The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-07-11

80 'e'f.e''deot that it scarcely needs
demonstration.
The error Of republics, even of our
own, has been, that they did not COM
mence at the foundation; they built
tho roof Of the temple first, and before
they reached down to the solid rock
the whole structure has fallen asunder
Laws cannot prescrve~ a nation; its &C.
cu:'ty must be found in the wisdom of
the people, and that Gao only be obtain
ed BY the cultivation of the mind of
the individual. I do not pretend to say
that dead level Of learning must be
reached; this were impossible. Gods
rule is diversity. But the community
must be so fully educated that its whole
tendency will be towards intelligence.
The drift wood will go with the tide.
There is safety where the educated and
enlightened form public opinion. But
woe to the land where ignorance rules ;
it will prevade everything. If you go
into = malarial region you will fnd its
influences everywhere. You cannot
shut the doors against it. 1t creeps in
at every crsvice. It attacks your lungs,
your brain, your skin, your viscera.
You may keep up fires and drink tonics,
but sooner or later you will sink under
it. So it is with ignorance. Il is blind,
merciless, rapacious, but cmoipresent.
1t shuts up your opportunities, it i'm
pairs your energies, it saps your intel
leet, it surrounds you, overwhelms you,
and you sink under it. 1t has the in-
stincts Of the beast, stubborn resist
ance to al innovations, aud terrible
love of lite. To live it will slander,
assail, MAIN and murder. Nay, it will
take up arms, wage war, and call itself
a nation, until surrounded by wall of
fire it stings itself, scorpion-like to
death.
How easy it is to SOW wheat field
In the infancy Of the year it lies dark,
cold and heavy With clods. The farmer
scatters over it. the berries of wheat. 1t
is but little while until the cold, dull
earth is one great golden field, fence
high, level as floor, and rich with the
most precious food Of man.
Even SO with education. 1t is in the
power Of the State to say what harvest
the next generation shall reap-wheth-
er it shall be tho golden wheat or the
barren fre-weed-whether it shall be
good government and prosperity or
misgovernment and calamity, 1t is a
proud satisfaction to think that our
State has started in wise career in re-
spect to education, and that she bids
fair to deserve the title early. givea to
her, "Ihe New England OF the West "
And here cannot refrain from paying
a deserved tribute to the Auditor Of
the State for the faithful and able man
ner in which he has for several years
past discharged his duties III respect to
the school fund. That great fund will
be in the future a monument to b is in
telligence and integrity
Nothing must be left undonc which
may arouse the attention Of our people
to the value of the public school sys-
TEN. The widest liberality should pre-
vail upon this subject in the. State Leg
islature, and in the local municipal gov
ernment Of the State. trust to live
to see the day when Minnesota may be
a model aud exemplar for all the States
of the West upon this subject Of edu-
cation. I trust to live to see the day
when, possessed of large population
aud great prosperity, and with an euor-
nous school fund, wisely aud honestly
administered, the State may have a
school house, we'll built and we'll filed,
in every neighborhood, with a high
school at every county seat, and a still
greater central institution at the capital.
We send to Vermont to buy the best
breeds Of sheep; to Illinois for the
finest horses; and to every quarter Of
the country for the largest aud most
prolific fraits and plants. We grudge
no outlay to get the best; and men
spend thtir lives in developing particu-
lar stocks, breeds and races And We
hold fairs in counties aud States to ex-
hibit the result of ali these labors. and
the man is honorod, with gold medals
and the applause Of thousands if he
produces tho most magnificent stallion
or the largest pumpkin.
All this is right and praisewortby !;
but Nc neglect that which is above all
this, the selection and development Of