The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

what is our security and success, what but
dispassionate reason nurtured by popular in
telligence? How imperfect is human judge
ment at best In common affairs how lin
tied is our foresight!
To carry on then, q great system Of gov
eminent, how necessary that the judgment
be unbiased and impartial. 1t is rare in
deed for men to disregard truthful evidence
in ordinary personal matters But in the
heat of a canvass or an election how many
there are who would not listen to sober rea-
son though one should rise from the dead to
proclaim it. Who of us would be willing that
our cause in court should be decided alone
on the testimony of hostile and prejudiced
witnesses? Would we rest our judgment
of the French Revolution entirely on the tes-
timony of British writers? Should We think
of relying on such testimony or unbiased
information concerning our own American
Revolution? Would we go back to Tory
writers and swallow down their denuncia-
tons of that ''rebel Washington" in order
to estimate the character OF the revered faith.
er of his country2 Do we rely on European
witnesses for a fair history of Napoleon g
Or do we confide in Russian historians for a
truthful account of the partition of Poland !?
| No, certainly not. Such evidence would be
one sided and partial. Now, how is it with
regard to parties and sects which we are
opposed to? Are we as careful about the
sources of evidence when we judge of them ?
Nav. do we not discard that evidence which
our opponents themselves offer and rely en-
tirely on the assertions and dogmas OF those
who have been brought up in the same
faith as ourselves. We judge of the Catho-
lie religion on the testimony of witnesses
hostile to that sect; and we reject all Catho-
lie witnesses The Catholics do the same
with regard to the Protestant faith.
| So the institutions, and customs, and mo-
tives of the people in two sections of this
country are unjustly judged by the people of
| the other section because those sections res
pectlvely Judge upon testimony completely
one sided. Heaven avert the day when the
people shall be less intelligent than now, and
| at the same time as much misguided by mere
partisan testimony Our only refuge from
the deplorable evils which such rash judge
ments lead to is in the tolerant and sober
sense of people who are ever advancing in
the paths of useful knowledge.
But, fellow citizens, the immense advan-
tage of common schools will be found in their
influence on the mothers of the land. You
will find that civilization has advanced in
proportion as woman has been elevated and
refined. In countries where she has been
kept drudge or a toy, as in oriental coun-
tries. or among the American Indians, society
is degenerate and base. And why is this
oh ofo of iS
by the mother. Let her mindbe enlightened,
and human nature will shine with brighter
lustre in her sons. All indeed how potent
is the mothers influence. Every day she in
scribes some lesson on the tablets OF the soul.
The tender and faithful admonition-the re-
collection of the watchtul care which love
alone can minister-the knowledge, the phi
losophy even, from the merest trinket to the
stars rolling in their spheres, drunk in as
truth from answers to unnumbered inquiries
of childhood and youth-all these are craven
on the heart as indelibly as first great grief
Oh early love.
"These when the trembling spirit wings its flight,
Pour round its path stream of living light,
And gild those pure and perfect realms of rest,
Where virtue triumphs, and her sons are best"
The traits of character thus formend con-
stitute the most essential elements of human
ty and self government. 1t is knowledge in
its indirect operations passing thrc ugh the
purest channels, thence to be ditfused upon
the young mind, even as the rain is distilled
in the heavens ere it comes to nourish the
flower.
The Indians who committed the terrible
massacre at Spirit Lake, carried into captivi-
ty, you remember, four white women. AS
| A. tho
of the captves, Mrs. Thatcher, worn by ia
tigue, fell from log into the river, and as
she dropped her BURDEN in her struggle to
reach the shore, one Of the miscreants DELHI
erately aimed his gun and shot her dead.
And as the body foated down the stream,
stained by her warm life blood, the Indian
women raised shout of eXultation and de-
light. There was woman heavens last best
gift, degraded by ignorance. In striking and
happy contrast to that excess of barbarism
is the act-and forcibly does it illustrate the
benefits of the spread of knowledge-that
| the valient men who volunteered to 60 out
and rescue those captives. and who succeed
ed in bringing one safely back were them
selves misunderstanding Cloud' and "Grey
Foot members Of the same great Dacotah
nation to which the atrocious assasslns them
selves belonged.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE BCRDENED
WITH HIGHER BRANCHES.
The friends of poular education should
never lose sight of the paramount and direct
object of public schools. For few years
past there has been tendency to suffocate
our public schools with the "higher branch
es." But they are not intended for elaborate
scientific learning; nor for instruction in
those branches which are usually considered
ornamental. The fundamental principles of
the sciences ought to be taught; but the
| study of foreign tongues and of the details
of science-except perhaps anatomy and
physiOlogy-0ught not to be attempted, and
will result only in superficial attachments.
"To know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime WISDOM
That which enters into the common expe-
rience of the great family of mankind must
sometime be learned; and it ought always to
have the preference over Latin and Creek
You certainly cannot we'll learn child the
details of the science of government or of
law. The general principles you can teach
him. You can teach him that law is a rule
of action to govern all; not as in state of
nature to do exactly as we please; that its
great aim is to have men live justly. "What-
soever We would that Others would do unto
you, do ye that also unto Them Teach him
that, and you have taught him the law and
the prophets
Nor should there be anything exclusive in
| regard to public schools. They are intended
| for all classes and sects. The system itself
lies at the bottom of our government; and
he who does not unite in its support, or ex-
cludes his children from its advantages either
does not appreciate the spirit of our insti
tutions, or is wanting in zeal for them. The
children of no man are too good to attend
the public school. When Mr. Everett was
President of Harvard University he sent
his son to the Public School in Cambridge.
His example is worthy of imitation. Pri-
vate schools are sometimes appropriate and
necessary. But as a general thing the evils
which parents wish to shun in the public
school mostly abound in select schools
Squires' school you remember, was select.
Let it be borne in mind also that the pub
lie school is itself a miniature world. There
the child grows familiar with the WAYS of
life; with its attachments and enmities, it's
toll and play, its defeats and its triumphs,
its hopes and its disappointments, its griefs,
its joys. Better, far better that he should
enter the ordeal while yet parental heart
can sympathize with him, and parental
voico hn his counsel and his STOW