The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-11-20
- ~, rseeh., a. xaaesslsx.


| Ward Beecher. Long before the hour an
nounced for Mr. Beecher's appearance ar
rived every seat in the hall was filled, and the
| aisles and corridors were crowded with those
unable to attain sitting place. At the con.
| clusion of the usual excellent concert by the
| Portland Band, Mr.. Beecher assembled the plat
form and spoke substantially as follows:
shall speak this evening upon the sub
Ject of education. There is no one familiar
with history who has not remarked that great
waves of thought roll, internationally, over a
country. There have been times when nothing
but politics absorbed the public mind. Thus
Europe, at one period of her history, discussed
only State-craft Philosophers poured over 1T
in their closets, poets dreamed OF 1t while at
their verses statesmen practiced it in their
cabinets. Then warfare became the subject
of almost universal thought and interest. Then
| theology had its day, when men went forth to
fight for dogma, and the question whether
Calvinism or Arminianism should prevail di-
vided the civilized world All these have pass
| ed away, and just now it is neither warfare nor
politics nor theology but education, that is the
absorbing theme, The whole civilized world
| is awakening to its Importance. By means OF
of it England has accomplished in the last few
years the work of century. The question of
primary Importance in the minds of English
men to-day is who shall educate the children.
Shall it be the State? and on what grounds?
Shall it be the Church? and on what grounds?
Time was when to the ecclesiarch belonged the
CONTROL of adncation. bnt man do not AL, to-
dav If the Instructor he a cburchman. I con
fess the ideas of TODAY have NV sympathy.
Education should not be theological but moral.
ecclas;ast;csi estahI;shmant hit hv that which
can make of the how the wisest and hest and
most tboronohiv fitted man r. ia r;eht
Man has right to the development of his
Jeriv;no self which aIasi so few Of va know
tbis s;dee tba arava H. hos r;oht 70 davaiono
b;mseIf 60 tbst l;Le the trse he can snrsad
his branches ali around and oct his share of
the s'n anJ An ra;, NJ tia $50 ot ,I soE
This idea of education is a modern idea II ia
no longer the exclusive nr;viIeoe Of the Govern.
np class hnt bslongs tn the whole neonle =
Since the ReyoIution it has not descended from
the superior but ha, sprung from the ground.
It is right given to every Individual by God
Almc hty when he writes the charter of his
existence.
Mr.. Beecher then adduced Prussia as an ex-
ample of what education does for a nation
While the tree is growing wear by wear we think
but little of its being an oak; but when it is
hewed and wrought into the ribs of some
mighty battle-ship. and withstands the iron
hail poured upon her sides. then we see it's
worth So the system of universal education
inaugurated by Frederick the great attracted
but littlo attention until the tranlpng down of
Prussia by the iron heel of Napoleon. Their
It was the school-honse that enabled her r.
overthrow Austria, and agaiu it was the school,
house that overthrow Franco The lesson that
Prussia teaches Is that the educated army wins
We saw this in our own late war. The South
was brave, and skilled in the tactics of war, but
the educated North wore her out and we had
man to lead us that had faculty of wearing
people out; but who couldn't wear out himself.
1t was the school-house that again overthrow
the army.
After Sadowa, Austria accepted defeat, and
with it she wisely accepted the North German
school-system. Now she is on her feet again
Switzerland has free schools. Italy has made
education compulsory. France is in the dark
ness still No matter what you do with the ton
of her, she will never rise again until she has
learned to rectfy her foundations.
The present is the day and hour of org anized
intellect. The nations are learning the lesson
that educational strength is the strongest now.
er that government can invoke. An edncat
ed people are the easiest to govern. for in
measure thew govern themselves. God has
made the educated mind a perfect common.
ed mind to govern itself as for a tree to ronnd
out in the snnlioht Thera ;s M saddle 60 easu
for the lo;ns Of q K;na 90 tha adnoat;n,aI ayy
die. II has been 1nest;on how to nerSn.S d. .
