Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-12-29
Myatohman & journal.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1869.
TTRus-t2oo per year, strictly in advance; or s21o
ifnot paid within three months.
Our Schools.

of men is no doubt good thing A single loai
Of bread is something in furnished family. But
the Puritan or Protestant idea goes far beyond
this class education. and makes the instruction
and culture to certain extent, Of all born Of wo-
man to be a plain duty. That this system Of cul-
ture should be carried further deeper and higher,
and give more complete education to all who
might wish to avail themselves Of it, we have no
question The district, the town, and the State
should provide the necessary education Of all our
youth, and should take them to the limits of a
professional culture. graded system should
run from the primary to the professional school,
and every scholar who could pass the examinn-
tion- of the successive grades, should be promoted
until he had finished his entire course Of study
and WINS prepared to enter into the active duties
of life. Aud though it may be thought to be at
variance with prevailing ideas, we have NO doubt
that the highest practical statemaushp would
make certain grade Of culture and intelligence
requisite to citizenship and electoral rights. Il
the State should provide for the higher forms oil
education, rs it does for our common school sys-
tenn. then it can only he preserved in its security
order and liberty by electoral qualifications that
certainly should embrace the intelligence. edu
cation Ut the elcctor. The greatest dangers to
our schools, and 10 our social order and political
liberty, arise from the eectrship OF those who arc
ignorant degraded, not In syiopathywith our re-
publican system, and ready to act rs the tools Of
designing leaders in church or State
While we are confident that II Christianity
teaches anything, it is that men may serve God
with the mind and heart aud soul and that there.
fore this demands an education Of mind, heart
and soul, we see also that this education should
be given to all the sons and daughters of the
State. The model republic, built upon integrity
and intelligence, dedicated to order and freedom.
destined to Il perpetual influence and power, will
provide for the education Of man as man. Ii is the
right Of every one born into the State to have the
best possible culture. Only the State can furnish
an equal education to all, rich and poor alike
Our families are unequal in resources and can give
only widely unequal education to their sons and
daughters. But the State can educate all alike
of course, attainments will differ. Some will not
pass beyond the lowest grades. few will press
on to the highest But the highest should be
within reach Of all, and education to Il certain
point, to he established by law, should he the ba-
sis Of full citizenship. And this education. in a
republic that is destined to stand the public is to
provide, not because man is to fill this or that
station, and 50 needs the culture. but because he
is man and claims the right, under the great
charter whereby God created HIM an immortal
soul He claims the right too, because it is need
full to his proper use and enjoyment of his other
rights, because he cannot be an honest and intel
ligent elector in free State without it,
New England has erected fair and beautiful
fabric of common schools, of free schools the
cradle of freedom; the hope of the poor the
nursery of that spirit which upholds all that is
good in church state. Other countries. so fast
a. they are emancipated from the tyranny OIL
medieval ideas, are following in our track. Some
have even gone beyond us. And, as yet, we have |
only made a beginning. While there are some
who are aiming their blows at our school system.
we would take it up and carry it onward to still
higher elevation. We are still on short allow
ince OF cultivation. There is scarce gill of the
water of life given each day h each man. Our
y stem of popular education, even where il is
most perfect, lags behind and is not yet in har-
nony with the true idea Of freedom and tolera-
iof' which has fought our battles with the ele-
nents, built up our institutions and made as a
'reat people. We know vet but little of tho
alue OF the human soul, the equality OF all be-
ore God, the equal rights Of strong and weak. of
ich and poor, and their equal claims for manly
ducation, and their equal claims to be made
ualifed electors in constitutional and free
government
And we shall have occasion to thank any, who, /,
whether by assault or defense, shew us the ne
essity of a more earnest interest in our schools
md more spirited purpose to uphold, advance and
strengthen them We have had too little inter-
st in them and too little desire to enlarge their
bowers and promote their usefulness We have
lot yet realized the necessity of educating all
men. Since the advantages of the common
school are not fully enjoyed we do not see the
necessity of higher system of free schools one at
east in each county which should do for all what
the college now does for part. We do not see
the necessity for free university which should
open the doors of the highest training to those
who have successfully passed the lower grades.-l
But the progress of events, the attacks which are
made upon our free schools as well as the voices
of the wisest and most skillfl educators, are be-
ginning TO stir our interest and waken men to
the duty and honor of protecting and advancing
to still oier levels our system of free public ed
ucation.
1t is true there are many difficulties in the
way, but there are many encouragements. We
are now free from war (; there is an abundance of
material resources the restless activity of the
American mind which only requires the right d.
rection ; the facility with which books are printed
and circulated the example of the schools which
have already done beautiful u work the free
spirit of our institutions which has hitherto made
us victorious over all forms of tyranny and abso-
lutsm; hut above all that religion which was first
revealed by the Son of Man, earliest accepted BY
fishermen, most powerfully set forth bya tent
maker,-that religion which was the guiding star
OF our fathers, which has nothing to fear and
everything to hope, from knowledge widespread
among the people, and which only attsins its
growth when all are instructed mind, heart and
soul, --these are motives and announcements to
inspire and exhente us al we bend to the task
of making our schools not less but more eonpre-
hensive, more efficient, broader in culture, wider
in instruction, and better fitted to be the nurseries
of freedom, law and stability.