Newspaper Page Text
rmrr.n and rrsnsirtn wi f.ki.t, ft
W U . U . lIAKKISOK.
c/ r y r k i.v 7 /; /.•.
■ ——■■■■■ ■ ■
[fob thf. southern mcsecx.]
Mr. Editor— The annexed Stanzas was writ
ten by one of “America’s Poets." A friend of
his in a notice published in the “Southern Lite*
rarv Messenger," says that ho was troubled at
the thought of some pecuniary obligation which
he had not the means to pay. He shrank from
the prospect of a “ Debtor's Prison," —at the
early age of twenty-four years he died. The
spirit is now free—God chains not the soul be
cause it is poor.
The Prltsnrr For Otbt.
“ When the summer sun was in the west,
Its crimson radiance fell,
Some on the blue and changeful sea,
And some in the prisoner's cell.
And there his eye with a smile would beam,
And the blood would leave bis biain,
And the verdure of his soul return,
Like sere grass after rain !
But when the tempest wreathed and sprend
A- mantle o’er the sun,
He gather’d back his woes again,
And brooded thereupon ;
And thus he lived, till Time one dav
Led Death to break his chain :
A rod then the prisoner went away,
And he was free again !"
The Peace Congress, a* Paris.
The first meeting of the Peace Congress
was held on the 22d ult., at the .Salle St.
Cecille, a music hall in the Chaussee d’-
Antin. The attendance was very large,
and on the entrance ot the English and
American deputations, they were loudly
welcomed. The walls were tastefully
decorated with the flags of different na
tions intertwined. At 12 o’clock, Victor
Hugo, representative of the people came
forward and took the chair.
The programme of resolutions was then
submitted, after the names of the different
deputations were read, as follows :
“Recourse to arms being a usage con
demned alike by religion, morality, reason
and humanity, it is the duty of all men to
adopt measures calculated to bring about
the abolition of war; and the following re
solutions will be submitted to the friends
of universal peace, assembled in the Con
gress at Paris, on the 22d, 23d, 21th and
25th August, 1549 :
“1. As peace alone can insure the mo
ral and material interests of nations, it is
the duty of all governments to submit to
arbitration all differences that ariso be
tween them, and to respect the decision
of arbitrators whom they may choose.
“2. It is ot the highest importance to
call the attention of governments to the
necessity of entering, by a general and si
multaneous measure upon a system of dis
armament for the purpose of reducing the
national expenditure, and of removing at
the same time a permanent cause of’ dis
quietude and irritation from among the
nations.
“3. The Congress recommends all the
friends of peace to prepare public opin
ion in their respective countries, for the
for mation of a Congress of Nations, whose
sole object it should be to frame a code of
international laws, on just principles, and
to constitute a Supreme Court, to which
should be submitted all questions relating
to the reciprocal rights and duties of na
tions.
‘'4. The Congress condemns all loans
and taxes intended for tire prosecution of
wars of ambition and conquest.
“5. The Congress recommends its mem
bers to endeavor to eradicate from the
minds of all, in their respective countries,
both by means of ir better education of
youth, and by other practical methods,
those political prejudices aril hereditary
hatreds which have so often been the cause
of disastrous wars.
“6. The Congress addresses tire same
invitation to all ministers of religion,
whose sacred mission is to encourage feel
ings of good will among men ; as to the
various organs of the press, which exer
cise so powerful an influence over the pro
gress of civilization.
“7. The Congress earnestly hopes for
the improvement of the means of internal
communication ; for the extension of pos
tal reform ; for the universal adoption of
the same standard of weights, measures,
and coinage ; and for the multiplication of
Peace Societies, which shall keep up a
correspondence with each other.
“8. The Congress decides that the Com
mittee be instructed to draw up an Ad
dress to all nations, embodying the reso
lutions of the Congress ; and that this ad
dress shall be presented to the various
governments, and that special means be
taken to bring it under the attention of the
President of the French Republic.’’
