The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-15

e is sometimes satisfactory to see our
selves as seen by others, enemies as wei
as friends. Here, then, is left-handed
compliment from the Marquis of Tasting
ton, NJ. P, given at 81 annual literary
festival at Manchester adew days ago:
In this age it was quite unnecessary for
any Gre to ENTER into & defence of the
expediency of extending education as far
as possible. Since he had last addressed
an East Lancashire audience he had trav-
eled iI a country where he had heard
clever and educated men throw grave
doubts apon the value and benefit which
was conferred upon country by an ex-
tended system of education. There was
no country in the world in which educa-
ton was more widely diffused than in the
New England States of North America !;
but he had heard many men in the South
ern States gravely argue that great many
of what they called the evils and vices of
the Northern population had arisen from
that SO wiLely-spread system OF superficial
popular education. What had been the
effects produced en- the character of the
New England States? There were very
few Englishmen who thought the national
character was in many points exactly what
posterity and well wisher of bis country
would desire it to be. Those who had
travelled in the country found much to
praise, end they also found much to blame.
He did not wish to bring bill of iEdict-
ment against the people of the Northern
States.
There was great tendency to think
foo ,puoh Of rnnpov oil opI to oorrv
the cleyerness and acuteness which was
required in trade a little too far. There
was no doubt that they possessed some
what exaggerated idea of the merits not
only of their country but Of all the people
who dwelt therein, and they were some
what arrogant and intolerant of opposition.
He, however, did not think that wide
spread popular education was the cause of
the defects in their character; but the
causes might be found if they looked for
them. Although education was very
wide spread, still the school education
which the children received was not in all
cases very judicious. Even while the
children were at school there was ten
dency to exaggerate everything, and to
make them admire more that which was
great and large than that which was good,
and above all to admire more than any,
thing else that which was American. This
influence was felt when the children left
school, and became part of the national
character After the boys left the school,
every ninety-nine out of hundred would
be a reader of the daily press, and the
daily press in America was certainly not
the intellectual food which tended to make
people great, generous or good. The
people were not vigorous enough to reject
the unwholesome intellectual food which
the newspapers supplied, and which, in
his opinion, exercised a most baneful
effect on the whole North American char
acter. [Hear, hear.1 The newspapers of
this country were conducted in very
different spirit. There might often be
false and wrong views advocated in the
public press of this country. Still, what
ever views were advocated they were
advocated generally in a fair and
temperate manner, and the arguments
were addressed to the judgment, not
to the passions of the people; but if
the passions were addressed, they were
the noblest passions of our nature Zap
plause] and not the low, debased and vul-
gar passions of humanity. [Applause.]
Popular. education was as much q ne
cessity of the age as air, water and
food, and the only question for considera-
ton was, how to measure out the purest
supply.