Richmond Palladium (Weekly), Volume 35, Number 7, 13 April 1865 — Page 1

THE PALLADIUM: PUBLISHED THURSDAY X0RKIXG3, BT D P. H0LL0WAY & B. W. DAVIS. tW TERMS: $2,00 A YEAR. JEJ ' PATABLS IN ADVAXCK. ALL KINDS JOB PRINTING, Done in the best manner And At fair price. Office in Warner Iluilding, Richmond, Ind.

PROFESSIONAL CARDS: AVm. liickle, ATTORNEY AT LAW ; Office in the Post Office IJui'din. (Vp stair third room outh Entrance on Main t.,) RICHMOND, INDIANA. April o.lW. -tf. Newton Sc Hoso, IDHJIVTISTS; OFFICE AT KTIIATTAX'S OKXKK, Over Ailon A Elliott' Store. AH operation in iJentistrr. are performed on the LATEST ANI MOST APPROVED PRINCIPLES, And tt price io accordance with the Dentist' Fee Tlill of lCiI.mond. ' April ft, i. S. B. HARRIMAN, M. D. RE.SIIEXCE A.D OFFIC E, No. 23 South Front Street, ( Lata residence of Dr. Kersey. ) RICHMOND, I.D. Office hour 1 In A. yt.m and 1 to , and 6 to T I. M. Richmond, Feb. 2 1W. 52-lr. Co-Partnership Notice. IlOCTDIU V. H. If. K ERSKY. hare formed mw a irtn -rxhip in the practice of Me licioe and Hiirjjery. Keaidrnen of tti former North 7th itreet, r.aal mvU; betw.-en Mum an J Mroadwar ; of the lat ter. Jf. K. Cijriwr (if Market and W ahinrton-st. Othce on Mitin street, South aide, between Pearl and Marion, oref J. W. I! irne' and Co', grocery. Ollice ho urn from 7 ti H, A. M. " ltn 1 and from 6 to 7, P. M. Richmond, January 1st, ISrti. t-f. I.. J. FRANC ISt O, .M. I. Office and Residence Month Franklin Atreet, East aide, between Main and Walnut, July 17, 184 30 tf RICHMOND, I sm ax a JOHN C. WHITRIDGE. Attorney at Law & Notary, STARK HALE IidLDnC, Richmond, Indiana. C. H. BURCHENAL, ATTORNEY AT LAW, AND Notary Iy it b 1 i o , Office, No. 7, Main St., over Haines atore. (23-tf) DEBTI8T, Hiclimoncl, Ind. TkFTITAI. ROOM on North Fifth Street, Mw West Hide, near Main. June 1, ISM. 17tf NEW tiMDODS! TJ3JXV) foi tllO llVIil" -- . lion. raiHE EW YORK STORE barine changed M. hands, is now in operation with a stock of $40,000 WORTH OF NEW SPRING GOODS! Comoriin)t one of the largest and most fashionable ass-Ttinents of New Uoods.cYer oftVrvd to thecitiof Kti'hnioiid and ricinitr. The stock has all been purchased during tlio late decline in Dry Ooods, and will Im sola at price uiat win ueiy an cuinin-u-lion. Our Stock of Dress Goods, n ... r t t T" . 1 t ican .HlJlWilllr surpaasanj thing ever brought t this place. OUR STOCK OF DOMESTIC GOODS, C nssimrres, sattinetts. Tweeds. Jenn. Doekins. Cloths. Shcctmits. Shirtings, -Table Linens. Prints. Muslins. Napkins. Crnh Towcliug. Diapers, Ac, Will be larger than e'er before brought to Richmond. Also, a beautiful lot i f SHAWLS AND CLOAKS, Of the I-atest Spring St vie. We would call particular attention to our NOTION Dtl'ARTMENT, where wUl be found IIOSir.RY. 4JI.OVFS. KM II ItO 1 1 ) 1' R I KS, COLLARS, SITTTS. A.c, JLe. It is our intention to mike our establishment the Great Emporium for Gash Purcnasers, When anr article in the Pry Goods line, can be bought for Cash Without the Trouble of Shopping, As rbesn as the wholesale credit price. We would aar to all wanting Dry UtxxU. that this opportunity of electing rour good from an entire new atocK purchased in New York at the lowest cash prices, ia an opportunity yoa rarely uuct with. Our business will STRICTLY CASH, AND ONE PRICE ONLY. None of our Employee asking more or taking less. and our GooU win tie snown wua pleasure. 'Politeness and Attention to All." Will be our Motto. NEW YORK CASH STORE. Richmond. Mrch i-Aw. Fine Watches and Jewelry, Pirect from the Manufacturer. Ool l! Goldl Watches! Watches I JewelrT ! Jewelrrl The Verr Host I The rerr Best! The Terr cheapest! The Terr cheapest. At C. A. Dickinson" Jewelry Store, No. 3 Main Street, luchmonJ, In.l. Ts'OT?. A T-l nptl.vT desirabW property just ontaide th city w m twelT minutes walk of lae t ost v.nr. 1 ne lot coramamlinff a fine ew of tbe city, and contain EiCht l.iora, nesioea a i.iormry, nswi nunin. an escedent Cellar. Ac. A larjre C stern and a never failswrnjcfa iw thro? hrs q3 m cow, with cirriy room. Me, JL-V rw ieruw, v- my'lJ vwuc- tuv tf T tl.An a taf I Riehmn.i. April . is. " ' Vtf

