The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-08-31
PRoF. JoHNsoN -Tbo- ;n.o-.-- = :

| ., 20 Jul government an
the permanence of American liberty can
not be easily overestimated " 'o..'
You happened to be engaged with tn,
Preamble" the only purpose of which
according to Mr.. Sheppard Constitutions
text book is to explain the objects o,
motives of the trainers of the Constitn
ton. These objects were shown to he
the following six:
~ 10 form a more perfect union
~ To establish Justice
(3) To insure domestic TRANQUILITY
~ TO provide for the common defense
(5}Io promote the general welfare
(6) to secure the blessings of liberty TO
themselves snd. - bUrng Hsubsidi"aaL 10 ~
no. -lr.: .!12s >VIelr posterity.
Each one of these was considered in
the light of the previous condition of the
colonies under the Confederation, and of
it's importance as an end at present. The
two last, not to name all, contain senti-
ments that ought to be planted in the
hearts of American youth at the very
earliest opportunity. 40 provide the gen.
eral poeltdre" US the idea of o
family, brotherhood. On this idea is
based our great mail system embracing a
larger territory than any government on
earth. What could we do without our
regular mail? Wherever there are citizens
enough to keep post-ofice then the
government carries each letter for three
cents, and when we go to Europe it sends
them there for two or three cents more
Besides this the United States can do
what seperate states could never do, in
constructing great bridges across our large
rivers; digging canals, improving our
smaller rivers and opening and protecting
our great sea ports and harbors. 1.-The
| general o0elfdre' here is the motive of
the patriot and statesman. The moment
the end to be secured is local and sectional
and the resources of the Omitted States"
are sought to build up the interests Of
few men or one locality, that moment a
step is taken that does injustice to the
whole country and would necessarily, if
continued, end in breaking up our govern
ment - Oar constitution is based, there
fore, upon the broadcast philanthropy
upon the sentiment of goodwill toward
men. Instead of inficting injuries and
imposing burdens upon any portion of our
people it proposes to relieve them and
promote their interests as far as this may
be required by "the general welfare" -
How inconsistent, such a sentiment, with
the narrow, sectional, ard bitter hatred,
cherished and inculcated in some sections
of our country.
But the sixth. And here the question
was asked: What do the members of the
class understand by "iberty"? The an
swer was given Permission to do as one
pleases. The qeestion was then asked:
Is that true liberty which permits us to do
as we please without any restraint? Two
answers were given to this by the class:
To do as we please as long as we do no
injury to our fellow men; and to do as we
please as long as we please to do right I
call attention TO this point thus particular
ly because it shows the importance of
early and faithful attention being given to
these general ideas of our government,
especially this last one What per cent
Of our people to-day, practically accept
the idea that true liberty is submission to
the requirements of the sentiments of
right, truth, justice and mercy? fear
the teachers of our Institute would be as
tonished did they know the fact.
And now must ardently wish that no
one present, at that exercise forgot the
simple manner in. which the principles
embodied in'that lesson were brought out.
The hope of our success in maintaining a
republican form of government rests
largely upon the success of the teachers
of our public schools in intoxicating repub-
lican ideas. Our constitution can never
be the constitution of the whole people
until its principles can be taught to Amer
lean children in every state In the Union.
The states lately in rebellion will never be
thoroughly reconstructed" until the
school-master has had his share of work
at it. And while the South forbids and
hangs the school-master who would teach
the children pure idea of liberty, she is
the representation of force and despotism
as compared with true liberty. I fear
that the government, in its supreme deli
cacy about interfering with local and
sectional institutions, has overlooked the
fact that it has been tolerating an order
of things that will in the end infict the
most serious injuries upon the general
welfare. 1t would be much better for
the general welfare to protect the faithful
schoolmaster in South Carolina, Missis-
sippi and louisiana than to support
questionable offce-holders and then, after
hundreds of innocent citizens have been
murdered, upon the ground of false
notion of Observation-Disclosures shot
who were true missionaries in spirit, and
all the ends Of justice perverted-and
then, l say, send down committee to in-
vestigate. A public sentiment that can
hang schoolteachsr while engaged in
the discharge of his duty and does not
resent the inhuman crime, needs no In
vestigation-it needs . bayonet at every
school-house door, where such sentiments
prevail until the people learn to respect
the idea of liberty and justice if they
cannot love it. There win be time
enough for many more martyrs yet before
this danger to our general welfare" is
altogether past.
Respectfully,
I'm BRUNER.
Oskaloosa. Aug. l4th, 1879.