Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1855-12-06
SPEECH OF uR. RUXNEIS.

delivered IL. the House Of Representatives., Decen
Der f. 1855.
Mr.. SPEAKER As the author of the bill Just
read, propose to occupy the time of the House
for few minutes in briefly presenting what con-
ceive to be the claims of this measure and in do
ing so, would first call the attention Of members
present to the declaration in the preamble, which
is that our free institutions dependent for their
continued existence on the Intelligence of the
masses. This TRUTH or rather It's realization, is the
basis upon which all free governments is built, and
constitutes the cohesive attraction by which they
are held together. For man to be free, and to
maintain that freedom, he must not only possess
that power of physical endurance so Indispensable
to success upon the battle field, bu: that power Of
mental culture by which he III be able TO appre-
ciate freedom when Obtaned-to see the difference
between freedom and oppression, between right
aud wrong, between justice and Injustice, and to
restrain himself from trespassinR upon the rights
OF others, and at the same time 10 repe Indignantly
any effort to trespass upon his own.
Qualifications less than these in free govern
ment, where the laws both made and executed
by the masses, result in consequences, sooner or
later, most ruinous. First, the giving up of the
Republic; secondly, the formation OF an Oligarchy;
and last but not least, the tame submission to an
absolute Monarchy.
This is not strange. 1t is the natural tendency
Vi governing our DcllB. IL Is the result OF
decree OF Heaven, that the animal, whether it
manifests itself in the bped or quadruped, shall
yield to the mental.
In confirmation of this truth, all history testfes
that the rude and uncultivated nations have given
way to those OF more refinement who have contrib
uted to the advancement Of civilization and of the
arts and sciences; in a word, to the development
of the whole man. Hence, it ia not strange that
in the beginning of the contest of man with man.
] Al. IL. L
Carthage should submit to Rome, and that Rome,
with her Juvenal her Tacitus her Cicero, aud her
Caesars; and Greece, with her Socrates, her Plato,
and various schools, should have the government
Of the world. And, sir the important point to
which would call especial attention is, that they
continued to hold this dominion until they intro.
duced amongst them those who were unprepared,
from habit and education TO appreciate their free
and Ii eral institutions In this way, they corrupt
ed their own manners. They gave way to luxuri-
Gus indugence-idleaess took the place OF indus
try, ignorance Of intelligence, vice that of virtue,
until, amid civil commoion ard internal discord,
the influence of that wonderful people, that had
spread itself as halo of glory over the world for
more than five hundred years. departed, and now
nothing remains but the sad story upon the page of
history directing the statesman and legislator, TO
belcare Of negleetiRg The masses.
From this sad history of the past sir we learn
the important TRUTH that the education of the mass
OF this country is Indispensable to the existence
and perpetuity of our free institr TONS They must
be taught to know the blighting, whitening and
nous effects Of the iron sway as exercised by the
Sultan of Turkey or the Autocrat OF Russia, and At
the same time, to see and avoid the oppression and
degradation which exists in Italy, Spain and other
countries resulting the natural tendency OF that
system which establishes religion by law. | saw,
sir they must be able to know these things before
they viii be able TO appreciate civil and religious
liberty, before they can have those mental and
moral powers which enable man not only to appre
cate civil and religious freedom, but to maintain
them lat all hazard aud TO the last extremity"
now ask the question, has Tennessee done her
duty in the diffusion of knowledge and general in.
telgence among that class of her citizens more or
less dependent on legislative aid answer, most
unhestatngly, she has not | acknowledge that
Tennessee has done much to promote the physical
condition Of her citizens. Here; where speak to-
day, where but few years ago. the savage foot
step was seen marked by human bood-is now
heard the mighty tread OF civilized man. Instead
OF the mud-wa all cottage, is here seen this proud
Temple, with its massive walls its beautiful inches,
its lofty dome and deeply huted columns, standing
as the embodied wisdom Of the present and the
past.
The hardy pioneers Of Tennessee have subdued
the forest and converted it into verdant and pro
ductive fields and blooming girdens. Her enter
prisng citizens have filed up deep gulis aud leveled
great barriers TO the transportation OF her products
20 the markets OF the country. They have as il
were, belted the State with iron ribs and the snort
OF the iron horse will soon be heard la almost every
valley. These works OF internal, or would rather
say of external Improvement, show what Tennes.
see can do when her attention aud energies are
properly directed They also show that she is fact
falling into that error, which isr and has BEEN and
ever will be the curse Of every government, Wheth
er State or National mean the appropriating q
all our energy aud money to works OF internal i'm.
provements--to the extension of our commerce.
and to the development Of our physical resources
to the neglect OF the mental culture Of our people
aud the taking Of these works as the evidences
OF our State or National greatness and permanen
ey. Greece and Rome could not stand, though
by their Ionic, Dorie and CoFinthian architecture.
they made their temples the SOoder and admiraton
Of The world
Amongst Us the argument for the education Of
the masses, becomes more powerful when we con.
template the fact, that umoag that class has been,
and ever viii be found that material whch, Tor the
most part Is alone capable to discharge the duiics
and direct the Affairs Of the State or Nation. Il
Was here England found her Shakespeare, Scotland
her Burns, France her Nspole,,n, and cur country
Franklin, Fulton, Sherman. Whitney, and
last bat not least. Clay. A Clayi Yes. sir, :
Clay, whose name have only 10 mention IN Ten
nessee Legislature, when all that constitutes man.
In the fullest highest noblt sense Of that term i
before us-the Statesman, the Ilalsiot aud The schol
Ar. Al one time We behold him the sEde uneud
vated bare.f0oted nllI boy bIt look yondeF In the