Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-08-12
Reecher on Education.

lecture on " The Profession OF Teaching"
for the first time. As II = one of Mr,
BEECHER's characteristic efforts, and EN-.
bodies much new thought well put and
many old ideas revamped by a master
hand, we give synopsis as follows
We are busy--and properly busy---with
the details OF every day life that we sci.
dom look abroad and see what Divine
Providence is doing all over the world.
We see the noisy but not the silent forces.
Let us look at the condition OF the people
OF the world beyond the bounds of carls-
tendon aud within them, What are Q
governments and the people doing and
Whist are the ideas that rule the worldly
La Europe the governments are largely
engaged III protecting themselves. There,
the citizen is suspected and feared. Il is
held To be the first duty Of the govern.
ment to maintain itself and afterward the
community. Public feeling abroad is
that individual men are chiefly valuable
as the stuff with which 10 buuu The State !;
aad when the State is strong and stable
you nave the ideal government Here, Ia
America, We reverse this theory. The in
divldual man IS the central figure, and
the nation Is the sery9nt In Europe the
emphasis is put on the government OF the
nation; in this country on the man.
Abroad men are either neglected or
worked up into something which destroys
the individual. In Europe causes are AT
work sucking up all the industries of the
people there. There are 5000, 900 armed
men there, organized for physical VIC
lence. They are non producers, whose
business is destruction. Tne annual
budget for war expenses IS Sl5, 900 900,
drawn from the industries Of the people,
The war debts OF the world are SO great
that their payment Is impossible. Dynss-
ties have come to depend not on the will
of the people but on physical force. 1t is
no wonder that the people look abroad Tor
new home. Looking here they see u
stable Government all the elements for
the acquisition OF wealth, and, greatest Of
sll, the development OF manhood In the
citizen. The great force now working In
this country are those which tend TO Gle.
vate man and make him better and no.
bier We seek knowledge IGNORE than
that, intelligence. We are developing the
manhood OF intelligence among our peo-
Pile. The immigrants were eggs in Eu
rope; they are Matched here. 1t is not
strange that emigration comes here. The
immigrant comes here TO cast his lot among
US. Men of all nations can live here to-
gether IN peace aud harmony, They come
here bringing small amount of property,
industrious hands, the customs that be.
long to them. The Germans bring their
drinking habits, their religious opinions,
their political ideas. While there are
rnrtlc ahpnt thpon tho hnnnGt AF
This immigration Ia such that We ought
to be grateful and not feel tlmid about
the final result. We have the institu.
lions and public sentiment. We change
these immigrants 10 our own kind OF
leople Their children are the same as
If their fathers had never known any other
land.
Look at the probable condition Of our
country ten, twenty five, fifty years hence.
Who are they who chiefly have charge OF
the nationf Whose business Is IL To think
about the country tor all coming timer
Theoretically the politicians. OF politl-
clans there are many; OF statesmen few.
The politician is the least likely Of all TO
concern himself about the interests OF the
whole country. There is no nob!er pro-
lession than the law; but 1t Is not adapted
to deal with the affairs of the whole
country. The newspaper is thing for
sale commercial goods. Almost all Of
them follow instead of leading public
opinion; they are all retCctors Of the
average public sentiment. They do not
take into consideration The wants OF the
whole people. The ministers have their
hands iull of parish occupations Iheol-
ogy has separated man from man, 1t 10
divisive. In It's very nature II is not
adapted to the purpose we seek. There
must be a new profession. lie ching Is
not new professions but from those de
voted to it there musr come up a national
profession. II our people are once edu-
Gated to intelligence we may hope for the
perpetulty of the Republic.
We have 4 100000 coioieJ people and
5000 600 Foreigners voters. Can we
drag this grest load besides our own in.
digenous Ignorance? There should rise
up profession 70 undertake the work
class of national educators. The new
profession is the old one, enlarged and
ennobed. We must have every where the
common school. la many respects II Is
more important than anything else IN this
country 1t brings all classes of society
together. Its constant Influence is to har.
monte and unite all Glasses to enlarge
sympathy all through society. II Is one
of the most powerful democratic lnfu-
ences in the community. Our public
schools must be tree. No man must be
allowed to say thst he cannot afford TO
send HE children to the public schools.
Do not be AFRAID Of foreigners. | hold
that the school is the stomach of this re-
public. The schools Of America are that
stomach by which all nations are dlgested
aud assimilated into Americans, Educa.
ton should be compulsory The tree
common schools should be The best IN