, 1872-10-17

and its P lblication requested by resolu-
ton.
A profession by general acceptation,
is vocation or employment requiring
alcarned education. From the earliest
organization of government the profes-
sions have been the life and soul of all
social institations-the handspring of
sll intellectual development and pro-
Eress in literature, science and the arts.
Until the invention of printing, the
learning of the world was confined al
most exclusively to the professions Of
Divinity, Physic and Law, represented
respectively by the priest, the doctor
s.nd lawyer. who severaliy educated their
successors of their own class, and thus
maintained monopoly of learning. At
latter period in history, when all The
more enlightened civil governments of
Europe were under ecclesiastlcal domin-
alton, learning was confined to the clois-
ters and monasteries; the priests were
the only authorized popular educators,
and education was held as special priv
ilege to the lay citizen or subject, under
the mort stringent regulations. The pri-
mary discovery and invention of the arts
and sciences now in common use and Of
every day application, were chiefly of
lnonastic origin. and were guarded from
the popular ken like the tree of life in
the garden of Eden-le the people
should partake thereof and become as
gods.
At a still later period, up to the time
Of the English settlement of America,
when the printed Bible was accessible
to all who could read it, aud books of
general information were introduced i'll
every well-regulated household, there
were no popular shoots, no teachers ed
ncafed to that vocation as profession;
the priest, or minister, was the tutor of
the young, and the doctor of divinity,
physic OF law, each in his special depart
ment, the professor in the College or
University. This system yet prevails
generally in Europe, and to consider
ahe first to establish Normal Schools es
pecially for the education of teachers.
From these historial facts it is mani
fest that teaching, rs speciality, has
not yet been assigned a adefinite position
and proper rank as profession. That
with all our boasted progress in general
education in the arts and sciences, the
recognized learned professions have not
been added to since the primeval days
when by Gods appointment Moses was
made law-giver and Aaron priest.
Popular education is a necessity of
popular government. Virtue and intel
1igence are the basis of all good govern
1nent and the sole guarantee for the
maintains nee of any, more especially
government of the people. If the foun-
,'ation is defective, the edifice must ne
cessarily fall. That system of popular
education, however skillfally designed,
will fail in strength and beauty, if not
placed in the hands Of competent and
skiilfull workmen for construction. The
tanchers Of our common schools-the
educators of the people are practically
the architects and builders of our social
and political system; the men and wom
en- who mould and direct the destinies
of our country and our race; the first
in the length and breadth of their in
fiuence, ard should be the first III rank
among the learned professions. That
they are not; that the profession of
priest, doctor, Or lawyer. should rank
the profession of public teacher in
popular estimation. is a sad evidence of
the foolishness of worldly wisdom; that
the perishable things of time and sense
are r2ore highly valued than things
eternal; that the body is more honored
than the soul of man; that matter domi-
mates mind; that intelligent human be-
ings are actuated by the same motives
as the beasts that perish -preferring
present enjoyment to the elevation of
aheir race and the eternal good Of their
own souls.
We would not deprecate or underrate
the time and care devoted to fitting men
for the other learned professions, or the
benign influence of those professions
upon society; we but ask that each should
have its appropriate place and just ap-
probation. The most reverent and sa-
cred Office that man can fill, is that of
the priest, who stands rs mediator
and intercessor between man and his
Maker. But his Office only begins
where that of the teacher ends, and
would be of no avail except to control
the passions of men through their fears
and blind superstitions, if the teacher
had not first prepared them for that light
which leads them to their eternal good.
We first educate the heather before We
convert them, for belief or faith without
knowledge is but dead works.
The responsibilities Of "a physician are
great; he often holds in his hands the
issues of life and death to this perisha-
ble body. But in his vocation his work