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W "BE

VOL.. XXXV. Our Common Schools the Chief Pillar o . Free Institutions. An Addresser E. B. Reynold, Teacher, at the Closinc Eiercises of School o. 7. Jefferson Township, Wayne Connty, Ind. That an ignorant people cannot long remain free, is a fact too well established by the experience of the past to be successfully controverted, and is so selfevident from the very nature of the proposition itself, as to scarcely need an argument, or an elucidation of facta to substantiate it. We believe man was born free, and in hi primativeor original state was in every respect qualified to enjoy and maintain this freedom, and that it was only by his becoming ignorant that he lost those rights, which God intended he should possess an 1 exercise; rights which were and are inalienable and cannot be taken away from him except by the arbitrary power of others, or his own wrong act. The history of man, is but a history of attempts on his part, to assume and regain his natural rights, and govern himself rights of which he had not been deprived, so much by the acts and oppressions of others as his neglecting to cultivate his mind, and acquire a knowledge of those facts which were necessary to enable him to defend and maintain them against attempts to subvert and overthrow them. The Greeks reared upon their sunny Island the tree of knowledge it prospered grew into giant proportions, send ing the light of its influence and the effects of its power over the mountains and through the valleys, and rolled out upon the blue waters of the vEgean sea, in the pride and spirit of her Navy and Commercial ships. It made Xerxes tremble on his throne for his possessions in Asia Minor. Under its influence Athens rose on the shores of the ..Egean, over shadowing all other cities in the Island by the grandeur and beauty of her architecture, the glory of her schools and the extent of her commerce. Yet it died an ignominious and mournful death, and in its dying, throes demoralized society, and brought the dark night of a savage despotism upon the land, from which tho Greek have not recovered to this day. And why should it die why should its sun go down in darkness? We answer. because the people were loo ignorant, too stupid to maintain those free institu tions ; to see clearly their duties and obligations and discharge properly those duties which that form of government ever DOstoW9 "Pon tlic people. It is true, she had her schools of philosophy, in which some of the most sublime, moral thruths were taught and enforced. Hut their numbers were few, and Plato as he taught in the groves of the academy, could not boast of more than 20 pupils. while the large mass were entirely unedu cated, were ignotant of the very first principles of human science, and especially of the important science which they were called upon to exercise in governing themselves In fact, about three fourths of the inhabitants of Athens were slaves, (an institution which has cursed every free government that has had an existence in the world.) and from the very nature of their condition were deprived of the means of acquiring a kuowlcdge of those facts, which are necessary for a free people iu a free government to possess. Freedom was planted upon the seven hills of Rome bv the dagarer of Brutus, and for a long period of years it maintained that planting, rose up in colossal power, and swept out over the land from sea to sea and ocean to ocean, crumbling thrones, kingdoms and empires, and bro't them to the condition of provinces and the people to the condition of slaves under its irresistible tread. But having raised the Roman government to the highest pinnacle of glory and power; having carried her arms into almost everv part of the then known world, having given laws, customs and manners to the same, it died, and its dying groans convulsed every part of that same world which it had conquered, and brought nnon it a nisrht of superstitution, igno rance and despotism more dark and ter rible than that which held chained the minds and hearts of the Pagans, wraped in their ancient mythology. And again we ask, why should it by its death, hurl upon the world a night so terrible in all its consequences to human happiness ? We answer, because the people were unacquainted with the first principles of human goverment ; did not have clear ideas of their duties as citizen and sub- ! iect. Their minds and hearts were not 1 cultivated and disciplined, with a study 1 01 tuose iiraiitucsui tivuiiuwij icarniDiTi j ties and how to discharge them, SO that 1 . ... . i their actions might be COUSlStant With I ervaticm of the goremmenV established i . . I would not be understood to say that

