The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-08


survey of the United States when he
said ''Surely here is vein tor the
silver and place for gold where
they fire it. Iron is taken out of the
ground and brass is molten out of
the stones. AS for the earth, out OF
it cometh bread and under it is
turned up as it were fire I; the stones
of it are the places ofsapphires and
it has dust of gold" These are
some of the material excellences of
the home our Heavenly Father has
given TO us.
But not alone in the physical re-,
sources of our country do we see
evidences of tender regard for us.
The development of the human
mind is also Gods work and where
on the globe shall we find another
such natural school room as is
America? Here the collections from
all Natures kingdoms can be gath
cred and the skill of the Divine
Architect illustrated on magnificent
scale. 1t is astonishing TO contem-
plate the development Of mind in
this country during its short history
and especially when we consider the
immense amount of physical labor
that had to be expended. The vast
forests were to be swept away and
the native soil subdued; The cities
and villages, and temples OF learning
and of worship were 10 be erected
and the roads and canals and the
ships and the trains, and all the name
less furnishings and improvements of
a great and prosperous people were
to be constructed. In an incredibly
short space Of time this has been
done and in the mean time America
has marched to the first ranks with
the oldest nations of the world in
Literature, science and the arts. Her
temples Of learning now dot the land
from ocean to ocean, with their free
doors open wide to every youth of
every nation. No crushing aristocra-
cy here now educates the sons Of the
rich, while those of the poor man are
doomed to ignorance. But the in
estimable boon of learning is offered
to all alike and the young man who
is to-day your servant, may if he
will, rise to be your Legislator, your
Governor, your President. No longer
is it scornfully asked by eastern
scholars "who reads an American
book ?" The works Of American
authors, in history and philosophy.
in science and poetry, are now sought
unto in the libraries of London, Rome,
St. Peterburg and Bonn. Her sys,
TENS of school instruction are so
complete, her courses of study are
so comprehensive and at the same
time SO practical that some of the
oldest and shrewdest nations of the
world are now selecting the brightest
of their sons and sending them to our
schools 10 be educated. 1t is more
than probable, therefore, thst our
young colleges are 10 day educating
some of the future ministers, princes
and emperors of the old world
Sublime in many things was the
celebration of the first one hundred
years Of our Nations life. But
sublimer than everything was the
gathering together there of the sa-
vans Of learning from all the old
seats of learning in all cl;mes and
countries. They assembled in our
school departments where were ex-
hibited the features and the facilities
of our educational work. They sat
and questioned and listened like pu-
pills to the descriptionsof our methods
and in eager astonishment inquired
the secrets of our success. Carefully
did they compare the different edu-
cational systems of the different states
of our Union and it is gratifying to
learn that in the opinion of those
great and learned judges, our young
Michigan, with her noble University,
stood among the first.
The christian citizen loves his
country for the genius of freedom