The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-04-13


human science, so far as it was then de-
veloped, was taught and enforced to the
highest extent. They had men Of pro-
found learning and thought. A Cicero
with his matchless eloquence and crudi-
ton, adorned that age of Roman letters.
A Crachi-a Scipio-a Cato, and others,
gave splendor to its diction. But these
were the few in comparison with the
many who totally were uneducated and
ignorant of the laws by which they were
governed, and their duties connected
Herewith, and the result was, that in
time amDitious men taking advantage OF
this ignorance-making the people the
tools to accomplish their own schemes,
overthrew the very institutions adopted
for the freedom of the nation, and plung-
ed them into q despotism and anarchy
that has no parallel in the worlds histo-
ry-
But it is not necessary to multiply
instances of this kind, to prove our
proposition, that an ignorant people can
not long remain free. Every reader of
history cannot but have noticed this fact,
and | will be safe in saying, that all the
failures of the experiment OF self gov
ernment have been caused by the want
Of proper education on the part of the
people. which was requisite to enable
them to see and comprehend their rights
and duties to resist encroachments, when
made upon these rights, and to right
wrongs when imposed upon them. But
we should not be surprised because these
failures. when we ascertain and see the
relations which the people sustain to
free government. In that form the
whole sovereign power and authority
rests upon the people, either directly or
indirectly and they are called upon in
their sovereign capacity to sustain that
authority and exercise that power for
the preservation of their rights and lib
erty, and if they have not education
sufficient to give them clear ideas of these
duties and their relations to this govern
ment. how can they be expected to know
what means are necessary to sustain their
freedom, and serve the best interest of
the country? 1t would indeed be
strange anomaly in this day of intelli
gence to see Congressman, Judge or
Governor, ignorant of the very first
principles of his profession or office
Yet it would be no more inconsistent or
absurd, than for that people who claim
IL. al 80 c,A
eigns, claiming to be the fountain OF
law, of order, of executive power, Of
Justice and liberty, who were at the same
time unacquaintcd with the principles
which under lie all these questions. 1t
will be readily inferred from what have
said. that universal education is necessa-
ry for the maintenance Of republican
form of government, and we have just now
a very striking illustration of the truthful
ness of the proposition in the present re-
bellion, which is defying every attempt
on the part of the government to put it
down, and crush it out for l am salts
fed, had the mass of the Southern peo-
pie been educated even to the extent
of the Northern, and thus been reading
and thinking community, they would new
er have been lead into revolution. But
unfortunately for the country, they did
not possess this education, and their lead
ers taking advantage of this, improved
upon their ignorance, infamed their pas
sions, aud excited their jealousy, by
misrepresenting the intention of the rul-
ing party; and thus were enabled to
lead them into the vortex of rebellion,
from which they are suffering so fearful
ly to-day.
In some of the Southern states. they
have no common school system at all, and
where they dc, its operation is so weak and
i imperfect, that practically it amounts to
nothing The master in order to make
+ his dominion over the slave secure and
i permanent, has legislated for that object
and has not provided means for giving
instructions to the mass of the people
and we are now reaping its fruits in ths
gigantic war which we have upon oul
hands-in the sacrifice of millions oflives
ana 4 nallONal lue -
which but few have contemplated.
So sensible were our fathers. that uni
versal education was the one thing need
ed and demanded by the interest OF .
free people. that almost the first thing
they did. was 10 adopt, what might b.
termed an embryo common school sys
TEN. in which their children should b,
educated, and receive that discipline o
heart and mind, which would prepar
them to act well their parts as a free peo
pie And this is one of the reasons, ans
one of the principal ones, wis our faith
ers were able to contend successful,
against the power brought against them
for their subjugation, and in the end Z
establish one of the best governnen ent
that has ever existed among men.
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