The Hon. V. Hugo wa3 received with
loud applause. On his left was M. Co
querel, representative of the people and
Protestant clergyman, and on the the right
M. Deguerry, cure of the Madeline. Af
ter a moment’s pause, Mr. Heoo arose
and delivered the following address :
Gentlemen. — Many of you have come
from the most remote quarters of the
globe, your hearts full of religious and ho
ly thoughts. You number in your ranks
public men, philosophers, ministers of re
ligion, eminent writers, and many of those
public men who are the lights of their na
tion. You have wished to date from Pa
lis the declarations of this assembly, of
convinced and serious men, who desire
not only the welfare of one people, but also
that of all nations. You have come to add
to the principles which at the present time
influence statesmen, governors, and legis
lators, a superior principle. You have
come to turn over in some sort the last and
most august prayer of the gospel, that
which enjoins peace on the children of
God ; and in this city, which has hitherto
only cheered the fraternity of citizens, you
j have come to proclain the ftaternity of
men.
Gentlemen, wc bid you a hearty wel
come—Gentlemen, is this religious thought
the universal peace of all nations, bound to
one another by a social bond, not of the
gospel ? Is this idea capable of realization.
Many poli ical men reply no! As for my
self, I reply with you, without hesitation,
yes ! (loud applause.) And I shall try to
prove the truth of my statement immedi
ately. But Tgo farther. I not only say
that it is an object capable of being realis
ed, but that it is inevitable : all that can
bte done is to hasten or retard its con-:'am
mation. The law of the is r.u't and
cannot be distinct t J lc ’ iavv 0 f g. oi ]
But the law nf'jod not war, but, peace.
Mon begin vv.i’n struggles, just as creation
commenced with chaos. Whence do they
come ? Evidently from war. Whether
are they going ? To peace. When you
affirm these lofty truths, it is quite plain
that your affirmation meets with negation
that yourfaith meets with incredulity, that
in this hour of our troubles and of our
commotions the idea of our universal
peace surprises and alarms every one as
being the apparition of something impossi
ble and ideal. It is quite possible that
our views will be called Utopian ; and as
far as concerns myself, an humble and
obscure laborer in the nineteenth century,
I accept this opposition without being ei
ther astonished or discouraged by it. Is
it possible fur you to prevent people turn
ing aside their heads and closing their daz
zled eyes when, in the midst of the thick
darkness which still surrounds us, you
suddenly open the radiant gate of the Fu
ture. It any one, gentleman, four centu
ries ago, during the time when commune
waged war against commune, town against
town, and province against province; if
any one had said to Lorraine, to Picardy,
to Normandy, to Bretague, to Auvergne,
to Provence, to Dauphiny, to Burgundy—
A day vvili come when you will no longer
bear arms one against the other—when it
will no longer be said, “The Normans
have attacked Picardy,” or “The men of
Lorraine have beaten the Burgundians,”
you will still have many difficulties to ar
range,many interests to discuss, many dis
putes to settle; but do you know what
you will put in the place of armed men ?
of infantry and cavalry ? of cannon and
falconets ?of lances, pikes, and swords?
You will put in the place of all these a lit
tle wooden box, which you will call the
balloting box, and from that box will pro
ceed an assembly, an assembly in which
you feel you all live, which will act as a
sou! to all of you—a sovereign and popu
lar council—which will decide, will judge,
will settle all questions—will make the
sword fall from the hands of all, and jus
tice rise in every heart—which will say to
each man, “Here ends thy right, there be
gins thy duty !”—Lay down your arms !
live in peace ! and on that day you will
feel that you have one common thought,
common interest, a common destiny ; you
will embrace one another, you will recog- J
nize one another as children of the same j
blood and of the same race. On that day ;
you will cease to be hostile tribes; you i
will be a people ; you will no longer be j
Burgundy, Provence, Normandy, Britta
ny —you will be France. Appeals will:
no longer be made to war, but to civiliza
tion. (loud applause.)
If at the period I allude to, such words
had been uttered, all men of serious char
acter, and all great, politicians of that day
would have exclaimed—What a dream!
what ignorance of the human heart! what
folly ! Time, however, has gone on, and ■
this and ream, this folly, has been realized, i
Well you say at the present day, and I
join with you in saying it, all of us here
present speak to France, to England, to
Prussia,to Austria, to Spain, to Italy, to
Russia, and say, “A day will come when
arms will fall from your hands a'so when
war will appear as absurd, and will boas
impossible between Paris and London, be
tween Vienna and Turin, or between St.
