The Van Buren press., 1878-07-16

for US to attempt to clear our skirts Of
this responsibility by asking, as did Cain
OF old "Am | my brothers keeper p
for the answer will come to us, from all
quarters of the country "that we are
Our relations to each other are. we'll
expressed in the motto, All for each,
and each for ALL" We love to talk of
Washington's farewell address. Hear
what he said in that upon this subject:
:" Promote, as one object of primary
importance, institutions for the diffusion
of knowledge. In proportion as the
structure OF government gives force to
public opinion it is essential that public
opinion ehould be enlightened
Prior to that, as President, he had, in
his messages to Congress- impressed up
on that body the necessity of attending
to educational interests In one of those
messages occurs this sentence: "Knowl-
edge, in every country, is the surest ba-
sis of public happiness This doctrine
was acknowledged by the Congress of
the United States, in July, 1887, by a
vote lacking one of being unanimous.
In the ordinance then passed, occurred
this passage +: Religion, morality, and
knowledge, being necessary to good gov
ernment, and the happiness of mankind,
schools, and the means OF education, will
always be encouraged.
This was no mere idle resolution, for
it was backed up by the dedication of
one-thirtysixth Of all the lands that was
embraced in what was called the "North-
west Territory" out OF which was made
the great States of Ohio Indiana, Hi
nois, and Wisconsin. Prussia, long ago,
reduced the same doctrine into the State
maxim, "That whatever you would have
appear in the life of nation, you must
put in your Schools
We might here introduce statistics, and
on them base comparisons which, though
they might prove instructive, might, at
the same time, prove tedious. We will,
however, venture on few from the cen
sus Of 1870, regarding this State and
country. In this State, at that time, out
of total white population of 62,115,
there were, between the ages of 10 and
2l-2S, ,7I5, and over the ages Of 2l-34,
ss0-total, 63,595 white persons, who
could neither read nor write. OF this
number, 28,293 were males, and 35,297
females.
In Crawford county (and it stands as
well as any county in the State) out of II
total white population, in 1870, of 5000,
there were, between the ages OF 10 and
2l-764, and over the age of 2l--ST3
white persons who could neither read nor
write. Who can estimate what draw
back this has been to the growth and de-
velopment of this State
There is no one thing that would 90
SO far to build-up the waste places of our
State, as the immediate attention to the
publicschool interests III every school
district To day, we are extending in
vitations to men of means and brains to
come in and help us develop a State
whose natural advantages are superior
to almost any section Of the country.
While doing this let us not forget that
i there are inducements which such men
rate as greater than money, and the most
important among those is that they can
h"a 81 ~~i.~~i~ - which to adnnata
their children. If you intended to emf
CRATE, among the first questions you
would ask about the country to which
you proposed to 90, would be, " What
school privileges are there p We all
wish to make money. How can we hon
estly do it? If my time, and your pa
ticnce, would permit, think | could de-
monstratc that you could not make an
investment which would result in great
or net profit than the levy Of tax of
from 3 to 5 mills, in every school dis
trict in this State, for school purposes. 1t
has paid well in every State where it has
been given a fair trial. Why should 1t
not in Arkansas
Who will deny that the illiterate of
this State would be more useful, if not
better, citizens, if they were educated ?
If we would see rapid improvement in
our State, we MUST educate the children.
Yea more than this if we would per
pctuate the Republic, we must make cd
ucation GENERAL and FREE.
"Tis education forms the common
mind" Education advances the materi-
al interests of the country it adds
beauties and comforts to the social circle
renders home pleasant advances moral
ity and religion; reduces the proportion
of crime and vice, and is calculated to
make u State and country great and
good. 1t softens, If it does not obliter-
ate, mere local prejudices, and makes the
people more homogeneous; and strength
ems our love of country by enabling us
to learn OF its greatness and extent, and
to understand the glorious principles up
on which it is founded it enables us to
comprehend the sacrifices that were made
to secure so great boon to us, and to
understand more of the character of the
heroic founders of this government. 1t
enables us to appreciate why the birth of
this Nation startled all the governments
of the earth, and won the admiration of
the worlds statesmen for the boldness Of
its conception, and the heroism and self
sacrifice of the noble men and women
who pledged their lives and sacred honor
to maintain it. Has the herosm of these
fathers and mothers descended to their
sons2 Does the patriotic fire, which
burned so brightly on their hcart-altars,
burn as brightly in the hearts of their de-
scendants Can we, as readily, to day,
sink local pride, prejudice, and partizan-
ship in patriotism as the men of q centu-
ry ago ? Is the cnnobling spirit of self
sacrifice rs strong in those who are reap
ing the glorious harvest Of to-day, as it
was in those who soWed the seed Il thn