Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-03-23
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. I

bled on Mars Hill at the time Paul ad-
dressed them concerning the true God,
"spent their time in nothing else but Ell
ther to tell or to hear some new thing"
If those, whom I have the pleasure of
. addressing to day, have assembled with
any expectation of being excited with
new thoughts, they will not hear them
from me, and unless they tell them, they
will be disappointed. The subject of
common schools has been so thoroughly
canvassed, that scarce an opening for
novel thought is left. The gleanings of a
well reaped field could only be gathered,
even had / time TO 90 over the ground
in most thorough manner. But, so far
from this, l have had only few hours in
which to arrange my thoughts, and must
present them to you in an unfinished
state, claiming for them no special origi-
Dality or novelty. But there is one con-
sideration which reconciies me to my ne
cessity, and l would plead it as quietus
to your disappointment; it is this general
truth, that the most valuable things are
not new; their com.monness being dem
onstrative of their great Importance
Now, if my hearers will kindly dwell up
on this truth, while listening to the COM
mon place things which l may say, per-
hapS we may all hallucinate ourselves
into the belief that the address is not a
perfect failure.
Your attention is invited to few
thoughts upon the question: Hoe0 shall
aOe hare good common schools?
I. There needs to be generally dissena-
mated just ideas relative to tie high utiE-
ity Of common schools.
Popular Education has been so much
talked of, that almost everybody acknowl.
edges its importance, and it is only now
and then that some snarling, miserly old
bachelor, or crusty selfish human that
beats his wife and never had any chill
dren, will grumble because he has taxes
to pay in support of the cause. But, al
though the Importance of education j:
generally conceded, there are many who
have no just ideas relative to that il
which the importance consists. Like the
infant, who clings to It's mother becaus,
it is natural to do so, they cling TO th'
idea that education is important becaus'
everybody has said that it is SO long tha
they have become habitaated to the pTac
tice; and were they questioned in refer
ence to that in which the importance con
sists, they would be as helpless as chill,
in answering.
Now. if popular education is important
it is important for something, and thi
should be regarded and clearly appre
hended. We cannot expect that popula
education will attain its highest standar
of excellence, until its high utility
clearly understood. This utility is of
various and complex nature. One of th
lowest uses of popular education is, th
means of defence it affords against th
designing and unprincipled. "Know
edge is power," and it enables one
conduct with security those necessary e.
changes Of commerce which are mao
between man and man. Another use
the means it affords, by an increase
mental activity, for acquiring propert
and making profitable investment Of
when acquired. Another use is its i
strumentality in advancing civilizatio
multiplying the comforts and luxuries
life, elevating the lower classes of socie
above the condition of mere drudge
disciplining and liberalising the mind, d
livering it from vulgar superstitions al
preiudices, and giving to all just views
our rights, relations and destinies. 81
another use is found in the boundlt
fields of enjoyment which it opens to
human mind, of far more noble and /
fined kind than any dependent upon me
animal nature. But the highest and b
use, embracing many OF those alrea
given, is its influence in the formation
right character, the culture to their b
ends of those powers which God has {
trusted to human keeping, promoting
highest style Of citizen, the highest ST.
of Christian.
These high uses Of popular educat
need 10 be more generally apprecia
and more successfully realised. Th
has indeed been a marked progress
these respects. When we compare
present condition Of our country with