Petersburg and Berlin, as it would now
appear between Rouen and Amiens, or be
tween Boston and Philadelphia.” A day
will come when France, Russia, Italy,
England, Germany, all the nations of the
Continent, without losing your distinguish
ed characteristics, and your glorious iden
tity, will be merged into a superior unity,
and shall form an European fraternity,
just as Normandy. Brittany. Burgundy,
Lorraine, Alsace, have been blended into
France, The day will come when the
only battle-field shall be the market open
to commerce and to the new ideas cf the
mind. A day will come when bullets and
shells will be replaced by votes, by univer
sal suffrage, and by the arbitration ofa
great sovereign senate, which shall be to
Europe what the Parliament is to Eng
land, or the Diet to Germany, or the Le
gislative Assembly is to France. (Loud
applause.) Ihe time will come when a
cannon will be exhibited as an old instru
ment of torture, and wonder expressed
how such a thing could have been used.
A day, I say, will come when the United
States of America and the United States
of Europe will be seen extending to each
other the hand of fellowship across the
ocean, and when we shall have the happi
ness of seeing everywhere arising the ma
jestic radiation of universal accord. Sub
ject worthy of meditation.
It ij> our precautions against war which
have brought about revolutions. All lias
been done, all expended against imaginary
danger. Misery—the real danger—has
thus been aggravated. Nevertheless,
gentlemen, let us not despair ; on the con
trary, let us hope more than ever ; let ns
only regard our epoch in its proper light.
After all, it is a prodigious and admirable
epoch, and the nineteenth century will
constitute the most important pnge of His
tory. One kind of progress brings on an
other; the full of national animosities, the
obliteration offron iers from the map. and
of prejudices from the hea:t ; a tendency
to unity and the level of education, the
predominance of the most literary langua
grs—all move at the same time and con
verge to the same end—the creation of
well-being and good-will—the extinction
of misery at home and of war abroad (im
mense applause). Yes, the era of revolu
tions is drawing to a close, and that of
improvements is beginning. The im
provement of nations leaves it violent form
"old takes a peaceable one. The time is
come when Providence will substitute, for
the disorderly action of agitators, the reli
gious and calm action of peacemakers,
(loud applause).
Henceforward this will be the object ftf
true politics; the recognition of all nation
alities— the restoration of the historical
unity of the people, the connection of the
country with civilization by means of
peace—the incessant enlargement of the
civilized world, the giving of a good ex
ample to nations that are still barbarous—
the substitution of arbitration for ba tles,
and, to crown the whole, the utterance by
justice of the last word which this ancient
world uttered by force. Gentlemen, 1 say
in conclusion, and let this thought encour
age us, is it not to day that the human race
is traversing this Providential road ? In
our old Europe, England lias taken the
first step, and has said to the people: You
are free. France lias taken the second
step, and has said to the people : \ nu arc
sovereign. Now let ustake the third step,
and let France, England, Belgium, Ger
many, Italy, Europe, and America, all
unite in saying to the people : You are
brethren !
Immense applause followed this ad
dress. Ihe cheers were repeated over
again : and at last three hurras were giv
en in the English fashion.
Burning or Packet Ship Charleston.
L he Charleston, Morrison, for Charles
ton, sailed from Nevv-York on Friday, the
14th inst., with an assorted cargo; having
experienced variable weather ; on the 19th
was compelled to lay-to, in a violent gale
ftom the Last, off Cape Lookout, doing
much injury to the ship, in hull, sails and
rigging, causing her to leak—washed awav
bulwarks, deck load, &c., and filling the
cabin with water. Early on the 20th, the
gale shifted to the North-West and blew
with great violence, but with a more favor
able aspect —attempted to increase sad—
the barometer, which had been at 2S and
5 10, in a rising sta’e. Made sail—close
reef topsails and courses; standing to the
W estward, havingdr.fted into or near the
Gulf stream. Ihe Captain being fatigued
and finding the weather moderating, retir
ed, leaving the nesessary instructions with
the officer of the deck. About G o’clock,
A. M., on the 21st, he was informed that
smoke was making its appearance in the
house on deck; he immediately cleared
away and endevoured to see from whence
the smoke proceeded, and discovered it
coming from the hold, through the hatches.
On raising the hatch he found it impossi
ble to stand the smoke. The hatch was
immediately laid on, and every precaution
used to prevent ventilation. He made all
necessary preparations for the worst.
