Year: 1864

cher and the Civil Government,


Certain public spirited citizens Of this
State have been instrumental in having a
bill introduced into the Pennsylvania Lee
gislature, which designs appropriating a
portion Of the public money for the sup
port of aged and superannuated teachers


AS the writer Of this article has not
seen the details of the bill, he does not
presume to give an opinion on the merits
of its individual features. Yet he does
not hesitate to venture the assertion that
many of those who have noticed the intro
duction of the bill have, from the first,
been opposed to the idea of teachers be-
coming the objects of puolic benefaction.
The eyes OF such have either been blinded
by fears of increased taxation, or they have
failed to comprehend the relations existing
between the teacher and the civil govern
ment.


The faithful public school teacher is
public benetactor, and as such, has a right
to look to the government tor support, after
be has spent all bis energies in the ser
vice.


The downfall of nations, together with
the detection of those influences which,
either directly or indirectly, produced their
overthrow, is perhaps one of the profound
est themes presented for the investigation
of man. To detect those causes which are
secretly and insduously, though powerful
ly and etfectually, sapping the foundations
Of civil government, battles the discern
ment and skill Of even the shrewdeSt phi
losophers. So various and intricate are
their workings, that it is often impossible
to discover them until they have culmina-
ted in the overthrow of government. Yet
there are certain general principles which
it is evident cannot be disregarded without
serious consequences, while there are GER
tain Influences which are indispensable to
the perpetuity Of government and its insti
tutions. TIE stability of a republican
form Of government depends greatly upon
the degree of intelligence disseminated
among the masses. 1t is the only real safe
guard against the insdious power of polit-
ical corruption. If men are intelligent, it
is presumed they will act intelligently. In
a democratic government the power is
lodged in the hands of the masses, and the
masses alone are responsible for its use as
well as its abuse. They alone are account
able for the results, when those elements
of social discord, which must eventually
prove the overthrow Of national existence,
are permitted unmolcsted to pursue their
work OF destruction. These truths are so
plain that it Is presumed 20 one will for a
moment call them in question. But how
and by whom are the masses to be educat
ed and fitted to become intelligent Ameri-
can citizens, if not through the influence
of those teachings imbibed from the Inns of
those whose special mission it is to fit them
for the highest usefulness in the State and
Church? The stability and perpetuity of
our republican institutions depends greatly
upon the spirit which animates those who
control the education of our youth 1t is
commonly received opinion, that the
truths imbib0d in earl y youth make the
most lasting impressions, and the teach
ers of the public schools of our country,
operating by both precept and example up
on the minds of our youth, are moulding
the future destiny of the American repub-
nc we nolu tnat IL is the DUTY OF every
faithful teacher to instil into the minds of
his pupils correct views of the principles
of republican government Nay, more.
The teacher who neglects it, is unfathful
to the trust committed to him and he who
misrepresents the genius of our insttu
tions, is positively disloyal. In word, it
is the special mission of the teacher to pre-
pare the youth of our country, by means of
the elevating and expanding power of ed
ucation, to take enlarged and comprehen-
sive views Of the duties of an American
citizen, and to fit them to discharge those
duties intelligently and faithfully. With
an educated and intelligent citizenship, the
republic is sale from the power of all civil
dissensions, and the incursions of oil ex-
ternal foes