Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-01-29
Education and Liberty.
From the New York Methodist.
BY wN. II. ALLEN, LID,
President Of GrGrd CoRege.
NO. IL.

NO. II.
There is small river which rises in the north.
ern part of Pennsylvania, and flows northward
into the State of New York. 1t has been OBJ.
served that when Pennsylvania men stray away
to New York, they try to get back again as soon
as possible; and it would seem that Pennsyl-
yania rivers do the same. Our little truant, the
Chemung, becomes homesick, and in the effort
10 hnd the way back, it bends towards the east
and southeast till it joins company with that
New York runaway, the North Branch of the
Susquehauna. The two then become INSOFAR
able friends, and 60 babbling and dancing along
together, being OF little use except to add sweet
notes to natures orchestra and beautiful pic
lures to her panorama and in spring time to
bear great RATS of lumber over rocks and rapids
to market, until they embark on a sea voyage
away down at the Capes Of Chesapeake Bay.
But our enterprising neighbors Of New York
have caught our stray river, and interrupted its
free and easy course Of life. They have turned
it, as they do everything within the reach of
their loug arms, to their own profit They have
builta dam 10 obstruct its return to the land Of
its birth, and have set II at work, as they have
many other foreigners, on their canals. After
getting good service out Of it, they refuse to de-
liver up " the fugitive from labor" and hurry
him of to Canada. After many turnings and
windings he reaches lake Ontario, and thence
through the river and Gulf Of St. Lawrence finds
tue way to the ocean.
In the meantime the Pennsylvanians having
similar work for their absoonding river, are dis
posed to bring an action Of replevin 10 recover
tue article from those who unlawfully hold and
retain it; and some Of them even charge our
neighbors with tho larceny of our river II the
case sh ould ever be brought TO trial il criminal
couli, tho question whether the larceny were
grand or petu might cause the learned judge
some etnbar assment; for counsel for the pro-
secution would insist that the larceny Of 80
valuable an article Of property as a river must
necessarily be grand, while counsel for the de-
fence would argue that the larceny of SO small
a river as the Chemung, eau be nothing more
than petit However much this argument might
mitigate the penalty in tho event Of conviction,
the defendant would not thank his counsel for
the imputation that ho would he guilty Of any
larceny but the large kind.
This Incident has not been introduced tO show
how our neighbour get tho start Of US in enter
prise, but as an amusing illustration of a sober
and important fact, which not unfreQuently oo-
ours in the life of an individual, and which may
have its counterpart in the life of nation. As
the elevation of the surface of the Chemung a
few feet above its original level, by the erection
of dam, totally changes its direction aud des-
tination; so the elevation of the mind Of youth
| W NbAShtAhhI huy dAAGgt uAn puMtEb ~ uuuLGE
aims, and make the current of his life flow in
channels which diverge more and more from
those which he would otherwise have taken, un-
til he arrives at the ocean Of eternity in o much
higher latitude.
The same is true Of communities. Wherever
education is GENERALLY dfused among the people
OF state or nation, the common mind will be
raised to higher level, industry will be more
productive, progress more rapid, aud liberty
! ..-sn Ln LII
respect and dignity Of character more wisdom
in legislation, more regard for truth, and better
appreciation Of the sacredness of justice and law
The more generous the mental and moral cul-
ture Of community, the more noble will be
its career, the more instructive it's history, the
more confidence its government will inspire at
home, and the more respect abroad and its
freedom, regulated by laws which will be the
expoueuts Of the public intelligence and virtue,
will be less liable to degenerate into license and
anarchy.
American freedom, whether we regard it in
ts relation to the citizen the state or the nation,
is the freedom Of selt-deyelopment. Our consti-
tutions and laws guarantee to every citizen the
undisturhed possession Of life, liberty and repu-
tation and the free exercise Of oil his faculties
in the pursuit Of happiness provided that he
shall not trench upon the equal right Of others
to pursue and enjoy the same. Ii is obvious
that this large liberty must produce restless
activity, daring enterprise, rapid growth, and
great power. But activity may be RESTLESS
without beng directed to right ends enterprise
may be dOring, without being discreet growth
may be rapid, without being healthful; and
power, however great, may be as dangerous to
the strong who yield it, as to the weak who fear
it. IlldTected activity is as apt to destroy as
to create indiscreet enterprise is more likely to
lose than to win unhealthy growth is a prelude
to premature decay; aud blind power, though
it may pull down the temple Of the Phistines,
will destroy itself with its foes. Nations may be
free. without being great aud great without
being free. They may possess the largest politi-
cal liberty but If il be not guarded by popular
intelligence, and raised TO high aims BY public
and private virtue, it will dVw IN turbid stream,
/ and plunge at last, like Niagara, into an abyss
OF turmoil aud foam, but unlike Niagara,
bow of hope or promise will span its ssetniug
depths.
Liberty is more thAu condition it is
moral foroe. 10 some points It's action IS anala-
gous to that OF the great forces Of nature Like
| them it is destructive to those who resist II
I hui friendly TO those who live in harmony with
! II. Like Them il is most beuefcent to those
Who omen the greatest number Of channels for
its activity; and like them, while ii sc0rns 10
serve ns 4 bouduan, il is powerful coadlutor Of
those who know low t0 ADJUST themselves TO its
methods and conform to lis laws. Tie wind is
as free when it drives your ship Into port as
when it lashcs her upon the rocks Tie dihur-
enee Of safety or wreck is due to di;iercGccs III
the knowledge, foresight and skill OF tue mayi-
ners. They must trim their craft to tho breeze,
and not expect the breeze to ycer TO suit the r.m
/ Of tho craft.
We talk Of subduing nature; of breaking her
I iu, as a wild colt, aud making her our drudge.
! We say that Franklin wrestedthe lightning from
the clouds, and Morse made il our post boy
Such figures Of speech my be current as good
Rhetoric, but NOT as sound Philosophy. The
lightning was 80 FREQ when it came down Frank
Inns kite-stribg aud threw out playful scintilla-
tious TO the key 10 as hand, as When it explodes
among the rendiug louls " its nery battle-hslds