Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-11-24
SCHOOLS.

that with the spread Of intelligence and
mental culture. the causes Of wealth. infu.
ence, and freedom have been promoted,
and the people have risen in the scale OF
civilization. In former days, when the
world was darkest and most superstitous,
we find that literature was confined to q
very narrow circle, that few could read. or
purchase books. or write. The advantages
Of the printing prsss were not known, and
as works could only DO multiplied BY the
pen, they were expensive and far beyond
the reach Of the masses. Plato. We are
told. devoted nearly $4,000 to the pur.
chase Of three books Of . distinguished
Py,hagorean; and Aristotle invested twice
tina, amount in a few manuscripts belong
ing to u deceased philosopher. Jerome
nearly ruined himself to procure the works
Of Ogden, and Leo bartered Ave hundred
pieces of gold for five books Of Tscitu'.
Before the Christian era, a library Of 81 $1,000
manuscripts was regarded ~ wonder,
and even In the year A. D. 1864, the royal
library Of France did not contain twenty
volumes. For thirteen centuries Of the
Christian era. literature belonged almost
exclusively to the clergy. and even then
numbers Of the priesthood could do no
more then read and say the lessons Of the
liturgy. We read that in a council in the
year so2 scarcely q priest in Rome itself
knew letters; and in the early canons the
signatures Of Bishops were often made BY
marks. In Spain, not one in . thousand
could write q letter to . friend. In Eng
land. in the time Of Alfred. not . priest
south Of the Thames understood the com-
mon prayer. or could translate Latin
into the common tongue; and when
the Normns first went over, the histo-
rian states that the greater number Of the
English clergy could hardly read the
church service. In such . period, what
was the condition Of the humber classes
of the masses Of the people, Why.
untaught to read, possessing NO facilities
for acquiring knowledge, their aspirations
were not higher than the brute beasts
which surrounded them. and seldom rose
above the ground they titled. They were
seris, slaves, chattels, unknown to liberty.
and without the teeblest ray Of the light
Of freedom. Bhndly obeying the behesss
Of their lords and owners, they toiled aud
fought, without knowledge or without
reward. They were degraded and in
bondage. were bound to the soil, and were
sold with it a. chatsels.
When, however, the wave Of knowledge
6rSt commenced to advance upon these
dark and dismal shores Of Ignorance and
slavery, serfdom rapidly waued, and the
people became free, because they became
intelligent. With the freedom Of mind
came the demand for the freedom Of let
ters. and the wave Of progress rolled on
ward and onward until our W day,
when education il within the reach Of all
who choose TO avail themselves Of its ad-
vantages ; when there are schools in every
village, and when no man 10 neeessitatsd
to be ignorant.
In shi, enlightened age Of the world
there i, no need to speak Of the advan-
tages of education. The very fact that
every man is earnest: in his efforts to OBJ
tain knowledge, and is justly ashamed Of
ignorance, is Of itself proof enough Of the
necessity for mental cultivation. By its
/ aid one j, introduced to events and per-
sons, to philosophy and science, to music
and poetry.
The educated man can roam with Adam,
Srst Of men. in Paradise. or sail With
Noah over a deluged world. he can take
the pilgrim staff with Abraham, and join
the caravan with Moses. He can worship
with the shepherds at Bethlehem. or sail
with the Goldman over Galilse. He can
hunt with Nimrod, or conquer with Alex
ander. He can listen to the wisdom OF
Solomon, and the eloquenes Of Demosthe-
mes. He can ii, at the feet Of Socrates, OF
Xenophon, or Galileo, or Newton. He
can pray with Luther, or sing with Ho-
mer. He can DO familiar with prophets,
apostles, prissss, and is an inhsbisans Of
all time, q citizen OF every country, the
Acquaintance Of every genius, and the
brother Of every man. Such . man 10 re-
moved from his individuality BY being
taken into an extended society while Al
the same time his individuality is enhanced
BY making so varied a society minister to
him. He gains pleasure and knowledge
for himself, and the means for pleasing
and bene6tting others.
It 10 to confer these ~incalculable bless
ings upon the rising generation that our
system Of education has been brought to
such a high standard Of perfection. Tho
facilities for acquiring knowledge which
are offered to the children Of the nineteenth
century are far greater than those pos
ssssed by their fathers before them ; and
BY . proper appreciation Of their advan.
tages, and q close application to the duties
and labors Of school life, the little ons'
will grow up wise men and women,
Then will they rejoice at having embraced
the golden opportunity ; then will they
look back to the hours Of childhood Is the
most important period Of life.
CHrSEst DEvILs.-Meadow's History
Of the Chinese, lately published in London,
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