The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-16
thousands of tongues is the publication of

The question of the day Is very largely,
what can be done for the government
This inquiry coming to the eyes and ears
OF the people, entering their hearts, must
then be transmitted by patriotic feeling,
and come forth from each heart as an ear
nest inquiry after duty, "What can do for
the country 2"
The nations appeal should come to the
scholars heart Feeling this deeply and
believing profoundly that the scholars of
the land have great work to do for the
country, that a noble part is waiting for
them in the contests waged on the political
arena. make no apology for turning
aside from the themes which you are ac-
customed to hear discussed on occasions
like this, to speak of the scholars duty to
the state. To-day let Plato's republic give
place to our own. There are for US grand
er questions than the rival claims of prac-
tical and literary education. Stars and
systems may wheel their courses unchang-
ed. Let our original ancestor be man or
monkey in either case we cannot do him
any good let us think of one work for
living men.
1.-The appeal of the country to the scholar
has not yet been generally heard 1t is a
charge made with some measure of justice
against educated men, that they keep aloof
from the affairs of common life. Too Of
ten is the scholar recluse. Among his
books he feels most at home, and this home
feeling, as it is INDUCED, gradually comes
to exercise kind of tyrrany over him, for
bidding his engaging in public affairs, and
by and by his seclusion has untitled him
for the dnties which he might have nobly
done, had he taken them up seasonably
Professional study in particular becomes
most absorbing The rivalries of professional
life stimulate him to devote himself
wholly to his work. The pride of profess
sional success holds multitudes to special
studies, shutting their cars against all calls
to work in other and wider fields. Not
many divines during the rebellion, rs
though Boosting of their entire separation
from these affairs said over their collars,
81 never read the secular papers" but
great numbers of them, now that there is
peace, do fail to feel the claims of the
state upon them. In the clergyman they
lose in part the citizen. In the special
work of their calling they forget this pub
lie field in which so grand a work for God
and man lies ready to their hand. Our cd
ucatcd studious physicians too, generally
make their professional engagements an cX-
cuse forgiving only the most meagrc attcn-
ton to the duties of the citizen. They
have so many pulses to feel that they have
no time to try the pulse of the nation.
Their surgery attends not to cutting off po-
litical eXcrescences, the tumors which
tester and not upon the body
polite. So also is it true of
educated men who get into business.
| They have no time and no taste for
they do not, as they ought, make the SER
vice of the country part of their bust
ness. There leisure is. as the scholars
taste delights to have it, elegant leisure.
They read the political news, but only as
news. And those educated men who bring
honor to themselves as well as their work,
cultivating the high art of agriculture, but
seldom take prominent part in public life.
1t may be partially because they are moi
called. Cincinnatus is not nowadays sum-
moncd from the pillow. But is 1T not in
part at least, because he cannot easily be
found because our educated farmers dc
not give that study to the affairs of the
government which is necessary to fit then
for its service? because no one knows
where to look for a genuine Cincinnatus
There is, at least, a possibility that although
the order of Cincinnati may exist, the fam
lily is extinct.
But must not dodge the reproof which
is aimed at the scholar. The teacher
has not done his duty to the
State. PROFESSIONALLY the schools have
wrought grand work for the ma
ton. They have trained and manufactured
her noblest statesmen. They have cultiva-
ted patriotism. They have built up every
thing which helps to make a nation truly
great Superiority in education gave the
north one of its greatest advantages ovei
the south, in the great conflict between
them. So the schools have done mucl
| 10 cayinn fhn Ynntl1ip Nyn1l ~
toward promoting its prosperity But al
this has resulted naturally from the work
of the teacher The training he gives ha:
of necessity accomplished it, Still it is true
that he has generally failed to be to the
State all that he should be. He has MOI
done all that he could toward making hi
pupils the best citizens He has not hat
this aim before him, at least not with sufli
cient definiteness. He has thought toe
much of general, of intellectual culture, toe
little of that special training necessary tt
produce the best citizenship, the hghes
craftsmanship. Not that he should teacl
party politics, but he ought to give instruc
toni the principles which underlic all righ
political action. The teacher himself
has not taken the active part in politics fol
which his culture fit him. He has not sough
to exert that wide influence in national affair
which is in his power. The professiona
chair has too generally been removed from
the sphere of practical life and in no par
ticular more than in matters which directly
affect the interests of the state. Sometime
indeed, the occupant of the chair has beer
tempted from his place by the glitterinl
bauble of office, and not always to the hon
or of his profession. In those cases
think he has not made craftsmanship
study as he ought.