The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-01-20
MAN AND HIS iNsTirU riONs.
RY II. w. RERCHER.

Since the world began, know Of othng
90 remarkable as the formation OF society
along our western borders. Old nations have
aban loned their former seats, and oyerrun new
lands, carrying with them their fiocks, their
arms, AMI those personal habits which no man
can leave behind. But they have carried no
constitutions, no systems of law, no circles OF
schools, no colleges or universities, no lnstltu-
items, as a moral artillery through which the
zeal Of the people should utter itself. But
our own people, scarcely less nonadic than
the tended Arab, scarcely less npetpOus
than the Goth aud Hun, POUR abroad along
the western wilderness ia swarnlng millions,
with implements, with wealth of hocks and
heids, and with bredth and depth Of civll-
zatiou such never emigrated before: They
drive schools along with them, as shepherds
drive hocks. They have herds OF churches,
a, a lemies, Iyceums, anI Their religious and
educational IusIitUuuas 20 lowing aIoug the
western plains rs Jacobs herds lowed dong
the Syrian hills. You cannot innoculate a
nation with institutions whose ideas are for
eign institutions must bo lndlgenouS.-
Thcy are 50 with us Nothlug expresses The
very American spirit 30 much rs the four
fold forms OF insti,u n, Commercial, Laga
Religious aud Edutotion0l. The Fam y Is "A
natural Institution, and Is tn mothc. and
nurse Of all oh is. Ii is his v,iy weth Of
Institution That brings trpII III, West such an
appeal ter help. W. have sent To the arcst
fields the ,un er lightencd, or showers en-
,,chcd, our sons and daughters, who know
nothing but 10 +, ar aong the vast intervals
~ z.ltl
as wide, az compact Of social T, fin, mcnt, of
intellectual culture, of moral richness, rs that
which hoves in their menhIory of old dear
New England. But 1t is not possiatle for
youthful States u lift up society in It's whole
bredth and debth at one lit. The spirit of
institutions quiceens their hearts, but how
to give them bodies is their exceeding great
task It's enough TO say OF their Willingness,
that it is worthy of their parentage. Topper
form the dulles oi life, it is necessary first to
irs. A living is the first duty and necessity
of emigrants But with the burden Of mate
raj task which underlay society, suddenly up
on M,m, they are called upon TO upheave, IN
gigantic proportions, the form Of higher inst
tu'ions. Ships are first built, and then sent
on voyages But Western States are as if
men were RATED to see with materials, and
were oblidgcd to build the ship under them
while they sailed. Yea, AMI to grapplc in
i.sprrite conli.t with piratical errors and
Rcd Rvers Of gno.ancc, while yet they arc
wing down the decks, and setting up the
Iigglng. Now an appeal for help from such
men u like the cry OF mariners whom the
ocean threatens ana storms ana cruel Vuruiioc.
Our colleges he out on ocean prairies with
i,"lr fays r,ycrsrd-tokcn of imminent peril.
,ioi has gwen iuto the hand Of wclth The
,owpr OF saving thcml Indeed it is well, in
uui golden age when all tlto influence Of the
world are commercial, when governments are
~wayrl hy commercial iutluonc,, when camps
are ruled uy lhc Bounc, when even morals
aud religion are almost Obliged to ask ltaNe
To- be- ui tle ;,i aud the Golfer, that we should
console ourselves with the truth that money
IS ~ susscliahlc of moral Influence rs secular.
1t is power without moral character. We
do not repeat the monks exhortaiion, and
urge men to yield their money to the church,
but the churches ought to yield their rchnes
to the world. Inspired with u moral purpose,
money is stronger than kings sceptrc, or
imperial armies. 1t cannot control nature,
nor open the eyes Of the blind, nor awake the
dumb to speak.