Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-01-22
NO. T.


divine. We should train the reasoning and
reflective faculties that the mind Of the coun-
try may be prepared for independent thought
speech, and action. We should SOW in the
schools the seeds of honor, truth, justice, mag-
nanimity, and all manly and Christian virtues,
that their harvest may ripen in the state to
nourish and support freedom. In a word,
American education should be many sided /;
and as far as possible, all-sided
II a one-sded education may be made O.
prop Of despotism, ignorance is still more hos
tile to liberty, because it is easily made the
dupe OF the ayaricious and aspiring. It is de-
ceiyed dby the specious pretenees OF fdemagogues,
and lends itself first as the instrument, and
afterwards as the victim Of their ambition
Like the stupid ass, it crouehes under any
burden the driver may impose, and hrays out
the praise of his whose lash is on him back and
whose spurs are in his sides. Mohammed
could not have risen to power among an in
telligent people, nor are the disciples of Brig
ham Young gathered into the fold of the Lat
ter Day Saints from the ranks Of the well-n-
formed The mountebanks and magician
the magnetizers and spirit rappers, Ell and
their harvest of profit among youths in their
homage, old men in their dotar 8enlimea-sl
young ladies, and the ignorant Of all -1asses.
whose appetite for the marvellous is fdc more
Unsuitable as their power to digest truth Is more
feeble.
Intelligent citizens who appreciate the bles-
sings of liberty under law, are easily governed,
for they mostly govern themselves; but the
| ignorant are as perverse in a state, as half
witted boys in a school, When the latter i'm
agne themselves wronged they are excited to
fury and know no remedy but violence. In
their blind rage they seize the pillars of the
temple OF liberty, and crush themselves in the
ruin oftheir real or supposed oppressors. But
the former, conscious that they hold in their
hands peaceful and orderly remedy, calmly
bde their time, and resort neither to tumult
nor rebellion. France would have been spar
ed the horrors of the reign Of terror had the
people been prepared for Liberty by edusation
ana culture. A condition OF public affairs
which in Mexico would cause the overthrow Of
the government, would only make the Ameri-
can people watch their public servants more
narrowly, and enter up their Shortcomings in
the ledger Of memory for reference at the next
election There is little white pill which is
specific for political maadies in this country,
and which the people administer with excellent
Judgment and skill whenever they choose to
make diagnosis. They also prescribe gratis
when the box comes around, and can afford TO
wait patiently for the day of retrbution and
wry faces.
Some years since there was struggle at
Washington for Speaker Of the House Of Re-
representatives., which in any other country
But the people looked upoa that angry scene OF
disorganization and confusion, not with lndif-
ference or apathy, but with the confidence Of
conscious power. Theykuew that th could
hush those agitated elements to peace, with A
wand as potent as that which the Hebrew chief
stretched over the sea tn the presence OF the
terrified and murmuring tribes. They bad an
abiding conviction that the salvation Of the
country did mot depend on the immediate Or
ganization OF the Houee and they ielt grim
satisfaction in the assurance that so loug as
the hands of their representatives were held
fast in dead lock, they could not do much
mischief to the country or Que another.
In the present political storm, the most dam
gerous which our government has ever en-
countered, our only hope It safe deliyerance il
In the intelligence Of the people. II the poorer
classes in the South were as well instructed rs
tue same classes in the North, this hope would
be materially strengthened; for they would
protest against the dictation ofleaders who arc
pushing them forward to the forefront Of the
hottest battle tor their own ambitious and sell
fish ends. We should then catch d glimpse Of
tue clear sky through the cloud whose shadow
covers all the land with gloom. But brave,
honest, impulsiye, and partially instructed
people are easily deceived and our Southern
friends are deceived--and angry, because de-
ceived. They are misinformed rs to the feel
ings of great inrty OF the Northern people
towards them and their institutions. They
have been goaded to rebellion and secession
by Misrepresentation more absurd aud pre-
tences more preposterous than were ever be-
fore used to arouse community to resist the
authority OF government. For thirty years
they hayr been persistently misinstru, ted as
to the nature of the government under which
they have prospered, and the value of The Union
which they are now resolved to destroy. The
ories OF the constitution have been Industrious
y promulgated which any school-boy in the
North would pronounce heretcal. Visions of
wealth and conquest aud glory have been held
up to their dazzled vision to conceal the bot
tomless gulf into which they are plunging.
And this generous and high-spirited, but de-
ceived and misintormed people, are about to
abandon the Union, which is the only ark Of
their safety, and commit themselves and their
dearest interests to the surgng waves Of dis
union and civil war
Who can predict what the end will be? VIII
it be the destruction OF slavery, or OF liberty
Will some bold chieftain mount the whirlwind
and direct the storm, and establish great
military despotsm2 No man eau answer.
This only we know, that for our boosted form
OF civilization, disunion is suicide, and suicide
is madness.