The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-06-20
self-government unless the people are edu-
Gated and enlightened

c | TeItTTGu 10 III ludhluB ullt Sldtelucul lui
= Universities are necessity today. Thel
d, may have been time when such W.
> not the case, the time when there was
:, few masters and many Saves, the tim
= when towered walls and gloomy mOat
= measured a city's glory and safety, til
a time when might, stern, sOulless and col
i sciously might hold the earth in its rOI
!, | grip, at such a time an institution lik
= thismiglIt have been out Of hormony wit
!, the spirit of the age. But now when Il
: men are free, when brstling walls hav
r toppled and fallen, when commerce an
|, | industry have made US clasp hands wit
: : the world. when thought, honor crowne
Q and purple robed, has become the con
/ trolling factor in shaping the worlds dies
tiny, at such time as this an institu
, ton dedicated to the cause of God an,
humanity becomes of overshldowing i'm
pOrtance. In this age educated though
rules the world. Not thrones nor seen
tiers; not empires nor dynasties; NOT fleet
nor armies" but living, quickening though
crystalllzed into intelligent action, is tn
power that is changing and has changed
the current of THE worlds history and il
directing It's destiny onward. Not thu
wisdom OF the grand old man, nor power
OF parliament nor kingly majesty ha,
given England supremacy on land and sea
making her the bearer of the worlds com
nerce, and making her the repository OF
the world $ riches, but it is the influence
OF Oxford and Cambridge wearing into
the sturdy English character the threads
OF educated energy and enlightened
| thought. 1t is not the sagacity of the old
chancellor, nor is it the impetuous ardor of
the young emperor that marks the wisdom
OF the German people and give them their
recognized courage, bur back beyond these
stand Berlin and Leipsic and the other
| great centers of learning and thought.
IL Is not the sentiment connected with the
name of Bunker Hill nor the Influence
descending from the Puritan fathers
that makes Massachusetts, a mere speck
on the map of the word more essential
TO the worlds happiness and existence
than IS Texas, but it is because thev
| nave adopted in practice what we have
proclaimed in theory, that people must
be educated to attain the highest rank
OF citlZenshlp. Not the historic streets
OF hichmond nor the plains of Manassas
not the gloomy Wilderness, though every
LOO i!o3t mas Deen reddened with patriots
lluDatl0n to liberty have done so much To
make Virginia great and historic rs have
ner great institutions of learning, founded
IN wisdom and supported in love, Rut
we ourselves have been dreamers of
dreams and seers of visions. We have
Deen stralnlng our eyes for some far away
ladder, let down that we might ascend in
some mysterious way to Heaven. but orr
eyes have been blind to the one resi- inc
at our very feet, by which we NAV as.
cehd from the earth of what we are fol
me heaven of what we should be. wei
nave oeen standing with folded hands
PlociIlnllhS the glories of a past thatI
nus Sone and lauding THE vitues of orr
luIUnFS NJ
busy world has rushed on leaving MS lag-
Saras IN the rear. Let us awake TO the SIT |
!uatloh' mat the sound of yonder gong
Is drum pap sounding the charge TO the |
Datallions of thought that are TO win for |
us brighter and fresher laurels mon n |
new San Jacinto field.
is 1T not true that a university. COM
pete IN all its parts, representative of
lne highest type of educatiOn.is naceS-
SIty for Texas? Look about you and see
Nhat are our resources, and what have
we done! God never planted grander
forests than those within our borders,
puL alas' now little have they yielded TO
our wealth or contributed to our han
plnesS. Our soil is lowered with a rich
ness beyond measure or compute. bnt
under, the hand of uneducated and nm.
skilled labor it yields but a scanty pit-
lance. Our rocks have locked within
mem men the golden grains that would SAT-
lsly Uhe greed of averice, but where is the
rou 10 Smlte them to cause their richness
10 pour forth? Our iron ores. weary ofI
ihelr long hiding and eager to serve thair
ordained purpose, with forward mien
IRE peeping fourth inviting the approach oil
DICK and furnace; our waters are rushing
10 10 the sea signing that there are no spin,
iles 10 turn and quicken their sigh into
song; our fields grow white with the har-
'est ana with weary labor we gather Il
y, u anu IN far away lands it feels the touch I
IL magic hands and is brought back 70
is with its value increased ten fo,d, Orr ,
'oal helds, beds of sunshine of past ages ,
sarnered and imprisoned by the hand oil !
Iod himself. are ineXhaustible, but orr !
People are shivering amid the blasts of :
Ninter. our plains are parched with =
hlrst while unseen rivers roll ready to &,
,our out their waters in gladening plenty +
we should with shame and humiliation q
acknowledge this condition. We
ave Deen left far behind in the race of 5
ne III thrown upon our own resources +
Quay our condition would be pitiabe. Pos.
eSag9 ol pouhuless natural capacities we s
You'd want for the commences necpssitins .
t life. Our brains have not been inyestad y
WIN the skill to invent nor orr hands q
WIN the cunning to create. We have 9
uued almost nothing to the wisdom of !.
ne ages. lowered with all the accnmn. =
lllohs OF centuries dead and gone wei n
aye not used them as stepping stones +
nigher things" We have written hnt n
ew books that will live beyond the dav. q
Re nave summed the fields of scientific II
nougnt and investigation as though thew r.
'ere injected with deadly pestilence. fila
b U ybt Seenehnclarles of the. labor and il
h h Oh others, the OK would still tread in
NC sraLu ana be the bearer of our com II
. .e py land, while upon the waters g
e would be at the mercy of the VARYING h
= mus. US, Inns city, instead of being lighf. f,
u WIN a hundred suns until it seems II
IeilI torn from the picture book If n
r M lInu, would be shrouded in darkness II
~ ~ EI19m. Look you, in this magni6- b.
r rrt hal tonight and see if you can behold 81
n u Stnlhs mat is the product of Texas n
mus or Texas thought and then with Il
eau bowed confess that we have baen 81
elsueu and found wanting. tf'
This condition must change. Somohodr a
Ill md in our forests a use and convert IN ~
lem nn,a 10 profit, Why not Texas peopIe2 W
oIltpouy VIII burrow our mountains and hi
M M mere the lamp of Aladdin; somehoJv In
III eAplore our mineral treasures and viii lis
e win Monte Christie in the snIenJnr 20
tnelr possessions. Why surrender tbis W
strangers! Somebody in the wears 70 RI
me VIII seize with masters hand nnon bo
OF our splendid resources now go of
sleGted ana make them pour forth ayo W,
lustless treasures. Why shonld orr NJ,
rltaSe pass from us forever 'Tis NOT w