Soon after discovered a sail to leeward,
bore away for ir, and set signal of distress 1
—on approaching they found it to be the i
brig Phil ura, Capt. i hatcher, from New;
\otk for bavannah, and informed him of j
being on fire, when be kindly offered to
render any kind of assistance and remain
ed by the ship. The weather being still
boisterous and the sea running high, tbe
Captain could not risk bis boat' out; the |
weather in the meantime was moderating
and the fire was making much progress
throughout the ship. Preparations were
made to send the passengers on board the
brig ; at 3, P. M., succeeded in getting the i
passengers on board the brig ; the officers 1
and crew remained until 7, P. M., when
they could not stand the smoke ; the fire
made its appearance through the decks l"o
--fove the Captain and crew left. The wind
was blowing hard and weather squally,
and it was with much difficulty the got on
board the brig about S o’clock, P. M., at
which time the ship was in flames fore and
aft. Capt. Morrison saw the smoke of
the burning ship at 3, A. M., on the morn
ing of the 22d inst.
1 here were 13 cabin passengers, and
tbe crew consisted of 16 persons, including
the officers.— Savannah Republican, 26th
inst.
The Elephant —When Cousin Tcha
bod first saw him at a show, he exclaimed,
with mute astonishment : “Then that’s
the rale Menagerer— the identical critter
itself! I swear! wouldn’t two of’em
make a team to draw stun with ? —Golly,
ain’t he a stronger !” Ichabod went “hum”
and related what lie had seen. “1 seen,”
said he, “the ginewine Menagerer—the
durndest biggest lump of flesh that ever
stirred ! lie had two tails, tew—one be
hind and t'other before. Phiiisofiers calls
t lie fore ’on a pronobscus. He put one
of his tails in.iny pocket, and hau ed out
all the gingerbread every hooter. VV’hat
and ye think he done with it ? Why, he stuck
it in his own pocket, and began to fumble
for more, dam him!”
Kailroud Convention.
. Augusta, Sett. 2G, 1849.
At an adjourned meeting to this city of
the late Macon Railroad Convention, in
the absenceof tbe President, Gen. Bled
soe, of Putnam, was called to the Chair
and John Milledge, Esq., of Richmond,
was requested to act as Secretary.
I he following gentlemen appeared and
took their seats as delegates, viz :
Messrs. Bledsoe, Young, N. Bass, Per
tyman, Hudson, Moseley, Dennis, 11.
Bass and Wright, of Putnam.
_ Messrs. L. N. \\ kittle, S. T. Chapman,
1. J, Shinholser, R. A. L. Atkinson and
Dr. Jas. Td. Green, of the city of Macon
Messrs. John I’. King, John C. Sneed,
John Milledge, A. J. Miller, James M.
Smythe, H. C. Arms, W. A. Walton, P.
Stovall, M. P. Stovall, B. H. Warren and
W . M. D Antignac, of Augusta.
On motion, Messrs. Cunningham and
Linton were requested to take seats as
delegates from Greensborough.
Reports from Committees appointed at
the previous meeting were then called for
whereupon Col. Bass in behalf of the
Committee from Putnam, reported sub
i sciiptions to tbe amount of $72,950, with
assurances of a considerable increase.
Mr. W hiltle, from the Macon Commit
tee, reported that, including private and
public subscriptions, the amount offered
from that city was <S>ISI,OOO.
Mr. Miller made some remarks in refe
rence to the action of the City Council oP
Augusta on this subject. After remarks
made by Messrs. King, Bass, Chapman
and \\ hi'.tlc, in regard to this project, a
motion was made and carried that a Com
mittee of two from each delegation he ap
pointed by the Chair to report to this meet
ing, at 5 o’clock this afternoon. The
appointed Messrs. Chapman and
W hittle, of Macon, Messrs. N. Bass and
Perryman, of Eatonton, King and D’An
tignac, of Augusta, and John Cunning
ham, of Greensboro’, that Committee.—
liie President, on motion, was made
Chairman of this Committee.
1 he moe'ing then adjourned tuso’clock
this afternoon.
5 O'clock r. m.
41 he Convention met at 5 o’clock P. M.
according to adjornment, when the com
mittee reported through theii Chairman,
the President, the following resolutions,
whic h on motion, were received and unani
mously adopted .
Resol red , That this Convention do recom
mend that the Georgia Railroad and Bank
ing Company proceed, at the earliest prac
ticable period, to construct, under their
existing charter, a branch fiom some point
on the Georgia Railroad to the town of
Eatonton in Putnam county.
