of the body polite, which is to the State
what brain is to the body, selected, elected and
rerched up upon high, to see and think ard act for
the general good of the whole. The right Of the
State of the city to educate compel education
Is simply the right Of self preservation, and on this
unquestiOned principle the common school, as sn
American institution must stand. The pous man may
say how important it il that all should read the Bible
that they may all be prepared to die. A sublime argu
ment; but it is no argument to statesman and should
not be. As man and Christian this plea Is to you the
most cogent plea that is possible; but as q citizen
az a voter, us school teacher ignore it from be-
ginning to end The pious argument is napphcable
to the State question. The merchant has his argu-
ment, and the mechanic his, and there is the Bible
question, the political question, the district ques-
ton, the tax question, and all such questions-difi
cult and important, no doubt, but they merely
questions Of detail, you will observe. In arguing
them American citizen should waver rs TO the
democratic American question, for lasting demo-
crazy, with no intelligence and education among
the people, is now and always will be, monstrous
absurdity. 1t may be said that education does not
necessarily make man good citizen; but however
plausible the argument may appear, it will be found
deiusive in its practical nature. III all CANNON"
said man to me once, about these public
schools; there IL no connection between common
l. IA. =.
truth in this suggestion and let it stand then con,
fessed, that the matter Of education is not very
defined enterprise-that the educated are not ne
eessariy good citizens, and that there IS no real
connection as yet between our common schools and
our national institutions. What followsi should say
that it follows very evidently that it is time that this
problem Of educating citizens was accurately under
stood 1t IL time 10 answer the question whether
not all educated men are always good citizens. 1t is
time to make common schools American institutions,
and harmonic with all the rest; for if it be true
that ignorance is the destroyer of true democracy
II it be true that democratic republic s chosen
form Of government-tnen it follows that every pa
triot must bind himself to the matter of universal
education. The wagner it is, the more need OF pa
tent studytbe harder II is, the need Of hard
work-tbe more imperfect our schools are, the more
need Of improvemeut-for the dilemma is, educate
the citizens there is an end Of the republic. II
education is impossible then the sooner we change
our government the better. Change while we can,
for the path which leads people to revolution is red
with blood. No. no; the only effect which the diff
Guilty should have upon true men is TO make them
stronger and more resolved and this problem is not
80 difficult as it seems for like ghosts to scare chill
dren, speak to IT, aud il will reveal itself hOmely
thing. Let tie aim be clearly understood. II IL not
proposed to educate man, but to train citizen to
understand h 8 franchise and 10 use il wisely The
State is for citizens, and not for men; and the
State is not to maintain idle notions and visionary
scrupes The legislature is no place to preach a
sermon about immortality. Education ia no care of
the State whatever but God has laid the burthen
upon The shoulders Of parents 70 educate their chill
drsn, and upon every man to educate himself Be.
in point it is 10 concern Of the State
an be fool or philosopher; but beyond
isa very vital matter 10 State When
tie to'every one, we act wisely. There is
JIG avote there ia no magic power In Anne
here is no virtue in American soil TO
into freeman. q slave into o citizen.