St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-03-19
felI0if OT' the superintendent OF
common Schools IN LyLtdOH.
FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 81, 1866

To tile Citizens Of Lmclon In accor-
lance with the requirements of the school
laws of this state, hereby submit the
following:
Ours is day of progress the age OF
invention and discovery. Mind, with
all It's counter-chccks, is struggling with
mighty energy for expansion, tor free
dom and knowledge and by its acquir-
ed strength and tirelcss exertions, It's
achievements lave been great. It's cou-
ceptlons have been grand, and numerous
/ It's Inventions
SlXty-two years ago there was only
one steamboat in the whole world now
we can only say of their number, Count
the leaves Of the forest" These palaces,
wan-Ilke, gracefully float upon the bosom
OF every ocean and sea. They navigate
the Ganges, the Nile, the Clyde, the
Danubc.-our own mighty rivers from
the -. Lawrence to the golden sanded
Sacramento, and our great lakes from
Ontario TO Superior
Some forty year, ago there were only
thirty miles of locomotive rail way III the
world: but pow Their grand trunks are
spanning continents, covering all lands,
a with net work. Their iron steads,
spirited with fiery feed. 20 snorting thro
the valleys and along the hill ,ides-leap-
ing mighty rivers and on through the
dark bases of mountains. tunnclIed by
human skill, IL :heir destinations
ca. thought, dissatisfied with the
speed OF the gay steamer and the thun-
drrin@ cars, ha, mounted the lightning :
WINS, and run along the telcaraphic
lines. submarine or aerial, with It's own
characteristic swiltncs.
While "en.us ha, been surprising and
blessing the world with useful inventions,
the kingdoms OF nature have been ex-
tru>ivrIv explored. and the knowledge
cleaned has been OF great practical utility
10 til" a.rirulturi>t, the mechanic, 10
professional men and artisans of all
rla-,y-. Indeed the external comfort,
safety anl Happiness of mankind general
ly have been greatly promoted.
Curious and ever imqui>itive mind has
not only rlied into the icy secrets of the
polar Regions. dcciphcrrd the hieroglyph-
ir> of ELyp', and .rummaged the ruins
ot the cities OF antiquity. but, drtaching
itself from earth, has wandered among
tine planets, calculated their velocity and
dimensions. measured the ring of Saturn
AMI weighed the moons of .Iupiter,-and
traced the awful comet in his excentric
cNcur~i,u~.-ia, seen him in his Aphe-
lien, checked by AlmiGhty power and
hidden to return IL quickly 10 borrow
BRIGHTER beams OF his solar centre.
The world, in every department, is
aroused from the >lunbcr OF ayes. 1t i,
evident that there i mighty power at
work IN the great soul OF humanity, Civ
in@ impulse TO this movement and sup
plviug with il, vital energy all the parts
OF the vast and complicated organism.
IHl> yourr Is Lnorhdg,-thc cause of the
activlty-thr nouri>hcr of the enterprise
peculiar 10 our times.
In the political world, not long ago,
darkness and dc>potiSm were rampant
among the nations of the earth. Civil
freedom was nowhere to he found; even
Switzerland, with constitution COM
paratiNcly Tree. was nevertheless ruled by
naughty and aspiring citizens.
Monarch> played with the dearest
rights OF nations, as with footballs. while
the ignorant populacc, with no well de-
tined views of freedom. tamcly submitted.
But IN l77G. the LAY of civil liberty
dawnrd, the political horizon was ilIum-
eel, and the deep toned voice of an ava
kcucI aud outraged people went booming
over the waters and rc-snunding through
/ the air III undying echoes, declaring in
the ears OF peasants and princes, all
men are born tree and equal,' The
/ clrarnr,-. thc business and general appre-
ciation OF the new born sentiments of
/ freedom. together with the wisdom of en-
/ Iightrncd statesmen and the prowcss OF
our armies, were successful in establish
ing higher views of government and hu-
man rights. and in founding an empire
for liberty 10 dcvelopc and expand.
/, il still asked wherein did lie such
lIcrcuicun strength and power rs our
fathers exhibited in the revolution We
answer: in knowledg1-in the general
diffusion OF General knowledge among the
pco pie. Ignorance must alway, suffer
tyranny, while intelligence may enjoy
freedom and manly independence.
Other aces and other countries have
produced men of grrat intellectual calibrc
and HIGH qualifications, who have shincd
IN camps and courts but they were the
few among the many: while the masses
in church and state have been 50 dcplor-
ably ignorant as to give ample scope to
the ambition uf liIldcbramd or Louis
Napoleon.
No system OF education is 50 we'll ad-
apted to meet the eNjgencies of the times
is the common school system of New
England This system, however, had
It's birth in Scotland. Amid her lovely
hills and fertile wales was Graded the in
fancy OF a glorious free school system.
that Is fast extending over the habitable
world. 1t was conceived i'll the heart oi
John Knox, vino, with his associates,
lirst peiltloned the proper authorities III
behalf OF common schools The petition
was granted in I5G0-more than 3OC
years ago. From Scotland the system
extended into England and Ireland but
it never tourished until planted in the
congenial soil OF New England.
Our fathers who landed ON plymouth
Rock brought with them the elements o
the common school system OF education
a structure Of intelligence and learning
which, 10 perfect, adorn and beautify
has ever been the pride Of their descen