New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-28

shutting civilization, as many appear err
rOneously to regard il, forms. nevertheless,
as II were, its keystone. It lends its sup
port and gives stability to an the other
elements. While education is the main
trunk, which nOurishes The tree, the several
other elements of civilization represent the
branches without which neither leaves, nor
flowers, nor fruit can be produced al
though on the other hand, the branches
can not be put forth without the trunk
SO education is Necessary to originate the
other elements, and they are essential to
perfect education while the due promo
ton and operation of the whole together
results in the complete establishment of
civilization"
This nineteenth century is distinguished
for its clear comprehension of the idea of
universal and unvarying law. In our phil
osopby we eliminate the word chance The
growth and development of mind proceeds
under control Of certain laws. 1t is the
/ province of education considered with re-
gard to YOUTH as the word indicates, to
drdlC ont the faculties of the child to teach
It how to think rightly, and how best to ac-
quire knowledge and to develop its physical,
mental and moral powers.
comprehension of the true objects of
education must result in conviction of the
superior advantages Of. national education
over the voluntary or individual system.
schools under the government viii under
stand the laws. OF growth and development
a thousand fold more than the average in
tellect of the people. There may be huns
dFeds of families in q State whose heads will
be far better fitted for selecting teaehers
and directing the education of their children
than the boards and the officers constituted
by the government; but there will be other
thousands of families utterly untitled to at
tend to the difficult and delicate duty of
training minds. The nation is interested in
obtaining the best education for all, and
net for the few Therefore the nation or
tile State should educate all who viii not
educate themselves.
Mr.. John Stuart Mill, in his essay on rep
resentative. government, says:
sPower may be-loealized, but knowledge,
to be NEST useful, must be centralized.
There must be, somewhere, focus at which
all its scattered rays are collected that the
broken and colored lights which exist else
where may find there what is necessary to
complete and purity them"
/ will not attempt to apply these theories
to our local work, except to remark that all
/ have said is applicable, with peculiar
force, to our own State. Here may be found
as great a necessity for g State system of
education as anywhere in the world. We
have a large population of uneducated peO-
pie. Owing to peculiar circumstances to the
prevalence OF spOl1tlcai- and religious Opln-
ions, opposed to common schools, believe
that tie voluntary system would fail.
believe that neglect upon the part of
the government to impose the State system
upon the people would cause greater ca
lamity and evil than could be well esti-
mated. feel very deeply the necessity of
free public schoOlss look upon them as
the Palladium of our liberties, as the bond
of union between the States, as the one
common platform, upon which the whole
nation can stand. Give me common schools
and viii guarantee the maintenance of
the constitution. Destroy them, and
tremble for the safety. of the country. do
not know where to find words to express !
my thoughts more forcibIy than those Of
NJ. Guizot
Universal education is henceforth one
of the guarantees Of liberty and social sta
bility. As every principle in our govern
ment is founded on justice and reason, to
ditfuse education among the people, to de-
velop their understandings and enlighten !
their minds is to strengthen our constitu-
1onal government and secure its perpetua-
5ion"