Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-10-23
an individual benefactor, is but as

an individual benefactor, is but as
the small dust of the balance.
It is itself one of the great rights
of free people, to be educated and
trained up from childhood to that
ability to govern themselves, which
is the largest element in republican
self-goyerhment; and without which
all sef>government must be failure
and a farce here and everywhere!
Free governments must stand or fall
with free schools. Tell me not that
1 am indulging in truisms. ] know
they are trrlisms but they are
better-a thousand-fold better-than
Nihilisms or Communisms or Fee
nianisms, or any of the other isms
which are making such Roadway in
supplanting them. No advanced
thought, no mystical philosophy, no
glittering distractions, no swelling
phrases about freedom-not even
science, with all its marvellous in
ventions and discoveries-can help
us much in sustaining this Republic.
Still less can any Goddess theories Of
creation, or any infdel attempts to
rule out the Redeemer from
his rightful supremacy in
our hearts, afford us any
hope of security. That way
lies despair! Commonplace truths,
old familiar teachings, the Ten Com
mandments, the Sermon on the
Mount, the farewell address of
Washington, honesty, virtue, pat
riotism, universal education, are
what the world most needs in these
days, and our own part of the world
as much as any other part. Without
these we are lost. With these, and
with the blessing of God, which is
sure to follow them, q second cen
fury of our Republic may be conf
IDENTITY looked forward to; and those
who shall gather on this field hun
dred years hence, shall then exult
as we are now exulting, in the con-
tinued enjoyment of the free insti-
tutions bequeathed to us by our
fathers, and in honoring the memo
ries of those who have sustained
them. %.F.E E
There is no doubt but that If the
suggestions here made are followed
out, our greatness as nation is az
nothing compared with what it vii
be at the end of another half century
And we believe there is just as littl,
doubt that, unless the consideration
here presented are not acted upon
we will encounter trouble in the flu
fure, Of which little is thought now
As our population increases, the per
lis of ignorant suffrage will also in
crease. They are more manifest nov
than ever before, and are constantly
increasing.
What is to be donee Shall suffrage
be restricteds or shall education
become universal, and enforced, as
Mr.. Winthrop says, so that all may
be qualified for its intelligent exer
cise7 Clearly the latter. The re-
striction of suffrage is contrary tc
the spirit and genius of our govern
ment. Ours is a government "o1
the people and by the people" and
the people must be qualified to dis
charge their sacred trust, perform
their sacred duties and to properly
appreciate their high privileges
They must be protected against
the Vaccinations of low, grovelline
politicians and demagogues. The
way to do this is to educate them
Mental slavery is the worst Of al
slavery, ten-fold worse, and it is thu
duty of the government to see thai
every citizen is released from tn,
bondage Of ignorance. 1t is moi
merely question of humanity-it ii
more than that-it is question Of
self-protection and self preservation