The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-23
An Educated Citizenship the Hope of
Our Country.

cred by Hon. r. B. Murray before
the literary societies of Newberry
College on the evening of the 18th
inst:
In all of the terse and beautiful ex,
pressions giving exposition to those
principles which actuate human ma.
ture, in which the writings of Eng
lands greatest dramatic poet abound,
there is per, aps none 50 full Of
thought and worthy of a more care
ful personal application to every
reader, than the admonition Of Pol
lonius to his son Laertes, who was
about to travel, where the father con-
cludes wholesome advice by saying
to him: This above ALTO thine
own self be true; and it must follow
as the night the day-thou cans't not
then be false to any man."
In the centuries that are past,
and which make the leaves of Gods
book Of time, the human race has
been slowly working out the destiny
of it's creation, and reaching onward
with varying progress towards that
perfection which it is not in the ken
of man to limit. Standing to-day,
as it were, upon some towering
height, the Mt. Everest Of civiliza-
ton, amid the glare and glory of the
achievements Of the 10Th century, as
history lifts the veil from the past
and shows US through the corridors
Of the centuries that are gone, with
their errors that are dead and their
theories that have been exploded, i6
is impossible for US to do otherwise
than exult in the greatness of mans
progress and reverently recognize
the blessings which surround and
bear US on as a people, upon that
tide which has been tsken at its food,
and is leading on to more than for
tune. The privileges and advan-
tages enjoyed to-day change the re-
lations which man bears to govern.
ment, and imposes higher obligations
upon him than rested on the genera
tions whose lives filed the centuries
of the dead. For ages the contest
for human rights has been waged, for
ages the strong governments of earth
held such absolute sway that indi-
viduality of action was impossible,
individuality of thought was difficult
5 and its expression was interdicted.
The character and attainments of the
citizenship of such countries was
matter Of small moment. To-day
,uaew theory of government is acted
upon:~ Then the citizen was treated
as if his existence were merely
matter of convenience for the govern
ment. Now, in all the enlightened
countries of the earth. government
exists alone for the benefit of the
people. This is conspicuously true
in our government where the greatest
personal liberty exists, and of course
such liberty carries with it as corol-
larry the greatest amount of personal
obligation. Therefore, l have con-
cluded to ask your consideration for
q short time this evening to the fact
thst an educated citizenship IS the hope
Of our country. With US the citizen
is the sovereign, and the government
is simply the agent. Each individual
is the equal of every other individual
before the law, and all the honors of
the government may be contended
for by any citizen save alone the
presidency to which only native citi-
zens are eligible. Every citizen not
only has the right. but it is his duty
to participate in the control of the
government through the elective fran
chise, and it is certainly incumbent
on one undertaking to participate
in a government to qualify himself
by acquiring sufficient knowledge to
judge Of the needs and methods of
that government. It is no uncom-
S,mon occurrence to hear our govern
ment censured, both for It's acts
Of omission and Of commission, and
invariably the blame is attached
solely to the officials who compose
the government. This is a great
mistake, for while such officials are
primarily the just objects of criticism
st the same time, it must not be for,
gotten that the people themselves are
responsible for the government. 1t
is as good as they want it TO be, or
it is as bad as they are willing to
have it.
The fountain cannot rise higher
than its source, neither will YOU find
the stream pure and sweet where the
spring is vitiated and putrid. There
! FORE in country like ours, where
: the people are the source of all
power, the only safety for the present
and security for the future rests in
the intelligence, the integrity and the
morality Of the citizens. These quail
tiles can be inculcated by education
alone, and that education can only
be accomplished by bringing the in
diyidualS of the State under the in