Resolved, That the said" Company be
also recommended to apply to the next
Legislature of Georgia for an increase of
its capital stock,‘and such other legislative
action as may be necessary for an exten
sion of the said Eatonton branch to the city
of Macon, and that stockholders in said
branch be admitted to all the benefits,
privileges and immunities of tbe present
stockholders in ilie company—in other
words, that tbe stock of said Road and said
Branch to Macon be consolidated.
J he thanks of the Convention were ten
dered to the President and Secretary, and
ordered that its proceedings be published.
The Convention then 'adjourned.
KOBERT BLEDSOE, Cb’n.
John Milledge, Secretary.
IHE \ IOILANCE COMMITTEE AND THE
Post Office. —We had quite a stir in our
village on Friday last when the Southern
mail was delivered. As is usual on that
day, a large number of gentlemen from
rite country were in attendance, waiting
for their lettets and papers. Col. Wil
liam Sloan was among the first to receive
his, and upon examination he found a prin
ted document post marked Boston, mailed
as a letter, charged with ten cents postage,
signed Junius, and addressed to the hon.
John C. Calhoun, ofa most malicious, of
fensive,and insulting character South
ern people. This document was read bv
Colonel Sloan aloud and it produced
much excitement among the persons as
sembled. A call was made upon the Post
Master to know if there were any others
iti the office,to which he replied that there
were thirty-eight in all. The Executive
Committee of the Committee of Vigilance
and Safety immediately assembled to take
action in the matter, and as the excitement
was very great, they concluded that it
would be better to hold the course to be
pursued under consideration until the next
morning. It was proposed by gentle
men present that they would take charge
of the person of the Post, Master until the
Committee obtained possession of the j;n
pers, but this was declined as the Commit
tee wished to avoid violence. The next
morning the Committee assembled at tbe
office and made a demand for the letters,
the Post Master refused to give them up
unless to those to whom they were address
ed and the payment of the postage, and
urged his duties as an officer of the Gen
eral Government. The Committee told
him they were determined to have the pa
pers peacably if they could, forcibly if t hey
must, and that resistance would be in vain.
They then entered the office, shoved the
Post Master aside, and took possession of
them, and now have them under lock and
key,where they will remain until the meet
ing of the Committee of Vigilance and
Sa ety, on the 29th inst. What course
the Committee will recommend to he adop
ted to meet this new mode of assaulting
the people of :ho South we can not say,
but of one thing we arc certain and that
is, that the most en Tgetic mentis will be
resorted to. Pendleton (S. C.J Messenger,
21s£ inst.
MACON, G A .
SATURDAY MORNING, SEPT. 29, 1849.
O’The friend in Augusta who forwarded to
us the official proceedings of tile Railroad Con
vention, which assembled in that city on Wed
nesday last, (which will be found in another
column,) together with a voar’s subscription for
the “Southern .Museum,” will please accept our
thanks for the favor, which we shall be pleased
to reciprocate at any time hereafter.
Tor. Election. —Onr readers will bear in
mind that on Monday next, the election for Gov
ernor and .Members to tbe General Assembly of
the State of Georgia, takes place. Ofthe merits
of the opposing candidates each voter will of
coursejudge for himself, and cast his suffrage ac
cordingly. For the convenience of those who
wish to make comparisons, we insert in another
column the official vote for Members to Congress
cast at the election in 1848.
Error. —We stated in our last paper, that
the Rev. Walter R. Gran-ham would deliver
an address to the Sons of Temperance on Mon
day evening next. This was incorrect. The
address will be delivered on Monday evening
week, Btli proximo, and an address will be de
livered by different members of the Order once
every two weeks thereafter.
The Weather. — Itis now four weeks since
we have had any rain here, and our streets have
become very' dusty in consequence thereof. To
the farmer the dry weather has been very favor
able for gathering cotton —We observe that in
Abbeville District. S. C. eighteen ordinary field
hands picked in one day 4,325 lbs—averaging
241 lbs. each. There was no prospect of rain
last evening.
[O’Cotton was quoted at New York on the
evening of the 26th at 11J all for Fair Up
land—3,soo bales void.
At Savannah from the 20th to 2Gtli inst. only
800 hales were sold at from 8j to 10.-J cents. A
choice lot of 14 bales brought 10§ cents.