MCHMOID

JUST AND FEAR NOT! LET ALL THE

RICH3IOXD, WAYXE CO., IXD.,

the Romans had no schools. This would ! not be true, for thev had them in which human science, so far as it was then de veloped, was tatight and enforced to the highest extent. They had men or pro found learuing and thought. A Cicero with his matchless eloquence and erudition, adorned that age of Roman letters. A Crachi a Scipio a Cato, and others, gave splendor to its diction. But these were the few in comparison with the many who totally were uneducated and j icmnmntof the laws bv which thev were ! -e -j - governed, and their duties connected therewith, and the result was, that in time ambitious men taking advantage of this ignorance making the people the tools to accomplish their own schemes, overthrew the very institutions adopted for the freedom of the nation, and plunged them into a despotism and anarchy that has no parallel in the world's historyBut it is not necessary to multiply instances of this kind, to prove our proposition, that an ignorant people cannot long remain free. Every reader of history cannot but have noticed this fact, and I will be safe in saying, that all the failures of the experiment of self government have been caused by the want of a proper education on the part of the people, which was requisite to enable them to see and comprehend their rights and duties to resist encroachments, when made upon these rights, and to right j wrongs when inqvosed upon them. But we should not be surprised because ttiese failures, when we ascertain and see the relations which the people sustain to a free government. In that form the whole sovereign power and authority rests upon the people, either directly or indirectly and they are called upon in their sovereign capacity to sustain that authority and exercise that power for the preservation of their rights and liberty, and if the- have not education sufficient to give them clear ideas of these duties and their relations to this government, how can they be expected to know what means are necessary to sustain their freedom, and serve the best interest of the country ? It would indeed be a strange anoraalj- in this day of intelligence to see a Congressman, a Judge or Governor, ignorant of the very first principles of bis profession or office. Yet it would be no more inconsistant or absurd, than for that people who claim the proud title of freemen, and sovereigns, claiming to be the fountain of law, of order, of executive power, cf j . . .mn and libertv, who were at the same i ... t lacqtiaintt d with the principles j justice time unacqt hicb under He all these questions. It will be readily inferred from what I have said, that universal education is necessary for the maintenance of a republican form of government, and we have just now nvcrj- striking illustration of the truthfulness of the proposition in the present rebellion, which is defying every attempt on the part of the government to put it down, and crush it out ; for I am satisfied, had the mass of the Southern peot pie been educated even to the extent of the Northern, and thus been a reading and thinking community, they would never have been lead into revolution. But unfortunately for the country, they did not possess this education, and their leaders taking advantage of this, improved upon their ignorance, inflamed their passions, and excited their jealous-, by i misrepresenting the intention of therul- ! ing party ; and thus were enabled to I lead theni into the vortex of rebellion, j from which they are surTering so fearfuli ly to-day. ' In some of the Southern states, thev j have no common school system at all, and j where they do, its operation is so weak and i imperfect, that practically it amounts to (nothing The master in order to make his dominion over the slave secure and j permanent, has legislated for that object, ! and has not provided means for giving I instructions to the mass of the people, ' and we are now reaping its fruits in the i gigantic war which we have upon our hands in the sacrifice of millions of lives, and a national debt, the magnitude of which but few have contemplated. So sensible were our fathers, that universal education was the one thing needed and demanded by the interest of a free people, that almost the first thing they did, was to adopt, what might be termed an embryo common school sysI tem, in which their children should be educated, and receive tnat aiscipnne 01 heart and mind, which would prepare them to act well their parts as a free people. And this is one of the reasons, and one of the principal ones, why our fath ers were able to contend successfully against the power brought against them, for their subjugation, and in the end to establish one of the best governments that has ever existed among men. They were not an ignorant people, as the Greeks and Romans were, and as all those other people have been, who have gone into revolution and contend for their rights. Bat they were educated. Many of them were scholars of the ripest

