The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-05-10
THE RELATION BETWEEN EDU-
CATION AND GOVERNMENT.
Address Delivered by @. O. Collins,
Esq, Before tho Philomathean Lit
erary Society of Washington Col
lege, April 18th, 1884.
published by request of Phllomothcun Society.

published BY request of Phllomothean Society,"
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
When we read the history of the past and OBJ |
serve tho indications OF the present we are in |
spircd with high hope for the destiny OF man.
The finite is the unfolding lesson OF Infinite.
Lord BeacOnsheld said of man: ale is Il being |
who Organically demands direct relations with |
his Creator. We may" says he "analyze the |
sun and penetrate the stars, but man Is con-
scious that he Is born in Gods own image, and
In his perplexity, no will ever appeal to Our
Father who art in heaven"
There seems TO be an intellectual relation in
all beings. from the plant to man. and from man
to the angels, and from the angels to God. The
inanimate is ever making its impress upon the
animate, leading to higher and nobler forms of
life. Whe have within us an ever climbing as
piratlon The race rises forever in the s,alc of
being, The attainments of each generation pre-
pare the next fora higher plane. We ,..e con-
tinually in close proximity to a higher fact, and
are receptacles OF Il higher life. Reason, as a
ruler in the regions of the thought is lover of
conquest, and demands full homage. 1t carries
with II light, liberty and law and all its victories
are bloodless and its c0nquests arc peace. Faith
and hope are its hand-maids, and By this trinity
OF good the mind travels forever in the direction
OF perfection without attaining it, 1t moves on
grasping new truths, adding new capabilities,
approaching nearer and nearer to Him, who is
the standard OF all glory and perfection. How
pleasing and trlumphat the thought, to look up
ON the human mind, as going OIL from strength
to strength, forever beautifying and shining with
new accessions of glory! There is no limit to
human meditation. The mind may rise TO such
q height that, standing upon the horizon of
dreamland, It may perceive the throne OF the
Absolute, and, like Moses have the terrible Wis
lon Of the Infinite. Its aspirations, directed to-
wards the Unknown, enable it to feel with trem-
bling awe, the deep pulsations of Eternity. Con
templative, peaceful and adoring, man may view
In the glory of the armament, the visible splen-
dor of the consultations and the Invisible snlen-
dor nf God and his qnttl IN thnuubtc which
fall from the Sdnctnm SdnctorOn of the Universe.
Nature Is an infinite mystery which is ever re-
vealing itself tn man. II Is the incarnation of
wisdom and truth which melts into the soul as
an unfpiling fountain Of freshness and purity
producing the rich fruits of Immortality.
The beauty and glory of the Christian religion
IL that 1t makes the Divine, air and food and
drink for the human mind, "'rake of it, il is my
flesh, II is my blood" It is the love of humani-
ty swallowed up in the love of God. 1t places
. the Infinite below in contact with the Infinite
above and is the light of the soul, In its search
for the source Of its song The dcyelopement Of
mind is essential to the redemption of the race.
1t Trees us from ignorance, error and superstition.
The human intellect is given in the germ, and
the power and province OF unfolding 1t is given
to man himself. Education is the development
OF the embryo elements of the mental constitu-
tion. 1t does not consist OF new faculties added
to tho mind or the increase of principles but il
In a structural growth. Intuition is to mind as
! the acorn is to the oak, and observation rcflCc-
ton and thought are to II as the sun Is to vegeta-
tl0n Tho one Is the terminating principle and
thc others are the means of growth. Genius Is
the union of nature without and nature within
which eliminates in the miraculous phenome
non of thought, and thought IL the true triumph
of the soul.