At Charleston on tbe 26th, 1500 bales were
sold at from 94 to 10. J cents.
iljTTlic Charleston Mercury, in noticing the
loss of the ship Charleston, an account of which
will be found in another column, says: “The
Charleston was a fine vessel, about five years
old, belonging to the Union Line of New York
packets. We understand that she had a consid"
arable portion of dry goods on board consigned
to merchants in the interior. The value of the
vessel is estimated at $150,000, principally in
sured in New York. Tbe loss ofbotb tbe offices
here is less than $5 000.”
O’M. I’ous'siN, late Minister from France to
this country has been recalled and Mr. Do Men
tiiolov, it is said, appointed in bis place. From
tiie correspondence which has been published,
vve do not apprehend any serious difficulty with
France in relation to the matters in dispute.—
We think the people of the two countries will
icqnitc some lungiblo ounce for war boforn they
e.tn consent to draw the sword against each
other.
A Telegraph dispatch in the Charleston papers
states that through ihe friendly intervention of
Mr. Crampton. the lititish Charge d’Affairs, Mr
Poussin has made conciliatory propositions to
our Government through the Secretary of State.
The matter was referred to tbe President, who
refused to allow Mr. P. to resume bis official du
ties until further advices were received from
France.
Another dispatch says a sharp correspondence
has recently t;?ken place between Mr. Clayton,
Secretary of State, and the British Minister, in
relation, it is supposed, to the Mosquito question.
[CJ’Tbe people of Mobile intend building a
Railroad to connect the Tennessee River with
the head waters of Mobile Bay. Montgomery
will probably be its terminus, as that city is the
most eligible on the river.
Lasest from Europe.— The steamer Ameri
ca has am ved, bringing Li verpool dates to tho
loll) inst. The demand for cotton was moderate
and the sales of the week amounted to 31,700
bales—Quotations the, same ns previous week,
say s®d. for Fair Mobile arid Upland, and 5Jd.
for Fair Orleans. Trade in the manufacturing
districts less brisk, although still reported good.
From Vep.a Cruz. —The British steamer Sev
ern arrived at Mobile from Vera Cruz, on the
16th inst. bringing $15,000 for New Orleans.—
Mr. Clifford, onr late Minister to Mexico, re
turned in her. Gen. Paredes, ex-President
died recently in Mexico.
I. O. O. F.—The following are the new offi
cers of the Grand Lodge of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows of the United States, now
in session in Baltimore, who were installed on
the 18l!t inst.
P G. M. Robert H. Griffin, cf Georgia,
Grand Sire.
P. G. M. A. S. Kellogg, of Michigan, Depu
ty Grand Sire.
P. G. M. James L. Ridgeley, of Maryland,
Grand Recording Secretary.
P■ G. M. Andrew E. Warner, of Maryland,
Grand Treasurer.
The Grand Lodge adjourned on the 24th inst.
to meet at Cincinnati on the second Monday of
September, 1850. •
(Fj’Tlic. Savannah Georgian of the 25th inst.
says : “VVe iearn that the case of the State vs.
J. Humphreys, for the killing of Dr. T. F Moore,
"as investigated at the present term of the Sti-
S perior Court of Telfair county, and a verdict of
justifiable homicide rendered.”
Railroad. —The Knoxville Register snvs:
! “We learn from a gentleman just from that por
tion of the country, that there are about live
hundred hands at work on the East Tennessee
and Georgia Railroad between the Hi wassee riv-
I er ami Dalton, and that they are pushing the
| work along rapidly.”
General Education.
This subject can never become trite while
properly discussed. No thought is more true,
and no truth more important, than that general
intelligence is the only palladium of our free
institutions. Notwithstanding this truth there
are upwards ofthirty thousand free white citizens
within the limits of the Stale of Georgia
over fifteen years ofage, who can neither read
nor write ! This is a humiliating thought to tho
patriot, and calls loudly upon our legislators to
devise means to correct this great evil. Hereto
fore little has been effected towards educating
those who really need assistance from the public.
We shall not pretend to point out the defects in
the present system, or attempt to suggest im
provements in it, as there are others more com
petent to the task, and should we succeed in
drawing the proper attention to the subject we
shall he content. That it is the duty as well as
interest ofthe State to provide for the education
of her poor, very few, if any, will deny. If the
masses are ignorant, no integrity of principle
no singleness of purpose—no rectitude of inten
tion, can cither prevent or postpone their politi
cal ruin. Let general intelligence be ns- exten
sive, or rather as universal, as tho right of our
citizens to aspire to the performance of public
service, and we shall have no cause to complain
ofthe ignorance of our rulers, or the degradation
of the people. What constitutes the chief glory
of Connecticut and Massachusetts, hut their ad
mirable poor school systems, by which every
citizen can acquire and enjoy the inestimame
blessings of a good education ? We confess there
is now amongst us too much superficial, and by
far too little practical education. Let the poor
be provided for—the rich can and do take care
of themselves. Instead of homage being done
Mammon, let Minerva become the ascendant
goddess, and tilings will soom assume quite a
different phase—and thousands of the youth of
land who are now groping their way in ignorance
will bo enabled to do the State some service,
by becoming ornaments to society.
