Year: 1875

Al ttuhCt from tnt Auuit>> Ol itOus ~.


Douglass of Whiting, delivered at the Cel-


ebration of the Patrons of Husbandry of


Lyndonville, July 3, 1875


After dwelling upon the past and
present condition of the industrial class
es, and the pecuniary and social rela-
tions which they bear to society, Mr..
Douglass proceeded to say. There is
one point to which / have not alluded,
and which, prehaps places upon us
greater responsibilities than any other
that is our political influence. If there
is one fact, which profane history has
established more clearly than any other,
it is that the stability and success of
republican form of government is de-
pendent upon the Intelligence and virtue
of its citizens. The industrial classes
must from the nature of things consti-
tute majority in the body polite, and
determine, if they do not shape the
course of the government. The insti-
tutions of country are what the peo-
pie make them. Education makes the
people what they are. The civilizations
of Europe makes Europe what it is.
The civilizations of New England makes
us what we are.


The condition which ensure political
slavery are an educated and unprinci-
pied aristocracy and ignorant masses.
Those conditions which promote politi-
cal freedom are general intelligence and
virtue difused throughout all classes.
We have striking illustration of this,
in our own political history. In our
northern states, where the church and
school may be seen from every
hillside, where generally intelligence
and good degree of virtue prevails,
our political institutions have thus far
been so conducted as to promote the
general welfare, and secure to US a de-
gree of political liberty which has had no
parallel in the history of the world.


At the south, with the same general
government and the opposite popular
conditions, state of practical despotism
has long prevailed and its corroding
taint has at times poisoned the general
government itself, and like some subtle
malarious influence in the physical sys-
TEN, it reached the very heart of the
patient, and nearly accomplished our
ruin. 1t was an educated southern
aristocracy that attempted to control
our government and dictate the princi-
pies upon which it should be conducted
1t was the ignorant southern masses who
aided them in their attempt to execute
their threat, that they would legally call
the roll of their slave property, under
the shadow of Bunker Hill monument.
1t was the intelligent masses Of the
north who flew to the rescue and saved
our country, and preserved from de-
struction the brightest example of civil
liberty, that the world has ever witness
ed.


And in that great struggle we wit
messed another example of the impor-
tant fact that the unequal distribution
of intelligence may result in intensified
barbarism. That an ignorant people
with an unprincipled though educated
leadership, are more to be feared and
more wretched themselves, than those in
purely barbarous state. That the en-
ginery Of civilization in the hands Of
such people, and even the mental
power acquired by the few, like firearms
in hands of the savage, make them on
ly the more dangerous foes to all with
out, while it makes the condition of
their own masses the more wretched by
the elevation of the unprincipled few.
On the principle that an educated vii
lan is more to be feared that an un-
principle fool.


That conflict of ours should teach us
and the world around us not to look for
true worth to any particular class, or to
those of any particular calling. That
the material of which heroes are made
is not ottener found in the gilded pal
ace than in the frontier hut in the
counting-room of the banker, than in
the workshop of the mechanic; in the
offices of professional men, than in the
cottages of farmers.


What humiliating lessons to aristo-
cratic pride are recorded in our coun-
try's recent history. When the nation
saw not the peril which awaited it when
it was lulled to quiet repose by artful
deceivers when the poison of which |
have spoken was insidiously working
its way to the very heart of the body
polite, and the true source of that po-
litical malaria was yet a matter of doubt;
whence came the warning of our dan
ger Did itcome from the politicians
From the wealthy and learned of the
land No. that warming voice was first
hoo III from, 4ha nassas OvU ap1 a1