Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-04-26
AN ADDRESS,
DELIVERED BY JOHN H. GRAHAM, AT A LATE
SESSION OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY TEACH
FRS AsSOCIA ALTON


SESSION OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY TEACH
| ER's ASSOCIATION.
An EXTRACT PUBLISHED BY VOTE OF THE SOCIETY.
| Associated as we are for the advancement Of
! Pubic EDucATIoN, it becomes the fitting topic
of consideration for the brief hour allotted me
at our present session.
Education begins with the cradle and never
ends. 1t il the primal and supreme desideratum
of our creation to which all else should be aux
Hilary and subsorvient.
| 1t is the theme of themes, which as far trans
cend all Others, as the Value, Veal and Destiny
of the human soul transcends the value of the
senseless clod.
We recognize, as axioms which ought to be
regarded as postulates in the Halls of Legisla-
tion, that ees,y ciia By pirtae of rs eristence,
has as indsfeasabe righ to an Education as
to the air or the sunshine--an inherent right to
| its just share of the vast estate Of knowledge,
thought, liberty religion and happiness which
the Creator has thus far, in the course of events,
vouchsafcd to the human family-thqt is the
paramount duty of the State to educate its sons
and daughters That public Education is the
ultimate end of State e1istence.
In no other department has progress been
more palpablo within the past two hundred
years than in that of Universal Education, and
if some able pen would give History of Edu-
cation, comprising especially the period men
toned, it would not only be fraught with deep
interest, but would give new impulse to the
cause.
More advancement has been made in Europe
than could have been anticipated, while absolu-
ton lords it over that fair portion Of mans her
itage, but the glory was reserved for America
of making practical embodiment of the ideas
of Free Government-a Free Church and Fret
Schools-the three Divinely appointed agencies
for the fullest development and highest progress
of man on Earth and while we have too otter
talked as if the experiment of free government
alone had been depending on the fate of the
American Republic' the solution of the greater
problem of free schools-uniyersal education
which is the substratum of Republicanism-
and without which it could not exist-has alst
been suspended on this empire; and now a mod
Ell exists for tho imitation of all nations-of {
free people governing themselves because the.
have the knowledge to enable them to perform
the duties of citizens Of u free State.
The MINIMUM, then of State public instruc
ton must be universally conceded to be such a
will cit all to perform sOel their duties as citi
zens, Anything less than this would be faugh
with ruin to tf Republic--buta as the highes
Interests Of the State demand the highest cpl
ture, it become The imperative duty Of the Stat
to provide the means for such development ant
culture, and hence we earriye at the incontrovert
able position, that public instruction begin
with tho Primary school and ends only wit
the State University, and to assist in carryin
out, to its fullest extent, this Heaven born ide
of American education should be the acknowl
edged duty and constant aim of every citizen,
In short, man 8 whole duty may be said to b'
to educate himself, and assist in educating ott
ers.
If this is the high end to which we ought
direct our efforts, it is to US a question of I'll
greatest Importance.
: What has Vermont done for its accomplish
mentl
! The civil fathers Of the State laid broad an
deep the foundation of State system of Publ
education in putting into effective operation oil
District school system, the fundamental idea
D which must form the basis of all sure advanc
ment and will, with the necessary adaptation
8 circumstances, furnish ample means fol- an ad
: ouate common school education, and while it
: acknowledged that the District schools of We
t mont, are very far from being what they ougl
to be, yet have but little sympathy with tho
{ who are continually iterating and reiteratir
that we are not only behind almost every 9TH
State in the Union, but even SO far behind Il
It times, that if we should start soon, we need nj
g expect to take old Chronos again by the for
% lock, even to the end of the race.
!, Now, with all Difference to the hackneyed a