The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-04-09

H.
When the imraoralities and vices that have
fastened themselves as excrescences upon
our brave, and noble sons, by their prais-
worthy participation in this war, shall have
been removed By contact with their former
associates. and by an active participation
in the civil pursuits of our State, you
may talk to me about reducing cur means
of iptellectual and moral culture. When
the day dawn of peace shall have appear,
ed, and her beautiful sun shall have reach
ed its meridian, then,o and not till then,
an l willing to consider th, lropriety Of
reducing the standard of the intellectual
and moral attainments of our people.
Legislation, is too frequently in advance
Of public sentiment hence, the number
of laws that exist as a dead letter upon
our statute book There being either, a
want Of intelligence among the mass of
cur people, to perceive the justice of the
law. or want of moral principle to
which the law could appeal for support.
The history of our race has long since
demonstrated the truth of the proposition,
that sit is impossible for any law, either
human or diSiae, to have any force or eff
cheney in any community, unless there is a
4 sufficient Intelligence to perceive the just
ice of the law, and moral principle and
stamina, to which it could appeal for sup
port.'e at ,saea. 90 tam fs
Itsis true, Mr.. Charm an, that by cnl.
d tivating the mere physical nature of onl
country. by increasing our army until ev
cry hill would be needed for forti6cation
! by increasing our navy, until every Sc,
should be whitened with the canvass o
our vessels, we might build up magnif
!, cent empire, but we would not thereby
: maintain or perpetuate our Republic.
: The history of the world confirms thi
conclusion. Babylon, the first of empires
cultivated her physical. to the neglect Q
: her Intellectual and moral nature, and W
:. find her doom fearfully described in Wis
ions of prophecy, and written with th
: pen, of inspiration. Athens put forth be
) intellectual energies until she became th
: home Of science and of song; the think
: ing head and the heating heart of tn
: whole world She cultivated her intel
6 lectual, to the neglect of her physical an
: moral nature, and she also persisted
Rome put forth her energies, until ht
Q iron heel trod down the nations of tt
, earth; but she, too, early forgot the R.
y mansvirtues in which she had her origi
y and she has long since slept the long, ul
~ broken sleep. But Athens still cries
y US from the tomb, from the convulsed, Pc
IL soned lips Of her dying Demosthene
E and Rome still pleads with us, in the nut
= mild persuasious Of her mangled Tull
J, not to Danish, not to curtai our means
j. intelligence, not to murder morality al
s. virtue. -ia
le With all the light that history throy
III upon this subject, and while our natio
ne not only the nation but our State is pa
q ting forth almost her entire energies
l the cultivation of her physical nature,
10 behooves us in view of our duty and &
Sc high destiny that awaits us, to cultiva
81 our whole nature, and above all that
q continue to imbrue the minds of @
u people with the principles of intelligenc
at of morality and of yirtue.s e.