The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-07-08
AN EDUCATED CITIZENSHIP THE
HOPE OF OUR COUNTRY.
From the Newbe,ry Herald and News.

AN EUUCAIEU CIIlLENSHlf lnC
HOPE OF OUR COUNTRY.
From the Newbe,ry Herald aud Ne,us.
The following address was delivered by
Hon. E. B. Murray before the literary
societies of Newberry College on the
evening of the 18th of June last:
In all the terse and beautiful express.
ions giving exposition to those principles
Which actuate human nature, in which
the writing of Eugland's greatest dramat.
ic poet abound, there is perhaps none so
full of thought and worthy of more
careful personal application to every
reader, than the admonition of Polonius
to his son Laertes, who was about to trav-
ell, wherethe father concludes wholesome
advice by saying to him: "This above all
to thine own self be true aud it must
follow as the night the day-tbou 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 its 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 civilization, 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, it 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 peo-
pie, upon that tide which has been taken
at its food, and is leading on to more
than fortune. The privileges and adyan-
tages enjoyed to-day change the relations
which man bears to government, and
impose higher obligations upon him
than rested on the generations
whose lives filled the centuries of the
dead.
For ages the contest for human rights
has been waged, for ages the strong gov.
ernments of earth held such absolute
sway that individuality of action was i'm
possible, individuality of thought was
difficult and its expression was interdict-
ed. The character and attainments of
the citizenship of such countries was o
matter of small moment. To-day new
theory of government is acted upon.
Then the citizen was treated as if his
existence were merely matter of conve.
nience for the government. Now, in all
the enlightened countries of the earth,
government exists alone for the benefit
of the people. This is couspicuously
true in our government where the great
est personal liberty exists, and of course
such liberty carries with it as corollary
the greatest amount of personal obliga.
ton. Therefore, l have concluded to
ask your consideration for short time
this evening to the fact that 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 partic-
ipate in the control of the government
through the elective franchise, and it is
certainly incumbent on one undertaking
to participate in government to qualify
himself by acquiring sufficient knowledge
Tn iudre of the needs and methods of
that government. 1t is no uncommon
occurrence to hear our government GEN.
sured, both for its acts of omission and
of commission, and invariably the blame
is attached solely to the officials who COM
pose the government. This is great
mistake, for while such officials are pri.
marily the Just objects of criticism, at
the same time, it must not be forgotten
that the people themselves are response
Bile for the government. 1t is as good SIS
they want it to be, or it is as bad az 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.
Therefore, in country like ours, where
the people are the source OF all power,
the only safety for the present and secu-
rity for the future rests in the intelligence
the integrity and the morality of the
citizens. These qualities can be inculcat.
ed by education alone, and that education
can only be- accomplished by bringing the
individuals of the State under the inau-
ence of Wholesome, moral and intellectu.
al training. Realizing the Importance of
an educated citizenship, there is not q
State in our Union that has failed to
take steps to encourage and to assist its
citizens in mental culture as moralizing
aud elevatiug influence. In the general
acceptation of the term education, this
theory is correct, for there is no syslem
of education which does not include both
mental instruction and moral training.
Mental instruction alone would not effect
the moral development of man directly,
for the learning of the truths Of physical
science, mathematics, logic, or even the
proper use of language itself would not
change mans nature. Such culture of
the mind would heighten his capacities,
and hence, if the man were moral before,
he would be developed in his opinions,
from the fact that his comprehension
would be enlarged and his ability to EN-.
ploy his talents improved. If, however,
he were immoral before, he would be
apt to be made more immoral by simple
mental instruction. You could never
teach rogue to be honest by cramming
his mind with Euclid or even the beauties
of chemical science or the principles of
skilful syllogisms in logic: And this is
the reason so many partially educated
criminals may be found in our prisons.
Their minds have been cultivated, but
their moral training neglected. When
some partially educated man commits q
forgery, as a certain class of citizens who
get small amount of mental work some.
times do, many persons will tell you that
it is a proof Of the old adage, "a little
learning is dangerous thing" whereas,
in fact, all such cases arise from the prin'
ciples l have just stated. The mind has
been instructed and the moral nature left
untutored. ga little learning is dan
gerous thing" but in the language of the
late Prof. McGuffey, "none at all is still
more dangerous. Mental instruction is
not directly moral or immoral in its in
fuence. It is simply the training of the