Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-08-16


mont ,xCrcIs,s from last wc1k.
AIruNI p.Y.
On Wednesday, Aug. 7,h after the AlumE
ldT,ached the ecaur.h, and taken their scat-
prayer was offered ly Rey. S. 5 Cutting. o.
Rochester, y. Y, ani the President OF I'll,
Alumni, L &. Englesby, E.q introduce.
tie Orator Of the Day, DJa1AN B. Eaton
Esq Of New York City.
AR. EATON e AIuBEss.
Mr.. Eaton, after promising that, according &.
the rule laid down by ere tI'lau; writer as to
choice Of subject, mandy. 2. take the largest
subject which IS upre-mcsj n zill at iL5 time
Of receiving notice Of aPFoiu melt TO sTeak, be
should have had to sIesk If fle relations Ct
Mountains TO LlIerty-beir- Himself when No.
tilted travelling ia sWI.zerlsri- said. that vary
ing somewhat from that rule. be, under the
inspiration Of visits 70 Geneva. the home Of
Rousseau, Bss,e, Chi. %, alI cher such places,
could but elect to speak upon the Relations Of In
telleot and Literature, anI the Responsibility Of
the State thereto.
It is only in Switzerllui AMI "a the United
SJstes that the true idea of tie spheres u Intel
lect and Education are coms-shelIoi but that
viii not be for long, as whatever American
genius achieves IS zrreal over Oh wor.l,sni the
ideal Republic Of mya ot genius s becoming
reality
The Old civilizations even 10 their educated
claafes never had conception Of she noble chris
tian thought Of education for al men. 10 the
middle ages, all education was made subject to
the church, and no man dargi sy5w himself
learned msn except under her siuatiou. In all
those times learning was f]r the few. nd the IN
learned we're thought nothing worth. 10 Dresden
there are two vases in hmol, collection for
which the prince who fret bought ;hem willingly
gave 500 Of his serfs.
The great Universities Of Europe at their be-
ginnings sedulOusly encouraged the idea that
elucstion had nc relation TO practical life, for
they wanted to keep It ever sut~eryient to the
church and State. But with US. reliance on
man in the free relations God has given, has
conferred upon education p5aers and responsi-
bilities before unknown. President Marsh has
ssid that in this country alone has there been a
fair and unpreiudiced trial Of the plan Of plae-
ing all on the ssme level as 10 opportunity to
acquire an education. But have We been thor
ougbly faithful to the theory Of our Government
IN this matter?
At the inception Of educational progress tn
Common Schools are established as the de
mands for better and more thorough training
come up, the courses Of thcs. school, are e1-
panded. they rlse to higher value as institutions
Of learning and at last in rcsFonse to public
demand the Government makes for the benefit
Of education a magnificent endowment But
while the schools are literally cared fo-, nothing
is done for the higher cIassica, institutions New
York city indeed has established one such,
whose expense i entirely horne by annual taxa
ton, the Free Academy, opsa to all, and the
only one Of the kind OF American soil
Il is said that with US there is such disregard
Of solid knowledge and such love Of the prac-
teal thst these higher institutions cannot have
support. The study Of our people Is to know
how the great secrets @: the earth and the hesy-
ems can be laid open and applied for the use of
man. Yet, it is not true 10 say that the spirit
Of this age aims only for proat or ease. Was
the war Of the great rebellion, more worthy in
the sim Of its yictors and more terrible in It's
operations than the proulest event Of any age.
an easy or superficial enterprise, or one under
taken for profit, OF all the States none was
more cheerful and steady IN her contributions
than Vermont, none more glorious in her record
or in the heroic devotion Of her mothers and
daughters. And from no state in proportion
came there 50 many found worthy to be officers,
or 60 many graduates Of higher institutions Of
learning Scholarly stta:nments inspire patrio-
tism.
There wss never an age thst moEe than the
present REQUIRED 60 much mental labor from the
physician, the lawyer, the scientific and pro-
fessonal man Of every cla va s5aI sttAin
rank and influence. In every department, re
fined, able, unselfsh men, With sid Of all modern
appliances, are pursuing their researches, all
striving to trace what is beautiful, TO lift up
their fellows to what is pure, noble and good. l
protest sgainst this being called selfish or an
unheroic age. How sad would be the conviction
that the mass Of mankind must become more
mercensry as they become better instructed
1t is inquiring age, snd its spiri; IL that re-
gard must be met by widening and adapting the
courses Of study in our colleges and abandoning
the Procusiian style. Our liberal universities
and colleges should be places where may be ac-
quired, in large or small measure at choice,
every kind Of knowledge that is sought for or
needed, by young men. Let Us make it under
sood that all that is taught in them Is enuoL.ng,
Is useful, sad Is also proftable-prof,able in tht
mercantile sense. Let it be plainly shown how
immessurable is the pecuniary value Of all kind
Of knowledge. Let the people be made to see
that it is more profitable to be an engineer than
coAl-heaver-to teach in tie school than t
sweep it, to use the brush than to grind th
paint that together run the scales Of learnip
dignity and reward
The profit Of learning does not stop with th
arts and sciences. Iver,ure to say that la'
requiring Of each professional man q much NOR
thorough collegiate course than now. and pro
viiing for such course instructors at the publ;
expense, would bring pecuniary benefit to th
nation ten times SURPRISING its cost. Who ca