St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-11-22
GOutatiolral.
From the Iowa Instructor
A PLEA FOR FREE SCHOOLS.

4
the mind, the conscience, and the
heart Of this vast world ~
This is a great question, fraught
with a world of mcaning-One that
should be more carefully noted and
analyzcd by our preachers and our
teachers than, fear, it really is. And
not only by our preachers and teach
ers, but also by every parent and eve
ry patriot.
In this age no business enterprise
stands still. This is an age of i'm
provcmcnt in all the agricultural and
mechanical arts. 1t is an age Of
ightning--emphaticaIly " fast age. -
TO to the lakes that lie along our
northern borders harbors are thick
along their shores, aud almost every
wave heavcs on it's bosom a burthen
of life and wealth. Go to the ocean ::
the white sail of commerce is every
where proul ships arc Just returning
from far of lands, laden with riches
gathered from the four quarters Of
the globe ; while others, iron-ribbed
and strong. are Just going forth upon
their journey to battle with the tenn
pest and the storm. Indeed, the
bonds of commerce and natural traffic
are stronger than the ties Of Consan-
gnlnity. Go to the rivers, that mark
with lines of siIvcry light, the bounda
rIes of some eighteen commonwcalths.
Hundreds Of steamboats, navigate
their waters and, to strengthen the
glorious confederation, the States are
bound together by the iron track of
the railroad. And thus steam and
lightning like the swift current Of
swollen river, have given an impetus
to every department of business en-
terprise. | find no fault with all this
hay, | am glad it exists. Bat is
there not danger that in this whirl-
pool Of business, in this boiling flood
Of enterprise, the higher and purer
purposes Of life may be forgotten ;
and the nobler and purcr virtues Of
humanity be swallowed up. Yes,
connected with this hcadlOng and al
most insane rush for riches and power
this mad scramble for wealth, there
is a question Of deep and vital inter
est to every lover Of his country and
his race, viz: Do tie Intelligence 0nd
rirtHe of tie masses keep pace wih Mcse
Improvements IN tie lleA ? Ponder it
well.
Without intelligence and virtue So
cirty has no balance wheel, no rrgu-
latimg principle Our speed toward
wealth and power may be rapid as the
lightning, and strong as the whirl-
wind yet, if these principles be
wanting, we are without chart or com
pass to direct our course aud the
SwlitCr our progress, the more terri
bic our destruction
However, some one may say, that
these great improvements are, OF them
selves, an index of the intelligence
and virtue Of the masses. He looks
out upon the growing cities, the tro-
mCndouS railroad trunks, soon destined
to extend TO the Pacific the splendid
steamers ; tue intcrminable lines Of
telegraph, and thinks, surely the pco-
pie must hc intelligent, where such
improvements are found. But this
may be rather natural miStakc-an
incorrect conclusion. These works are.
as is well known, the projects Of Il
few great cntCrpriSing minds, and are
not necessarily any evidence Of a gen
cral intelligence among the masses.
Take for instance, familiar ilIustra-
ton : 1t may require some fifty men
to constitute the officers, directors and
contractors upon railroad. 1t may
take a thousand or more hands to
build it. Now, all admit that the fiji
ty must be men of intelligence bnt
the Thousand by the strength of whose
arms the work is done, may know no
more than the simple use of the spade,
mattock or whecl-barrow.
How much better far would it be
for both employer and employee, if
not only the projectors were men of
intelligence, but also the laborcrs
were men Of thought and oducation
And here let me repeat the idea, that
the only correct or safe system of cd
ucation, is one which offers to the
child of the day-laborcr, equal oppor-
tunities to cultivate his mind, with the
child of the rich employer and the
only sure guarantee We have for the
preservation Of our liberties, and the
happiness of our homes, is in the sue
ccsstul operation of such system.
And | again ask. what system of cd
ucation, then, must be established, as
best calculated to accomplish this pur-
pose And again answer, | know of
none but that Of free AmericaR ScboOts
schools which offer their benefits
alike to all classes and conditions of
life | also repeat, that the new sys-
tenn of this State is based upon this
principle, and though, perhaps, not
perfect in many Of its details, yet it
will, | doubt not, when brought into
fair operation, prove that its origi-
nators were men of wisdom, discern
mcnt and true friends of education"
" But" says some political dcma-
goGuc, /" the new school system is
very unpopular, and must go down"
Is it not plain that the wish is fa-
thcr to the thought ~ But unhcs
itatingly answer, " No, never :" and
| think that he who makes such an
assertion pays a very poor comPii-
ment to the disccrnment, Intelligence
and virtnc of the people of Iowa. !
do not profess to be prophet but |
assure you that the people Of Iowa
will triumphantly sustain this system,
and he who attempts to oppose it, and
thinks that he can break it down, man
ifests about as much wisdom as were
he 10 attempt to stop train of loaded