Year: 1866

h'gnest uegree, the aovantages WHICH
\ have sllured them to this country. with


many Of those pleasures Of society and Of
!, an older civilization, which they must


forego. in the sparsely settled regions OF
the far west to which the great current
of migration is tending. 1t will also be
our duty to promote the most rapid assim-


iation Of the foreign element with our


native population. The events through


which we have just passed have proven


how rapidly the foreign settler has be-
come American in interest, in thought.


and in patriotism; but the good results


we have seen should only encourage us TO


more systematic use Of the means which
lend to so desirable result. A nation
is strong in proportion to the homoge-
neity Of its people. 10 be countrymsn
should In itself be pledge Of brother
hood wherever we meet, and brotherhood
implies community of language and simi-
larity of habit and thought To eucour-
age and stimulate our naturslized fellow
citizens, and the new comers who purpose
becoming such, to adopt our language, to
educate their children with ours, and to
identify themselves with us as rapidly az
possible. ia the dictate of true patriotism
in US, &hd, at the same time, is the best
welcome we Can give to them, since
there can be no question that they will
thus become most quickly acquainted
with their rights as citizens, will be least
likely to BE- oyerreached and made dupes
Of in business or in politics, and will fnd
the road to pecuniary profit and personal
advancement most rapidly open before
| them.


Our common school system is, to be
fostered and improved, and there ID iotR!
! ing 10 WHICH our people have deeper
interest than this. If there be any one
thing to which, under Providence, more
than to another we owe our safe pas.
sage through our recent perls, l believe
it is the intelligence our common schools
have universally diffased. 1t has not
been simply the power to read, but that
larger and wider culture which has made
the American people capable Of weighing
and deciding upon grave arguments Of
right and Of policy in the midst Of great
excitement. The Government appealed
to them as to men able to comprehend any
arguments of State policy. and the steady
loyalty Of the people and their persevsr.
ing support Of the national cause was in
direct proportion to the intelligence and
education of different states or communi-
ties. Twill even go further, and declare
my belief that. outside OF the immedals
theatre of hostile operation, the cause Of
the Government never lost any thing by
the most unttammeled freedom Of public
discussion and printing. because the peo.
pie were always able to detect the sophisms
Of disloyaty, and their patriotic purposes
were strengthened rather than weakened
by seeing the whole force Of the enemy
they had to meet. Among the safesuatds
of our liberties and guarantees to the per-
manence of.our institutions I reckon our
school system the very chief. Blind and
devoted love Of country may exist under
despotism. il ignorance be the mother
of superstitious or childish attachment:
but liberty and republicanism can be built
On no other solid foundation than intelli-
gence in the whole mass Of the people.
A wise self:interest IS made the basis OF
all scientific political economy, and when
whole people have learned to estimate
that interest truly, beside loving their.
country dearly. you have ground for faith
in the stability of their Government.
such as can be got in no other way 1t
is because Of the general conviction tha q
our common schools may be made to Sc.
cure this result, that there is an equally.
general belief that no money used for
public purposes is so well invested as that
which supports our school system.


No statement OF our condition and our
duties would be complete, which did not
speak of the debt we owe to the sad ar
ray, (almost an army in itself, J Of the
manned and disabled heroes to whom the
return Of peace brings no bright prospsct
for their own future. The dead may be
supposed to look down in glory and in
pride upon the work they have accom-
plished, by shedding their blood, aud our
memory of them becomes rather exultant
than painful but these sick and crippled
ones are condemned to look upon the gen.
eral prosperity and joy, feeling bitterly
that their lives must be deprived Of nsar-
ly everything which health and vigorA
would have secured them. five should
give them cause to think their Country
is uugrateful, we shall double their mise.
ry and be ourselves unfaithlul to one OF
the most solemn duties which can be inn
posed upon us. More than eight thous-
and disabled Ohio soldiers are already
upon The rolls of the national pension bu-,
reau. The pittauce which the General
Government can give them viii not save
them from want. How can we best do
the remainder OF our duty toward them
A beginning has already been made in
the temporary establishment Of S:sts
Soldiers Home. but is manifest thst r
will provide for very small part Of thoss,


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