Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-09-29
RishOD IIOpkiu,, Address,


meeting of the Vermont teachers Association
We regret that our limits do not ALLOW us To
! give it entire.
| The subject of the address was "he A gen
/ cies required for the tnH success Of Edicd-
hon,' viz the agency of Government, Of the
Parent, of the teacher of the pupil Of cir
cumstanccs, and of Divine Providence.
| |. Our Legislature has done well, but
| should do morc,-should by providing fair
and sure compensation ensure a regular sup
! ply of qualified teachers, should 10y mo"c
stringent legislation ensure more regular
attendance Of scholars, and should enforce the
reading of the scriptures as the great basis of
religion and morality.
2. Parents should prepare their children
by proper instruction while they are yet too
young for school, should rightly manage the
domestic influence, should lay u religious
basis, and set consistent example.
3 The teacher should be "a fair example in
all that the scholar ought to learn. IL should
must be punctual, neat, temperate, correct
in speech and manners.
4. The agency of the pupil was discussed
very briefly, the lecturer passing on to
5. The circumstances, whose agency affects
the work of education. These are the facul-
ties and disposition of the scholar, the in
huence of his associates, whether boy, or
books, and the opportunities for his advance
| ment and success
G. And finally. Divine proridonce ia the
-. A.,
erca' a8en' oh ""om 'he "hoic uePenus'
TINS should not be forgotten ny teacher or
scholar. The moral principle Of the Gospel
,hould have its due sunrcmarv.
m r.ii
ouch theh, IN my huhoie Judgement are
the agencies which enter INTO the all-imlor-
tant work OF education, II we "Onli have 1t
performed with It's fullest measure OF success.
| have contred myself, nurposely, to the
temporal aspect OF the question, because 1t is
with this, manly, that your Association is
designed to deal, leaving the eternal results
to the spiritual motives and higher range of
the GOSPEL ministry But yet have endea-
yored to show that, to certain extent, there
must be an element OF religion even 1t the
worldly view OF the matter. For the world
ltseli must dcal win human nature as IL Is :
endowed by the hand OF Tod with spirit
ual principle, IN winch the faculty OF moral
conscience resides, ana to when the appeal
must be made, throughout the whole range
oi moral duty, bet"eeil man ana man.
Without this religious element, there can be
no government, no oath OF office, no admins
tration OF justice, no standard OF moral right
or wrong. And therefore, without tins reli-
glous element, contend that there can he no
trustworthy scheme OF education
Inc prosperity OF the nation uepehus
on the character ol the cluzehs'--
The character OF the citizens depends on
the education OF the children ana youth.-
And We might just as well expect that froN-
ldence would give us the abundance OF the
harvest, without the dlilgent labors OF the
husDahomen, as that the same fro'uehce
VIII nesiow upon our nation the continuance
OF pubiic prosperity ana peace II the SCHOOLS
oil our iand 'ali 10 perform 'ncir proper uuty'
lich'e MAINTAIN Una. hntlo'lai ou"c"'ion
Is the source ana FOUNTAIN oi ta''ohai great
ness Ana thiS' 'housht IL DC universally
true, is yet most emlnently true Whcre, as
with ourselves, tHe "nUie "unll'ls ~ s'r"I'oii
rests with the people ihe very theory oi
our repupllcah system ue'i.'uus virtue anu
ihttihsehce III the MASSES "l 'he PoPulu'ioh' H.
ana no lanSuaSc eau eAasScI"'e '"V inF''
ahce oi those teachers from "hoh 'he NIL
mons VI our ehiluren ana Sou'n' no" Fecei'-
ing instruction at their hands, ought 70 learn
those principles OF virtue anu ihtelilgence'
"h'ch shall quahiy them 10 De the luture
rulers oil thelr country
Inc raaicai dciec'' however seems 10 pc,
that the popular system addresses II sen
only 10 the 'Hle"eu; IN contradiction 10 p thr
nature OF man Which ihcluueS 'hc sC"L' anu
hls precepts must be taught 10 our chilurrn'
But we cannot thus separate what the Al
mighty has joined together without suner-
ing the penalty Inc consequences vi TINS
| defective scheme are ALREADY apparent IL the
sad decrease OF the oid reverence ior law ana
virtue, anu reiigioh, anu tne correspondent
increase OF crime and OF political corruption
And II some adequate remedy DE not soon
applied, there is reason 10 lear that thost
consequences Will extend 70 WIDER circi'
ana lower ueep' ana hhaliy plunge us iht'
anarchy and ruin for certain II u.s. accord
ing to the DEGREES OF etefhai justice, that u
the rising generation De trained 10 hohor Tn,
| word OF Tod, ms providence Will guide ano
bless our great republic, IN prosperity anc
renown. But If, on the contrary, they are
practically brought up without reverence foi
the divine law, IN irreliglon ana iinmorality
the time must come, sooner or later, wher
His Judgement Will scatter to the winds oul
| hoasted superiority, burst asunder the hand'
OF our political union, ana make us, Ike Sc
many other nations oi the earth, the prey o
factions, ambition and bloody strife, until
we shall be pointed at, not as gloriou
model to be initiated, but as melanchol.
wreck to warn mankind against the awiu
results OF goddess education
There ISL WORK therefore, so lmPortah