Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-12-18

This school house, he said, had cost Thousands
Of dollars, but if you children shall have i'm
proved your time and be male wise and good
men and women it win not be deemed, ss
money misspent, but win repay many fold the
whole investment
He did not ike. however, the words Of one
of the songs, ''Get out of tho way with youl
old School Houses He. remembered one
old, red School House, with feelings Of plea
sure. Itdid not look out over great city IS
this did either, but cut over fields and woods
and streams, and when these things were men
toned, it touched tender chord" in bis feel
ings, and al the glorious "reminiscences Of
those days and scenes came thronging back to
him. But those old dingy, rude School Hous'
es produced useful men and women, and so
can these, fine!.and elegant houses, II the
scholar SO will.
On previous occasions much was said in re-
gard the fitness of the names Of these public
Schools. When the name of jefferson Is
mentioned am reminded Of recently learned
fa regarding his devotion to education, his
fondness for children, his love of the domestic
circle. These even surpassed his ambition in
public hfe It will make his nane hereafter
one loved and rcvered by the American pco-
pie. On his death bed, in his will, he said his
epitaph should be-not that he was the "Au-
thor Of the Declaration of Independence -
or that he proposed the first act Of religious
freedom for the American people--but that he
wss the Author Of the system Of public ed
ucaticnw This was what he felt most proud
Of in his dying moments. We have named
this building, then after him, to perpetuate the
name Of one who deemed, IS we do, the most
important thing for the nation, WAS the educa-
ton of its youth.
Rev. Cyrus Brooks said he did not know
what he was expected to say, hardly, and he
had not expected to say anything. He want
ed the attention Of the children particularly to
what he would say, though. The School
Houses of olden time had been mentioned
contemptuously, almost, and yet what excel
lent men and women they made; and they led
the way, too, for these new and finer ones
He knew of School Houses that even Mr.. Tay
lor's was palace to, almost But fine school
houses do no good, unless the children them
selves study to take advantage of it. They
have chances which we had not, and we feel
Glad Of it. You will be thankful, too, when
you grow up, for the privileges you enjoy
But look beyond your manhood or your wo-
manhood. Remember that there Is here
after-that
at is not all Of life TO live,
Nor ell of death 70 die"
You are framing yonr character now for enter
nifty itself.
The children owe the fact Of their advantages
to their generous parents--to the liberal Board
of Education--to the spirit Of enterprise that
prompted the building of these School Houses.
But they must look higher-and feel gratitude
to " Him from whom cometh down every good
and perfect gift."
Mr. Ludvigh, editor Of the Stats Zsitung,
made few well chosen remarks, which we
could not well hear, on account of the noise
made by dismissing some Of the children at
the time, and his distance from US.
Horny j. Horne, Esq, of the Board of Ed
ucation said that he deemed good edifice ne
cessary for School, but he considered good
material for it more necessary, and to look
around on the happy and intelligent faces OF
the children here, he felt convinced that it ex-
isted, and that in twenty or thirty years from
now, St. Paul would have an intelligent pop
ulation.
Mr. G.S Kescltine, Principal Of the School,
also made short address hoping that pArcr.sn
o. guardians of the scholars would interest
themselves in the welfare ofthe School, and Wis
it it frequently. lie then addressed the schol-
ars, urging them to embrace and profit by the
advantages they possessed, and fit themselves
for the parts they would be compelled to act
on the stage Of life.
After few remarks by BENZ. Drew, Esq,
Principal Of the Schools, in which he said he
hoped ere long to see High School erected in
the. City 1.-THE exercises closed.