Year: 1877

and logarithms; but alas for the majority
it is but a trifing with their Heaven
given intelligence. ALI this, however,
is but consequence of the prevailing
spirit of the South, which, I must can
didly confess to be Incidence, and what
an author calls "noble carelessness"
respecting the work which must devolve
upon civilized and progressive COM
munitg. Never will her general good
be enhanced until the spirit is changed.
It is at the base of wealth, education,
manners. The present condition of
the country IS due to it: the future will
depend upon it; both are conditioned
by it. Burke says sit is the cheap de-
fence of nations" In political contests
have the South not known its snprema>
cv in the tariff, slave and boundary
lines? It is not all fraud ad libitum N
ct 0rniis non Semper crit. Prescott
says, 1.-The government of the United
States was made for man, not man--a
serf-for it." Then is it not full time
to begin to appreciate the value of self
government, to plant your own knowl-
edge, gather its fruits, and not to sit
snpineiy commenting on the hardness OF
the times and the mlsmanagement of
the rod when eye are a law unto your
selves" 1t is like man grumbling
with himself for taking poison.


cannot conclude my humble opin
ions without connecting with education
the influence of the ministers of the
gospel. At this day it is scarcely
thought that ignorance is benefit, and
it is the opinion of the age that the
more enlightened man is, the more pi-
ous he generally must become. With
ont encroaching upon their domain
here, | think with every reason that
they are the best instruments to pro-
mote it's sweet influences, and advise to
the necessity of better training which
month after month is never heard from
the pulpit as il unworthy of their time.
1t is hardly fit to speculate on the iden-
tity of giving one hundred moral edu-
cation to the saving of one, and saving
one directly by preaching salvation.
But it is somewhat remarkable that they
should be so silent on this all import
ant topic, when they can effect the most
either way. have heard different de
nominational ministers in several parts
of the world, but very few have
broached in my hearing what is if seek
ing wisdom is at all meritorious; if the
whole human race is not tending to
retrograde, certainly positive though
silent injunction of the internal spirit
of Christianity. 1t is for them to give
the inertia to the mass. if they may; it
is for them if they will heed the call to
lend the stimuli to our intelligence as
we'll as morals being no less beneficial
in the end and aggregate to the saliva
ton of man, because Identical But
they are much remiss-the very reason
of ecclesiastic preaching being so often
unimpresive from the average mind not
being able to pace with common dis
course If this is a fact is it not la
mentable? But the general intelligence
is such. / have no reason to speak
falsely. have spoken, perhaps, out of
the way of the gospel teachers; but /
have done SO to hint the imperative ne
cessitv imposed upon them from their
mission, but which is too often ignored,
of taking a greater interest IN all com
mon education. / have not gone out of
my way to find an idea covering them or
tie state Of the country. It is all too
plain on the surface; nor did l wish to
disparage the work Of this respectable
body: but I think hattery O bad medi =
cine when the truth is required to be
plainly spoken; and so far from depre--
eating for its sake the system of educa
tion in the South and it's general intelli-
genee, |, on the contrary, only notice it
to help if possible to destroy the viti-
ated opinion against compulsory educa-
tion, and to awaken the mind to the
evils of its carelessness. hope it may
be received in that spirit.


A. LEROY.