The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-05-12

| Nf'o' G'S' 4tliS HOtlOu
think, grows out of misappreheu.
sion of the true functions of the State
and the true nature of education. The
State is a divine Institution" the
powers that be are ordained of God. u
The State is a body of men organized
under divine authority, for the proter.
tiOn of human rights, and the promo,
ton of the common good. It has
then, of course, the authority to do
a0tGteUer is necessary to attain the end
Of its appointment. It can regulate
commerce, raise armies, construct ma.
vies, and do whatever else may be
necessary for the public well-being, or
the public defence. When it is adj
mitted, therefore, that education is es-
sential, not only to the welI-being, but
the very existence of the State, the
only question that remains, is, What
is education? Horace Mann has an
swered that question correctly, by say
ing that call intelligent thinkers upon
the subject now utterly discard and re-
pudiate the idea, that reading and
writing, with a knowledge of accounts.
constitutes education. It's domain ex-
tends over the three-foId nature of
man-Over his body, over his intellect
and over his moral and religious sus-
capabilities" Certainly then, if the
State may educate at all, it may do so
in the highest sense; for do not states
men acknowledge that religion, as well
as education, is necessary to good gov
ernment? Our own State Constitution
Gt7fi,naS this, in these words: "RezigiO,r,
morality, and klOpledge, Hol0euer, be-
ing ESSENTIAL to good government, it
shall be the duty of the General AS
sembly opass suitable laws to protect
every, religious denomination in the
peaceable enjoyment of its own mode
Of public worship, and to encourage
schools, and the means of instruction. "
It is sometimes fippantly asserted
by those with whom the wish, no
doubt, is father to the thought, that
ours is not a Christian nation, and that
the State has, therefore, no right to
teach Christianity, or any other re-
ligion. But if this is not a Christian
nation, in the best sense, then there is
no Christian people upon the face O:
the earth. Our forefathers came here
for religious liberty-frecdom to wor-
ship God. In their glorious Declara-
ton of Independence, they acknOwI-
ege their "inalienable rights" as from
God. The President Of the United
States annually prOclaims a day of
Thanksgiving to the Almighty God.
The United States Christian Commits
sion, the chief object of which was 10
send Christian ministers, Bibles and
religious reading matter generally, to
the soldiers, during the late war, was
recognized and aided in every possible
way by the Government. Each House
of Congress, and the Army and Navy,
have their Chaplains, as regularly com
missioned officers of the Government.
The State protects the Sabbath, and
the peace of public worship, and re-
quires all public officers to take a SOL
emn oath in the name of God. Black
stone says that "Christianity is part
of the common law of England" -" and
our State laws recognize the common
law of England as our law. Daniel
Webster, in his great argument in the
Girard will case, said, Christianity is
the Laoo Of the land"
BY the 18th section of the Ohio
Penitentiary law, it is made the duty
of the Warden to furnish each criminal
with Bible, and to permit as often as
he may think proper, regular minis
ters of the Gospel to preach to such
convicts; and the same rule, I learn,
is adopted in the House of Refuge and
Reform School. These institutions, be
it remembered, are all sustained at the
public expense, the property of every
citizen being taxed to furnish the nee
essary means.