Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-01-18

| Religion had Taught lhem mat Gou created
men TO be happy: that, TO be happy, they
must have virtue: thai virtue is not TO be at
tanned without kno,r!edgs, nor knowledge
without instruction., nor public instruction
wi,hou, free schools, nor free schools without
Legislature order.
Among people who fear God, the know
ledge of duty is the same as doing il. Belle
wing il to be the first command of God, siet
| there be light, and believing II 10 be the Will
Of God that .ail should be instructed, from the
least 10 the greatest, those wise Legislators at
ouce set about pubic instruction. They did
not ask, how Will my constituents like THIS
won't they turn ne out! shall not lose my
three dollars per day No! but fully per-
suaded that public instruction is Gods will,
because the peoples good, they set about it
Ike the true friends Of the people.
Now, mark the happy const querce. When
the War broke Out, yoa heard OF no division
in New England, no Turyism, nor any Of its
horrd effects; no houses in flames, kindlst
by the hands O: iellow-cr;lzens, no neightoGs
waylaying and shooting Their neichbors. plum
| dering ,helr property. carrying cii their stock
and aiding the BRUSH IN the cursed work Of
American murder aut sgtjuga:Ion. But, on
the contrary. with minds well Informed OF
Iheir rights, and hearts glowing with love .Or
themselves and pos.erIiy, lhsy rUSe up agalns:
the enemy, firm and uniI.d, a. band Ul shep-
herds against the raven!ns wolves.
: ..And their valO. in the field gave glorious
proof how men Will fight when they kuo7 IAa.
their ali IS al stake see Iaj. Pitcairn, on
The memorable 18Th Of APni, lI75 marching
E from Boston, With One Thousand British reg
u.drS, 10 burn the American Stores al Concord.
Though ih!S heroic exclusion VAS Commented
un3er cover .! the night, lhe farmers soon
-. r,--s. a
with their towing pieces. presently knocked
down one-iourJh OF their number, and caused
the rest TO run, If, liAe the SWINE IN the Cos
pei, they had legion ci devils al their back.
Nov, with soTrowiu! eyes, let us Iura t"
our own state, where no pans were taken 10
enl.shIen the minds of he poor. There We
have seen people, naturally aS brave as the
New EhgianderS, iOI mere Igch y hnoic!s0gs
cj tictT GSNnsgs possessed, ~ Ese GdAg'Ts h.tal-
erdsd, suffer Lord toInw aims, with only Sixteen
Hundred uen, Ia chase Gen. Greene upwards
Of lEree hundred mics, Ia tact, 10 scout hIin
through the two great States oi South aad
Norm Carolina as lar as OuIiOrdCuur House,
And. when Greene, joined al that place by Two
Thousand poor, Ililterale mIlilIa-men, deler-
mined al length 10 light, what did he gain By
Item, with al their number, but dIsappo.ni-
meat aud disgrace I! FIR, though pus,et very
al. al tdGtOuSlt .ciCcN.
they could hot stand a single iIre from The
Brush, Uul, IN spite OF their oicers, broke
aud ll-i like oas.-boru slaves, leaving ihcIr
loaded mUskets sticking II the !ence corners
From tais shameful sight, turn again 10 the
land uf fee ,chODk--tC Bunker's tiil. Their.
behind poor CIlch q Laii nights iaIsIns,
yOu behold Fifteen Hundred mliiiIa-ilen walt
Irs the approach Of Three Thousand British
Regulars with heavy lTaln OF aT,IilerJ, With
such odds against them, such fearful odds IN
numbers. discipline, arms, and MARTA! lame,
will they not shriuk from the contest. and, like
their SouIhren friends, jump up and run o.
no; TO man they have been taught 10 rad:
10 man they have been instructed 10 kn0tc
and dearer than life Ia prize the bess.Ics of
TRFhroN. Their bodies are lying behind
bitches, but their thoughts are on the wing,harI-
ing through eternity. The warning voice OF
God Stil rings IN their ears. The hated forms
Of proud, mercIiess kings, pass before their
eyes. They look back 10 the DAYS OF oli, aud
strengthen themselves they think what
their gallant foreiaihers dared Tor LrnERrr
and tor THEs. They look forward 10 their
own dear children, and yeaTn over the unof-
Tending millions, nov, In fearful eyes, looking
up 10 them Tor proiecuoa. And shall this in-
finite most of death.esS beings, created in Gods
own image, and capable, BY Virtue and rQUAL
LAWS, Of endless progression in glory and hap
( piness; shall they be arrested in their high
career, and, from the ireeborn sons Of God
Z he degraded into the slaves of man Mad
denIpe at the accursed thought, they grasp
their avenging iirelocks, and drawing their
Z sights along the deaih-chaTsed tubes they long
for the Coming up Of the British thousands.
Three times, the British thousands came up
and, three times, the dauElless yeoman. wait.
I thatr raA
storms Of thunder and lightning that shlv.ret
their ranks. and heaped the field with their
WellerIns carcaSSes.
"In short, my dear sir, men will ALWAYS
fight for their government according to their
sense Of lis value. To value IL arghi, they
must understand il. This, they can not Dc,
without education. And, as a large portion
OF the citizens are poor, and can never attain
that lnestmabe blessing without the aid OF
government, it is plainly the first duty Of gov
ernment to bestow !, freely upon them. And
the more perfect the government, the greater
the duty to make II well known. Selfish and
oppressive governments, indeed, as Christ OBJ
serves, must mate the light, and fear to come
10 II, because their deeds are evil Bot lair
and cheap government, like our Republic,
longs for the light, and Tejoices to come to
the light, that II may be manifested 10 be from
uOd, ana well worm All Inc valOr and vIpl-
lance that an enlightened nation can rally for
its defence. And God knows good govern.
ment can hardly eve. be half ANXIOUS enough
10 give It's citizens a thorough knowledge Of
It's own e1celiencies. For, as some Of The
most valuable truths, for lack of careful pro-
mitigation, have been lost; so The best gov
ernment on earth, if not duly known and priz-
ed, may be subverted. Ambitious demagoyues
will arse, and the people, through Ignorance,
and tore of cid1-e, will follow Them. VaSl
armies Till be formed, and bloody battles
fought And a.er desola,ing their country
with all the horrors o! civil war. the guilty
survivors will have 10 bend their necks 10 the
iron yoke Of some stern usurper, and. like
beasts Of burden. 10 drag unpiiied those gall
ing CHAINS which they have rivetted upon
themselves for ever.
This, as nearly as can recoleci. was the
substance of the last dial9gns | ever had with
Marion. !, was spoken with an emphasis
which shall never forget. Indeed. he de-
scribed the glorious action at Bunker's Hill
as though he had been one Of the comba,an,s.
His agitation was great, his voice became
altered and broken, and his face kindlei over
with that living fire with which it was wont
10 burn when he entered The battles of MS
country. | arose from my seat as he spoke, |
and on recovering from the magic Of his |
tongue, found my self bending forward 10 the !
voice Of my friend, and my right hand stretch |
ed by nv side, for the sword that was wont TO |
bum in the presence Of Marion when battle !