Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-02-23

4
all things.
The mature opinion of WashngtoN
! upon the Importance of the intellectu-
| al, moral and religious forces of the
nation is not only revealed by his
actions, but is clearly set forth in
his statements. He locked upon these
attributes as the foundation which
supported the institutions of our re-
public. This opinion was most for
! cibly expressed in his farewell ad-
! dress where he said:
"Of all the dispositions and habits
! which lead to politica7 prosperity,
religion and morality are indispensa-
BILE supports. In vain would that man
| claim the tribute Of patriotism, who
should labor to subvert these greac
pillars of human happiness, these
| firmest props of the duties of men
and citizens. The mere politician,
equally with the pious man, ought TO
| respect and to cherish them. A vol
ume could not trace all their connec.
tfons with private and public felicity.
Let it simply be asked where is the
security for property, for reputation,
for life, if the sense Of religious OBJ
litigation desert the oaths, which are
the instruments of Investigation in
courts of Justice? And let us with
caution indulge the sunpositinn, that
I morality can be maintained without
Greligion.
"Whatever may BE- conceded to the
| Influence of refined education OH
minds Of peculiar structure, reason
| and experience both forbid us to ex-
pect that national morality can pre-
1 vail in exclusion of religious princi-
Bile. 'Tis substantially true that vir-
tue or morality is a necessary spring
I Of popular government. The rule in
deed extends with more or less force
to every species Of free governm int.
Who that is a sincere friend to it
/ can look with Indifference upon at
tempts to shake the foundation of the
/ fabric?"
| The policies Of Washington always
| had a national outlook. He warned
his country agans- sectionalism, He
! promoted internal improvements cal
culated to bring together different
PARTS of the nation. When he came
TO the consideration of the problem
! Of training the youth of the country
he was not only in favor of educa-
ton for it's own sake, but sought to
make it contribute TO the national
spirit. Believing thoroughly in Amer
lean ideals and in the American Un-
ion, it early occurred to him that a
! national university would be benef!
ciaI both by the power it would have
to present the principles on which
the republic was founoed, and the
power it would have to resist pro-
vincialism, by creating forum for
] the exchange of ideal; through Z
student body drawn from all quar-
ters OF the nation. 1t is said that
he expressed this thought soon after
he took command of the Continental
Army at Cambridge. He referred te
it in a general discussion of the sub
ject of education in one of his early
messages to the congress, in which
he said:
/ "Nor am I less persuaded that you
will agree witha@nle .ein the opinion
that there is nothing which can bet
ter deserve your patronage than the
promotion of science and literature
Knowledge is, in every country, the
surest basis of happiness. In one IN
which the measures of government
receive their Impressions so immedi-
ately from the sense of the communi-
tJ as in ours it is proportionably es-
sential. To the security of a free
constitution it contributes in various
ways-by convincing those who are
interested with the public admins
aJ,11 h Af
government is best answered by the
enlightened confidence of the people
and by teaching the people them
selves to know and to value their
own rights; to discern and provide
against invasions of them; to distin-
guish between oppression and the ne
cessary exercise of lawful authority,
between brethren, proceeding from
disregard to their convenience, and
those resulting from the inevitable
exigencies of society; to discriminate
the spirit of liberty from that of Ii
centiousness, cherishing the first ana
avoiding the last; and uniting q
speedy but temperate vigilance agains
encroachments with an inviolable re-,
spect for the laws.
"Whether this desirable object will
be best promoted by affording aids
to seminaries of learning already es
tablished, by the institution Of learn
ing already established, by the insti-
tuition of a national university, or by
any other expedients, Will be worthy
of place in the deliberations of the
legislature"
And in his farewell address he
again uttered this same thought as
follows:
Promote, then, as an object of
primary Importance, institutions for
they general diffusion of knowledge.
In proportion as the structure of
government gives force to public