With what encouragement and qualification
may we look upon society as being gradually at
tracted to the Just and True the Pure ana the
Good Its capacity for advancement and eleva
ton Ia equal to the moral and intellectual sus
capabilities OF the race. But, as Emerson hai
declared, "the State must follow and not LEAD
the character and progress of the citizen. There
II In mad consciousness Of necessary, Mniyer
sal and eternal principles Of Right and Wrong
These are the positive and negative forces in thu
moral world. They distinguish and qualify hu
man thought and action, and for the practica
application of these principles Government II
inatituted among men, and is the bond of sacic
~ and the keystone OF human progress. Having
Its origin in the moral constitution of man, tn
most important province of Government Is t
deyelope, stregthen and elevate the race. Th'
two leading elements in political philosophy ar
Order and Growth These apply not 50 much Il
the institutions of Government, as to the char
acter and condition OF the people, Deriving it
power aud authority from the consent of tn
governed II has for its object rgreatest good
An inherent disposition to improvement, frs
led men to form those tribal relations character
istiC OF the earlier stages OF society, and out o
these was evolved the State, and to 1t are en-
trusted the rights and liberties of the people
The State is the full blown rose of which til
Tribe was but tho opening bud. 1t Is the grow
up tree Of which the Tribe was but the feebl
sprout Being grounded in intuitve social dit
position and being the product of the energy
wisdom and experience OF past generations, II
productive of the greatest blessings to humanity
Intelligence is the cradle of public virtue an
the means OF national security and progress, a
well as an inseparnble condition to indiyidIu
happiness. The more enlightened people bt
come the more capable they are of enjoying lii
erty and the more determined they are to renal
free. Hence as the world advances intellect
ally and morally, 1t gravitatss politically toward
hat aO1 pt1iu IN
to secure those blessings t0stlle citizen.
Government rests not merely upon civil con
pact, but in The mental and moral unicatlon {
the people. II sstnins, therefore, to ccrlai
extent parental relation TO the generations tia
rise up under its control. One OF the most in
portnnt duties, growing out OF this relation,
that OF providing general education. In tn
country, the people have resting upon them u
the responsibilities of self-government Frol
them proceeds all authority, to them II must r.
turn and in thcnl 1t forever rests. The old do'
trine Of the divine right of kings and passiy
obedience has given place TO the doctrine OF til
divine right of Government based upon the POI
ular will The Constitution of the United State
Is the embodiment of American liberty. 1t col
upon every citizen an equal part Of the s0ye
eign power. The prerogative OF citizenship
exercised BY means of the ballot, and upon tn
free, patriotic and Intelligent exercise of thi
depend the peace prosperity and happiness
the country. The ballot in the hands Of an il
q norant populace is continued menace To fri
institutions. Every citizen should have ju
conception ana correct estimate Oh anu u uue Y
gard for the authority and utility of GOvernmel
and Of his obligation to obey. The right of frt
discussion aud the iiluence of IA free press
much to enlghten the public mind but strengt
of character and intellect come only from car
full training.
few facts sufficiently show the necessity al
great importance OF a thorough system OF educ
ton throughout the United states The Censl
of 1880 shows that in twelve states and one teri
tory OF this Union, moro than One-fourth OF Il
population over the age OF ten years can neill
read nor write This excessive illiteIncy is larg
ly confined to the South, the states above refer
Cd 10 being Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Geo
gia Kentucky kousiana, Mississippi Mort
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Texas al
Virginia, and the Territory of New Mexic
Some attribute this state OF things In the Sou
to the single fact that there is in this section
large cOlOred population, who having been
slavery 80 long and so recently liberated, are
most wholly illiterate as a class. This fact fnt
serve In part as an explanation, but IL is not Il
only cause For OF the native white populate
i'm those twelve states, the following is the p
cent of lllltcracy, over the age OF ten years Al
bu,nn y per cent, Arkansas 25.5, Florida ~
Georgia 33.2 Kentucky 2ss, Louisiana 1873 Nj
gissippi l6.6. North Carolina 3l.7, South Carolii
224 hcnncssec Us, Texas 1879, aud Virginia Is
These facts become more siguircant when Y
ronsider that Indiana, which has the highest p
cent OF any Of the states of the North or Mort
west, stands at only 6.S, while Massachusetts h
only OF. per cent.
The condition OF our Southern Country hol
ever il attributable to causes over which q
Dregent generation has no control, and Tor wni'
ff,.y arc only responsible so far rs they fail