Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-03-29
Hon. @. j. Faulkners lecture.

commenced by saying that he had accepted the
invitation Of The Cool Tcmplars to lecture in
Chaslcsiown with great pleasure and would
have regretted {, had iudi-position, as he at
one time feared. iuterposed TO prevent bis ful-
films Dis engagement lie considered that
The SERIES Of intellectual entertainments which
have been given ia tie Hall ly the Good
Tompars rqR,ct credit on them aud on the
citizc,s, and place CharlcstuNn a hong way in
advance Of the ue;-bbor.ug towns He was
here % give Dis views on a topic which in
volvcd tie constitutional right Of every child
in West Virginia.
Woman he said, is the chief educator. The
mother, in teaching her children The rudimeuts
Of knowledge, lays firm foundation for all
suAscQu,u, ta'uluc. Il has been said that a
child iu the first few years Of its life acquires
more knowledge than all that it gains there
a,,cr Il learns 20 speak language tlearus
O. distinguish iuuumerabe objects by their
names; 10 learns more astronomy than was
known by ;hc wisest m,a previous to the time
of Calico; 10 learns more religion than was
known % meu up % the time Of The ascension
Of Jesus Christ
lie was amazed at the position recently
taken by a newspaper in this couuty-that
free schools are an arbitrary, unjust tax upon
tic pep U-Democratic--a germ Of So
cialsm, &c. &c THIS from Jefferson county
Iulual-iu the county which thirty years ago
took the lead Of all the other counties Of old
Virg.uiH, AID obtained a special decree by the
legislature establishing free schools in the
county aud providing amply for their support
by taxation Of It's citizens, lie then paid
h,ulsou- tribute 20 tie memory ofthe Yates,
Lees. Heutersous, Locks, and other staunch
friends Of the cause Of education Of the masses
all Of whom have passed silently 10 the
-borcl-yards. lie mentioned Col. r. ". Bay
Or as among the few survivors Of the School
Commissioners Ct the county Of auti-bcllum
days.
Education, be said, is not only refining,
e,eyatiug and cuitivating IN its tendencies, but
it is the very life Of a free country like ours
"a government "of the people by the peo-
PIE. for the people" Who govern the com
try but the people -allof whom unite to cleo
men out AZ their own ranks TO ill the offices
and perform the functions from less that
Magistrate 20 the President Unless the masses
are elaca,ed how are they G. detect the soph-
istries Of tie scli-secking denasosUe from. the
uttenuccs Of pure patriots? In continental
Europe frcc schools have been resorted to as a
maas &c keeping up the armed iorces-the
rulers recognizing tie superiority ofan cjacat-
cd soiliery over tie Ignorant. Prussia, Aus
trial. Fnuce, and even RusSi2-,hc tyranui,al
de,pot OF the frozen North-all found tie
necessity Of compulsory education in order TO
sustain ly arms their variou, forms Of govern
menu la our country it is from different
motiycs-wc vote Tor our own free schools
ina, our own people may reap tie bcuedts-
Instances Of men raised 90 the most prominent
positions 10 our land, whose training was COM
m,nceJ at ilc free schools ore abundant OF
them De would se,ce, two personally known
90 lir. and whose fame extended over ciyil:-
h,t'on When a boy Of ten years old Daniel
Webster entcied the free school of his native
State ana there lad tae fuuda;iou from Which
expanded ore of ,lc mos, gigantic iate.ecis
tlevrrlI las ever known. He Nr. FAu'k-