Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-03-28

U puOttCuW IHSCttUttOHSf OeHSlLlVel
y alive, as every American alway
. should be, to the state Of politics
! affairs in our Republic, and full
} aware of the importance of a gener
, al diffusion Of intelligence among
the masses, that our Republican In
stitutions may be perpetuated anc
perfected, shall so shape my re
marks as to have them bear more o
less upon the intimate connection
necessarily existing between Edu
cation and self-government by th,
people.
/ shall not introduce parttzai
politics. l shall not indulge il
splendid encomiums upon the sym
metrically constructed columns o.
our constitutional Liberty. MOI
need tell you that notwithstand-
ing we have, as a people, enjoyed
since our immortal Declaration oil
human rights, more liberty, more
true freedom, than any other ma.
tion on the habitable globe; yet oul
freedom falls far below what We
should enjoy.
l will simply state that our Re-
publican Institutions embody things
both good and bad; and proceed to
invite your attention to a few OF
the best available means of correct
ing the errors and of preserving,
maturing and perpetuating the e1-
ceHencjeS of our Institutions-so-
cial, ecclesiastical and political.
In presenting the subject, l shall
try to establish the proposition -
That the only true basis upon which
every Republican Institution must
rest, is the judicious and thorough
education Of the youth of both sex
eS.
l take the immortal Washington
as my ideal of a true Republican ;
and shall treat this proposition in
the same light he treats it: namely,
in the combination Of science and
morality. He says;
"PromCte as an object of prima-
ry Importance, institutions for the
general diffusion of knowledge. In
proportion as the structure Of gov
ernment gives force to public opin-
ion, it is essential that public opin-
ion be enlightened" Again, he
says: "Of all the dispositions and
habits which lead to political pros
perity, Religion and Morality are
Indispensable supports. 1t is
substantially true that Virtue or
Morality is necessary spring of
popular government" And so on,
Now, what is Education? 1t is
the full and harmonious develop
ment and discipline of all the Phys
ical, Intellectual, and Moral powers
and susceptibilities of human ma
ture. In it's popular sense, it means
every thing we learn, let it be prop
er or improper.
l. A proper education is one in
wrought throughout with the cor
rect principles ofvirtue and truth.
1t means the development, perfec-
ton, and correct use of both body
and mind.
2. An improper education is one
in which a portion of the faculties is
and cultivated, while the
rest tare neglected. 1t is the reverse
of a proper education. We will
hear the celebrated Horace Mann.
He says: 81 hardly need to say
that by the word education | mean
more than ability to read, write and
keep common accounts. | compre-
hend in that noble word such a
training of the body as shall build
it up with robustness and yigor, at
once protecting it from disease and
enabling it to act, formatively, up
on the crude substances Of nature,
to turn a wilderness into cultivated
fields, forests into ships, or quar-
ries and clay-pits into villages and
cities. / mean, also, to include
such cultivation Of the intellect as
shall enable it to discover those
permanent and mighty laws which
pervade all parts Of the Universe,
whether material or spiritual. This
is necessary, because if we act in
obedience to those laws, all the re-
sistless forces Of nature become
our auxiliaries and cheer us on tol
certain prosperity and triumph
but If we act in contravention or
defiance Of those laws, then nature
resists, threats, battles us; and, in
the end, it is just as certain that she
will overwhelm us with ruin, as it is
that God is Stronger than man..
And, finally, by the term education,
mean such a culture of our moral
affections and religious susceptible |
tiles, as, in the course of nature and
Providence, shall lead to subjec-
tion or conformity Of all our appe-
bites, propensities, and sentiments
to the will of Heaven"
Here we have the necessity OF !
physical, intellectual, and moral cul-
lure presented at one view; and in
5he opinion of that noble education
st, it is highly important that each
receive its due proportion of atten-
ion. This is in strict accordance
With the dictates of common sense
md enlightened reason, as well as
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