, 1863-08-11


At tie late annual session Of the Pennsy1ra-
MIA State Teachers Association ut Reading,
Gen. sigel Was introduced and was received
with hearty cheers. He spoke rs follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: came here this
evening to pay you my respects: + cana to
do honor, If can, to the noble society Of
State Of Pennsylvania. As an old teacher my
eelf, feel how thankful that should be to
those Who take the great work ofequcation in
their hands, who arc working not only for the
present, but for future generations. ] have
only to cay that it Is not my business to giye
you lecture or make sou speech. I
haye not rest enough. You Know yery
well my business. 1t is TINT Of soldier,
and ! came here to the city of Reading to
drill recruits and organlze regiments, never
as this. When Gang to this. <,o1sr, Was a.
tonished to find such ]argc a..eapblnge, aud
really thought would have to beat q re-
treat (Applause.l Du', as an now in this
ball, must nlake the best OF IT. Gentlemen,
our public SCHOOLS are, I believe, the greatest
plause~] ! soy our public schools, because
have tried, since have come here an exile
from a tyranuical country, not only to be-
come by my papers, but In my sou1 =nd heart,
an American citizen. [Cheers. Il have s!rug-
gled hsr1 to gain knowledge Of the Amerl-
L
ten ears lived among you: bare seen your
noble and lofty qualities Of character. I-lIke
to be here, and hope I wjll die mere: [Re-
newcd applausc.] Lave three clillraa. I
hope they Ei1l grow up ia entire devotion to
this country, nna may they, T necessary, d.
their lives. Therefore, you will allow Inc to
say "cur'' pnb1ic schools. This war has At:
fected tic pnbiIc.achoo1 system in America.
In many cities VIC find the school houses
empty, ard the children deserted.
But this war itself has taught Us much, for
the immense mems Of the American people.
The war has giren us an idea Of what q firm
will can do. 1t has shown that this country
is inyinciblc. 1App1ause.] Without our pu6-
NcEchouls, our army Of million Of men might
not hive existed. Tie Republic itself could
rot exist without The Inhlic schools. At
least, it could not exist IN its present torm-
i frea people cannOt exist without free
schools. France, with her Swans and her
scholars, Ler polytechnic colleges and uni
ye1sitits-F1ance with all herlearninE is not
Tree. Frunce l.ns killed Romei nnd would Kill
Germany, You cannot expect that your
Union will be without free schools. This
1G:.r, as 1t Is now carried, Is n wal Ct free
dom-[applausc]-a war for the prescr7a.
tion Of eur republican Institutions. +
diers have possrssiod Of the enemy's
country. It is not eno1gh to hare the terri.
tory Of the enemy. It Is necessary to reor-
gunize. It Is necessary to make those changes
which will give q permanent foundation to
liberty. It Is necessary to change the mind Of
the people who are now opposing us Us enc
mics. Do you believe that the children Of the
South, when they look to tho graves Of their
fathers, will love this country? You must
educate them in the public schools, and learn
them the principles Of liberty, which the
grave can never claim. Teachers are the
little army Of humanity that must follow the
n,my cf the Union. Wherever our soldiera
nin1,t their honner tlern rust nrisc FIRE
ttchonl fAnn|ause,1 WIthout this. ourwor-
viii have heen ia vain.
yom u III hnre seen that t,,,s 7xnr has sho,gn
t,c neccts;tT. ~ he;ny nrenorad fnr 'f,,,nre
ti,nes Tnn w.f1l i,ava seen That # ia mt nn1v
nrcessarr 10 be strong to b. raiiant to he H.
institutions as viii 1,Tensre-n citizen FIR tbs
| ant;es Of a sOldier. 1ne.n military institu-
inns helieye that a true erfem ~ military
instrnct,nn viii hrcome a-necessitY far t5is
Nc,mhItr lila necessary mt only "a In. frea
I'M r., hc ,fle n icfsnd mr. frce instftnt;ons
Wien invaded fEress anpIause.1 Il his
},peu said that ths introduction Of military
| Schools might create a suIrIt OF conuuest:
| that mfIltayT schools were dangerous to re.
nnblic. Idono tlsuk eo:r,{ bsliey ys that ii ron
1t tbe eouc time Implant i1to the hearts cf tho
2 sara 1ar lie T3uhts of ot1ers, that there win
F. m military encroachment or ni;itarg lcs-
TotIe1n. II IL necesfaYy IN nakn nnr youth
!,wrrf. that It Ia crimfun to Invade. In the re.
n,',:tst ;Ieeree. he esfablisneI rIrL;s Of other
| nrt;one IL Inrf. ~ th-v .r. {-,isned 1tth "a.
.1,,ftcs,, n1inc;,fas +i,aTe viii he ~ dsnorr of
nr,lifa,r cnnnufst. If they be strong. let them