Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-09-29
NUMBER 3S.
[From the San Francisco american Fidg.I
The School House Garrisons OF the hepuplo'


Public intellectual culture forms the basis OF
our political system. We proceed upon tno
principle that education of the masses Is the
only effectual and certain guarantee tor tne sue
cess of self-government We have faith tnat
men who know their rights will maintain them ;
who know the reasons and necessities OF laws,
and have an intelligent voice in their enact
ment will generally obey and respect them, anu
that all persons whose minds are stored Win
practical knowledge, and controlled by the dis
cipline necessary to acquire it., will be made
thereby frmer and more devoted patriots than if
they had been left to grove! in ignorance
knowledge is power, and an enlightened people
cannot be enslaved. We therefore rest all our
hopes for the safety and advancement OF the
Republic, on universal education. Constantly
depending upon the masses for that power which
gives vitality and direction to the public admin
istration we deem it of the very first Importance
that those masses shall be educated, and the
State would be considered strangely dereict
which should fail or refuse to provide most am
pie means to accomplish that end. In European
countries, enlightenment is furnished to certain
classes only, and it does not reach the lower
social orders. Where we strive to stimulate
mental efforts they are most solictous to repess
and discourage it. We fear the ignorance OF
the masses, they fear the spread OF knowlede
among them. With us, general education is the
keystone of national strength. Europe re-
ical institutions, liable to explode spontaneously
whenever in should be perfectly laid. We pro-
tect the keystone Europe works against the
mine. Our civilization rests upon a rock, hrm
as the pillars of the continent. European civii-
zation hangs over gulf concealed by the blazon-
ry of power and the glitter and polish OF nobility;
Our surest protection against anarchy is found
in the freedom of the individual mind, and the
culture of the general mind. celebrated writer
ascribes the French Revolution of 80 chiefly to
the fact that for long time previous, the Gov
ernment of France had permitted freedom OF
discussion in philosophy and politics among the
lower orders. heretofore STEPPED in most VIDE
spread and wretched ignorance and he consider
ed it singular judgment against such folly
that the monarchy and nobility the Imperial
capital deluged in blood by massacre; peasants,
clerks, and brehess provincial attorneys Hocking
into the National Convention, the King execu-
ted, the estates of the clergy conhscated, the
churches closed, the motto of Athe:stic despair,
{" Death is an eternal Sleep" written upon their
doors and upon the gates of the cemeteries, the
harlot Goddess of Reason drawn in triumph
through the streets, royalty abolished, and God
himself declared tyrant and deposed The
Judgment was against the crime of the Gov
ernment in having kept the lower orders, the
masses of the people and their ancestors from
the remotest periods, in the lowest depths of
ignorance and poverty. Judgment for such
crime could not be enforced against the Amer
ican people.
During the recent war of rebellion it was clear
ly demonstrated that opposition to the Govern
ment came from the most ignorant and debased
among our people. This was every where ap-
parent and in every community of the North
strenuous efforts were made to counteract their
baneful infence; successfully the sequel show
ed. We had great confidence in Monitors
but the free Common School houses were
stauncher iron clads than they. That the rebels
feared and hated the latter most is proven by the
fact that, after the war, and when opportunity
was afforded them for wreaking transitory venge-
ance upon the loyal freedmen, they instinctively
applied the torch and axe to their SchooLHouses.
statesman could calculate the force such
document as the Proclamation would have in
crippling the rebellion and skillful General
could estimate the effects of campaigns and the
weight of ARMIES in the work of crushing it out,
but who shall presume to estimate the power
which the Public Schools exerted in that work
How the rebels and Copperheads cursed and
raved at them during the war ! Wherever they
might be in the length and breadth of the loyal
North, the schools presented a united front
against them Away up in the forests of Maine,
on the shores of the clear Sebec, the flag of the
Union foated over the log school-house, and
daily when the sun shone down from Katahdin,
kissing the morning, and again when his declin-
ing splendors trembled along the blue Acadian
heights, the ''Yanlee school ma am" summoned
the rustic and daughters of the lumbermen
to stand in rank before the rough benches and
sing the glorious Battle Hymn of the Republic,
and then, over the land it sped like the echoes
of an Alpine horn. The rivers bore it to the
and the gave back the shout. Millions
of youthful voices swelled the majestic chorus
in town and city, on the mountain side, and in
the pleasant vallies, under the forest trees, and
on the fowery praires of the West, till the loyal
armies took up the notes and thundered them
OH fho oil of fha rafo rf,1
and the infuriate yels of bafaed traitor hosts
aMne eyes the glory coming of the Lord;
He is ranping out tho vintage where his grapes Of wrath
He has loosed the tfu gnings of his terrible swift sword
His day is marching onl"
Not School House in the North where the
flag did not float and where such hymns were
not sung. But not in hymns and songs alone
did the future of loyal and free America speak
in the school room. History of the Repuoiic
was taught lessons in Constitutional Law reel
ted, catechisms against the crimes of secession,
slavery and treason committed, and war des-
patches from the front read and expiaineu w
the teachers. Such was the picture "nion VIC
common Schools of the Union presenter uuf!ns
w MY hona and confidence that the glorious estate
of Ehsrtv for which were hghting wouio
,ora- hc sonandered or given up 70 pirates,
s,ove lords. and traitors by our children. win
such children the legacy is saie. Domest'c
..aocbery again lliI IHc hnhO nhu ninS VIC
easss .reas of rebellion, and foreign enemies may
invade our coasts, demolish our forts, burn our
o;,;es and sink our monitors; but, while the
Cans,non School-Houses remain, and the children
If freemen are allowed to assmble within their
walls. Liberty and Union have line Of forti6ca-
lions which cannot be broken-a garrison OF in
vincibIes who cannot surrender.
OREGON SEsAToR.-In the Union caucus held
Sent. 18th, Gov. A. G. Gibbs, (Radical) was
for e. s. Senator. On the 18th he
received a majority of four votes sn the State
Senate for that position.
TIE ALL-PERvADING " JOHN. The placer dig
piugs of the Boise Basin are being fast yielded
to Chinamen. 1t is estimated that Boise will
soon contain ten thousand of them.