people to endure taxation Edmcate f If 10 SEQ
the necessity n Is hard for q farmer 70 49,
money ont Of muiia;n cron r. vnm hr;nr r' ,,,,
a nation as mnl1a;n ,nhot G ~, you unS ~
Won bring If nm as Wheat vnrr oarnerp vii, ha
full ' W
Mr. Raacber en,.rcoa r,o,, +ho ,,o,.ss;., -
an educatad vorLino-olo5s Edrnot;nr, "
creases the waalth and tSe novor ns .ho stato
because If increases it's onctre SsaVe
Have Won ever thonoht how few nroducers tharo
are in the preat mnititnda Of pano r. r Souid
he hardly conrtsons 70 osi +ho ,ro,,,o So,'.
much more thew consumed in v re.r the HOW HOW
nroJuca R~t ~ m,aa hn, ~ 90. yu~n siiey
the stoo f uuootl, I -; ~" may leaiiy a9a 70
one-third. or one-fourtb eveno Hit down and u
fiaura mn vour own naabhorbood u u1" ~, anu
ho, az 49, A. 1870, r''t anu ':ii uo
w.v Of tho;r h,su a;UbhnI5 w s.anu M ~ oi,o
foy, ~ ~, o,,,,, ''a oy,;. JuuSo ony
worL in Porti.nJ and Pay Ao1naP; al men
ton there Il mut;tnda - drones II 49, reo
, .on L,iere ntssuue OF arohes. UnIortu-
d;sns we Is oa, d a,sPose 9I .ne as tne Dees
usa for IL Oh wha4 naso +h ~ t1 ;;.
usu Ia ,a w. &c - Mas piessing .nis Kihing
M Raacber than ou afro Ue MSe ood dsnu 81,
generaI averson nnr ro,ana ;,s pnre 4 sre
With tIonsands Of =, afe ni'ea
a clerkshn Give ms Mace n1 9ds' the Go 10
arnrnant T. ~ uS p.aoe uuuer .ne gov
hnr tIav .;ra 'g S S.ae s1 IAN. nsnual Ia
;na VII ual1 ond COL P~+ tIst w o.ei \
alreadv crowded Tbe man wb" CO., rSt y
clerLsR;n onoht to ha ahI ~ tnrn bic ~. IA a.
son,ath;ppo, aiisa ; ;oh;I;t ~ a. is na.u W
one thing Is not trnlv American nor Van Tnan
like ' '
M NJ, oro .h,. H., o5,..o.:o ACKNOWLEDGMENT,
or wors int tbe ~ co. 70 por oe.oe Souu;s
thew odn"atn w. a ~ o, ~ ofan
wbo renresant tha 1o,vost strata of at y. t,
bring tha;r voras 70 M rka1 amd rrot a. 10y
nr;ces Wbv heconsa +hov a.
tnowIadoa ~ how to nrod;,ca hattar ~ t%
Lack the st;m,,g which aducat;on o;vas - ~,
that ambition They are like man Catherine
mnd wban tbav ,n;Gbt ornw uhant We
Inv r nov for odd;tiono7 brain a,J 6naro,,oi
itv Of si,ili The sneaker went into the onas.
tion of davalon;no tho moro dsl;cato tasted 90
nobler Qualities. Fine thoncht and much of
it eets the most. Genius ranges still HIGHER
than ali others Men throw nannias to th. o.
Gan grinder Init mt ont cold tn, haar Rnhin.
STEM" You can't keen men on a level. Cod
never ment it should he so anv more than he in
tended to make all men the same hioht or pirt
The men who do the poorest stand at the
bottom of the round: those who do the
best stand at the TOP. The world appreciates
intelligence. The way to 90 I'M is to get INTEL
ligence. The man who stands at the door of the
grog shop fails to receive the respect of the
community, while they give it to the industri-
GUS aspiring Young man. Production contains
the cist of success. That country is the best
where there are the most producers.
There are beyond these things special reasons
why we need education. We need universal
suffrage. believe all women will vet have
suffrage Gods Providence has brought it up
on us as he brings the seasons. 1t is from this
time settled fact for our children The school
house lies behind the ballot We must oblipe
the father to educate his children or we loose
all we have gained. believe education il the
force by which we shall come to a glorious tr;
umph. What the State cannot do the nation
must accomnlish When wa killed slavery yva