Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-07-12

hcT dON man Will not De the invasion OlSOmc CON
qucring prince, proud ofa conquest that shames
the glory of Alexander or Napoleon, but. seduced
by her pride. the melancholy suicide Of tempted
national virtue in despair; the demolition of those
sacred altars where in by gone days the genius of
liberty has come with her gathered sacrifices to
weep and to worship. No, ,no if we disgrace not
our fathers, our hearts rebel against any other
prospect r,an that off, Liberty and union, now and
forever one and inseparablc;" and permit me as a
minister to say that sucha prospect as that of our
national death, stands opposed by the unfufed
predictions Of the inspired rage, and not only this,
but wages war upon the holy instincts ofhuman ma.
ture Disunon. Di, ision Division of what
OF land, Of property, ofweathl These are not our
only inheritance; We have HISTORY to divide; we
have common sympatheS, common loves, common
hopes, examples and sepulchres and, even in this
day, though the foul whisper of treason minge
with the breczcs Potomac. and paltry gold is the
price of a Washington's grave; yet who with n
harlihood that woud confront a magazine of
curses, and paint the blush of shame upon the
face of intnmv, d0rPs raise his impious hand to
divide the hallowed shades OF Mt. Vernon?
''Say can the South give up her bones
On Bunker's hoary height2
Or can the North forget her sons
OfYorktown's closing fght1
Can youdivide with equal hand,
A heritage ofgraves,
| Or rend in twain the starry flag.
That DER them proudly waves?"
II YOU will allow the distinction, confess
that am trealing upon the province of tn e
| philosopher as well as upon that of the pa
triot. If we address the sympathies and
feelings of men, in behalf Of a certain pT
Ijcct. we cannot avoid the question of its
practicabiity. CAN and OUGHT are often
properly con ioined-How then shall we per-
form our obligations ahd what means are
within our reach so as that we set ourselves
timely and righteously to workl Let me
not insult you fellow citizens when assure
you that am not going to preach, but simply
say, as a citizen, what is the safeguard of
our glorious institutions. And that | may
give weight to this, it is, that l quote from
him who bears the name of the "Father OF
his Country" In his farewell address he
says
at is substantially true that virtue or
morality is necessary spring or popular
government, Promote then, as an
object of primary Importance, institutions for
the diffusion OF knowledge"
What sober truth; md how easily said by
him whose least attainments were not the
fruitful lessons culled from past experience.
That genera intelligence, or, as Washington
expressed it, the general diffusion of knOwl-
edge" is essential to sure and permanent ad.
| vanccment is the loud verdict OF IA thousand
voices from the shades The school boy
needs not be told it is not the sword that
won the contest between gladiators, but the
skill and strength welding it, Alexander
was surely not braver than Miltades, but his
superiority every one Knows to he somewhat
dependent upon the instructions OF the Thra-
clan phil osopher. Even now the Edinburgh
reviewers are ascri5ing the success of the
French at Magenta and Sollcrino to the i'm
provement OF later days over the arms and
equipments of former period, and DR.. Com
stock suggests late that the very advance
mcnt of the age in the arts of warfare, VIII
one day render SO destructive the instruments
of death. that wal will become impracticable,
and the evil be its own destroyer But i'm
provements springing from the diffusion OF
knowledge are found not alone in the art OF
conquest, but are equally necessary to pre-
servation, for Washington says that knowl-
edge must be difiuSed so as to maintain a
pure morality. Is it true that morality and
! inte 'ligence are necessary as the springs of
popular government! What is the testimony
that rises to us from out the classic ruins
scattered where once was the "LAND OF
SCHOLARS AND THE NURSE OF ARMS" 1t was
not the conqueror Of Persia. nor was it Sylla
who destroyed her, but she immolated herself
upon the altar other wealth, and sister states
that We'd in honorable pursuits, fell into the
common grave that vice digs for virtue. II
was the glory of Thebes that she prevailed
over superior numbers, and boosted of one
among her citizens whom Cicero has styled
s.the most illustrious of all the Greeks" and
yet, the victim OF that rash spirit that cannot
brook the acknowledgment Of Others merits,
she offered up her honored son upon the field
Of Mant:nea, and the cry of victory was
! the sounding OF her own knell, for with his
death, corruption entered and her glory
ended. Athens has been called the "eye of
Greece;' and was renowned for all that was
beautiful or strange in architecture, for all
| that was elcvating in ancient vision, ana lor
the voice of eloquence heard in her courts.
Yet within her classic precincts, philosophy
was literally the apostle of vice, and her
boaStcl liberty was only an occasion for
the crimes of unrestrained licentiousDess.-
Very true, is it, that education is an earnest
Of advancement, but only when attended by
the influence of pure morality, such as her
annals do not show, and her leaders did not
practice. But philosophy stops not at this
illustration; for, among all the recollections
of the past among all the sounds that awaken
curiosity or cause regret, the name OF Rome
stands unparalleled in significance. ltspeaks
of an empire which encircled all nations in
its healthiul embrace, it tells OF burning
} eloquence and unsurpassed bravery; 1t hints
of patriotism bold enough to strike the
usurper in the very chamber where ''ircedom''
ghost walked unrevenged." The poet has
told her greatness and historians have made
themselves immortal in rehearsing the tralT
of her glories. And yet, Rome, in all he'
solemn magnifcence, became the prisoner
of her own pride and was slain by her own
corruption. Tell us, any one, what wa'
wanting to complete the structure OF sount
: political fabric. Was there no bravery
Were there no natural advantages of land AM
scar If there is found in the retrospec
no deficiency in wealth or in master spirits, le
the students of history around me, answe
n what it is that is necessary in addition I
' these TO obtain and sustain what Washington