Were only a moiety of the efforts used in ob
taining wealth applied to the pursuit of knowl
edge, how much better and happier would the
people be—the former we believe rarely affords
contentment to .its possessors, whilst the latter
gives pleasure which those deprived of itcannot
know. Some author has very justly remarked
that “ a soul without an education, like a pile
without inhabitant, to ruin runs ” If it were not
for enjoying some portion of education the world
would have but few enjoyments for us. As an
-illustration let us recur to Europe during the dark
ages. For some hundreds of years anterior to
that period,Christianity flourished in its primeval
purity. Learning shone yvitli all the effulgence
of a summer's sun yvhen in his tneridial splendor.
The arts and sciences yvere carried to perfection
—the roads, palaces and other public buildings
the aequeduets and bridges which were con
structed at that time have been the model of
architects in nil countries; nor have they, with
all the advantages which have been afforded
them by modern machinery, been able greatly
loexcel the originals—that they have done so
in some instances wc admit. But how else than
l>r education, have ilioen results Keen nhtaincd )
For some time previous to the dark ages the
people had neglected learning, and given them
selves up wholly to the love and acquirement of
riches—which never have failed to enervate and
ruin any nation—and we fear is now producing
too much pride and effeminacy in our own land.
So wealthy, and to such a pitch of grandeur had
the people of ancient Rome arrived, that the
rude and simple nations of the North found no
difficulty in plundering them. Now, if gold has
such potent charms—if wealth lias such power,
why did it not save Rome, instead of making her
so desirable an object of plunder ? Her treasu
ry was emptied—her palaces and public bui d
ings were demolished or burnt—her liberty- yvas
prostrated, and her inhabitants remained passive
spectators of the scene. All resistance censed—
all resentment was forgotten—all virtue was lost.
With the fall of Rome learning itself was pros
trated. It seemed as if a universal pall had been
spread over nature. Even hope, the never-dying
friend of the oppressed,
“ For a season hade the world farewell.”
There was scarcely any act contained in the
long catalogue of crimes, that was not committed
in open day and with perfect impunity. A
mental darkness o’ershadovved the earth, for
ignorance had resumed its empire. Learning
fled for refuge into monasteries and other inac
cessible haunts. It was in them that the frag
ments of ancient literature were kept, which are
now extant, and which have been the theme for
admiration in all succeeding ages. It was in
those places that the Bible was preserved, and
which, if it had been lost, would have perished
the light ofthe sun that illuminates and cheers
the world ; for then we would have been truly
benighted, without a knowledge of ihe sublime
and saving truths contained in it. But amidst
the universal gloom which pervaded Europe,
when they had been plundered of both their
wealth and their liberties, learning fortunately
survived the shock. Phcenix-like, it arose out
of its own ashes. With renewed splendor, it
burst forth on astonished Europe, and its enno
bling influences have been felt over nearly the
inhabitable globe. Pope, speaking in ecstatic
strains of that happy period, used the following
pithy language:
“ Then sculpture and her sister arts revive,
Stones leap'd to form and rock began to live;
With sweeter notes each rising temple rung
A Raphad painted and a Vida sung.”
The good, the wise and the great, have in all
ages lauded education to the skies ; while the)'
have lamented in the most plaintive terms the
ignorance that pervaded the world. Addis o ''
speaking of cdunation says : “ I consider the hu
man soul without education, like marble in the
quarry ; which shews none of its inherent beau
ties, until the skill of the polisher fetches out the
colors, makes the surface shine, and discovers
every ornamental cloud, spot and vein, that run*
through tho body ofit. Whatsciilpture i*l° l^e
block of marble, education is to the human soul-
The philosopher, the saint, tho hero, the "'l*®’
the good, i>r the great man, often lies concealed
in n plebeian, which a proper educ ation rr»igl |S
have disinterred and brought to light