Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-10


dren yours are benefited. Should you not
pay for this? Does the law of compensa-
ton fail heres Educate we must. Some
corporate body must control the education
of the people. Who is to do this is a
question of some moment. Whatever or
whoever exercises this great power, has
the destinies of our nation in hand. The
liberties of the people, vested in the peo-
pie, are safe. If we care not for our
selves, who will care for usg When we
tire of our liberties, cease to regard the
welfare of the masses; when We are will
ing to dethrone the people, then let us de-
prive the State of the power of educating
the people, scientifically even.
Man IS so constituted that he must have
employment. His nature is developed in
the direction of lis employment. In the
formation of society, there must be raj
lying point, a common interest which
binds its members together; sustaining
this interest gives direction to national
character, and hence to individual charac-
ter. Rulers must give employment to the
subjects governed, and tax them to sup.
port common interest. Formerly, war
was the central interest, the BOND that
held the subjects together. When the ru-
lers failed to furnish this employment, the
selfish principle asserted itself, factions
were formed and the general government
overthrown. Nor is this to be wondered
at; the nature of the employment given,
blunted and dwarfcd the moral nature.
while the animal nature gained undue
strength from its long and continuous ex-
ercise-became the leading power of the
mind. So, when legitimate employment
failed, it turned upon itself and reduced
the structure itself had helped to rear. So
with the United States; it was common
interest that gave us the United States; it
was sectional interest that came near to
overthrowing this structure. The ex-
penses OF the interest, common orsection.
al, that binds members of society togeth-
er, must be borne by the members of that
society. When we are offered stronger
bond Of union than the entire education
OF the people at public expense; when we
are offered bond that will develop mind
in better direction; when we are offered
an interest attended with less expense,
then may we denominatc school tax, rob-
berry.
We live not for the present alone
Whether we will or not, our course of
conduct will affect future generations. =
How this shall be surely concerns us if
we lay claim to any benevolence. The
advantages we enjoy are not creations,
wholly, OF our own; they are sequences
OF the course of conduct of past genera
tons. Has the principle of gratitude be-
come dead withins Can we repay those
OF the past? In one way we can do it,:
we can take up these sequences, change
them to causes, and give to the future
greater results. This we must do. If
they, OF their comparatively scanty means,
gave US reading, writing and knowl-
eoge OF accounts at public expense
the instruments of knowledge, we, of our
abundance must use these instruments at
public expense, to develop mental
| strength. What once sufficed to keep the
masses mentally employed, will not now
suffice; what once suiliced to keep an in
dividual from sinking down into mere
animal existence" more is required The
very argument that gave us reading, wri-
ting and knowledge of accounts" at pub
lie expense, will now give us scientific ed
ucation at public expense.
Onward the nation is going with as
tonishing rapldity, in population and
wealth, in civilization and refinement, and
consequently in the means of promoting
any object which shall seem desirable. 1t
is unspeakably desirable that this Won
derful external progress should be accom-
panied by corresponding progress in
moral education, enlightened, well-princi-
pied, religious sentiment. so that when we
shall equal the older nations in wealth
and exceed them in numbers, we may not
be mortified by inferiority OF character,
virtue and goodness. We must not ac-
custom ourselves to think that our glory
is secured when our national treasury is
Overlooking, or our experiments of null
tiplying gold are successful We must be
ambitious to obtain for ourselves and for
our country some higher distinction than
that of carnal, unsanctitied, Carthagenian
prosperity What constitutes national
glory? What is the renown we should
covet for our now great and hourishing
republic? Not that Of surprising other
! nations in extent OF territory, physical
Improvements and overgrown wealth.
Many communities have risen and perish
ed, and loft no memorial but Evolutionary
fame of affiuencc, or crumbling monu-
ments of mechanical skill and gigantic
physical power. The glory of our coun-
try is, that it contains people eminent
for moral and intellectual wealth; that it
may he the home Of the free, the intclli.
gent, the virtuors 8; that here human M
ture may exhibit not a few rare specimens
Of superior excellence, standing out from
mass Of ignorance and depravity, but an
entire nation well edncated in all that is
essential to form and elevate The individ-
ual man, and rear him up pillar in the
great and harmonious fabric of society.
This can be accomplished only by seeing
to it that the progress OF mind and morals
does not lag tardily behind the growth of
outward prosperity -[Huntoon."
NERVOUS DEBILITY.