ENDS THOU AIM'ST AT, BE THY

character, while all had that moral and intellectual culture, which enabled them to endure with heroic fortitude all the hardships of the straggle; to see clearly their rights and duties, and embody th a for which they had been so long contending, in the simplest form, yet the strongest that could be devised, in which the duties and privileges of the citizens are clearly defined and set forth. A form that has been the admiration of mankind, and has called lortu ine mgues eulojries of the ablest critics and writers on political science. I do not hesitate in saying, that had the actors in the revolution been as ignorant as those who had preceded them in like contests, they would likewise have failed, and after struggling for years, for freedom and independence, would have degenerated into a miserable despotism, or become the subjects of some one claiming the right to rule by divine authority; and to-da3, instead of-being a free people, governed by laws of our own making, having them executed by men of our own choosing, and having justice administered to us by Judges of our own election, we might have had a hereditary peerage, a hereditary monarchy, gartered knights, "Lords rich in some dozen paltry villages, great only in that strange spell a name."' Instead of being the sovereigns of the land as we are, in whom and from whom all power must emanate, we might have been hewers of wood and drawers of water. But those who fled from the oppression of the old world, did not intend that we should be such. They adopted those means of education by which they and their children were instructed and obtained a knowledge of those duties, which would rest upon them in a free country, and which made them learned patriots; learned statesmen; able warriors and diplomatists. It was from this reason, more than any other, that we were successful in our contest for independence, and this common school system then and there established has been the glory of New England, and has justly caused her name to be revered and loved everywhere throughout the land, where learning, intelligence, virtue and justice exist aud are cherished. If our fathers conceived it necessary to educate themselves, and provide means for the education of their children, in order that they might free themselves frora oppresssion, and employ the blessings of free institutions. IIow much more important is it then that we who .... , t, . , are the recipients of these olossingp, Bre . t . t SliOUUl maintain, stippui i, aim t iti in uic highest perfection this system by which the3r were educated. And what are we doing upon this important question? Are we giving it the attention its importance deserves ? Are we endeavorirg to build it up to those proportions wkich will embrace all the people of the ltnd, and give education io all the child-en thereof? Are we mending its defects, making additions where they are needtd, and harmonizing all its various parts, so that there will be no discord or jarhtj in its workings ? I am fearful when we come to be honest with ourselves, we will have to ac-

j knowledge that we are not as deeply in- term uutil the clliM is 15 yearg olt, . RnJ la. . 1. J I ll . a. A T- M.lA.s11. . . . ....

terested in this great work as we shouia be; that we are in the habit of considering it of minor importance; that the peo - pie all over the land are not giving it that attention which its importance would seem to justify and that it is not being built up as rapidly and completely, and its cfTects and influences are not as powerful as they should be. Yet the common school system has been improved, enlarged, and made much more effective than when it was first established and put in operation. The common school is eminently and

, - I c ' pre-eminent'y the school of the people, : st.ngthened and enlarged, our educa- ' or four nights out of the week in the It is the only system that will reach the j tioal interest woultl at once secure new j exciting amusement of sleigh riding, and mass and educate them. It goes to the . lifeand vitality would make progress ' the next day they come to school more poor man and furnishes him with the i thaiwould astonish all, an d run the race j dead than alive, from the effect of the means of instruction, to the indifferent ; of itellectual culture, outstripping all I last night's hilarity, and all the efforts of man and tells him or ought to, that he f othoa on the course. But some are ' the teacher to get them to study are shall enjoy its benefits. It reaches every j read to say that this is a Eutopian fruitless and all their attempts at getcondition, every sex and all classes of I schete, impracticable, -and cannot be : ting their lessons are abortive; for when persons. It is found in the city, in the ' carrie into execution, and is too ar-! they do try to fix their minds on their town, in the village and in every nook . bitrar in some of its features to be I books, the sweet form of their fair and corner of the country. T. this willing-submitted to by the people, j 'Angeline Seraphina, or Laura Matilda,' should the attention of every people be But, I ;I1 you that it is no Eutopiaa j with her blue eyes, black hair, beautiful bent. They should come to look upon j schemett is practicable, and perfectly j form and rosy cheeks comes up before

it as the chief pillar in the edifice of their free institutions the means which will give their children such a knowledge of the elementary branches of science, as will qualify them to act well their parts as members of society, and citizens of this government Having made these general remarks on the importance of education among a free people, and of that system which will reach the whole of them, let us turn our attention for a short time to our own State and look at her common school system, and see whether it is what it ought to be, and is up to the wants of the people or not. Indiana has to-day a school fund of 87,000,000, independent of taxation, a fond larger than any other State possess-

PALLADIUM

GOD'S, THY COUNTRY AND TRUTH S

APRIL, 13, 1865.

es, a fund if properly managed, with f Away with such pleas, they are the attaxation, should keep our schools open j tempt to shirk duty, it is not liberty, but nine months out of every year. Yet we the abuse of it, for no man has the right have the reputation of having the poor- j to give existence to a family of children est common school system of any State i and send them into society uneducated in the Union, except the Southern, and ; and ignorant; bnt it is his duty to lay that we keep our schools up the fewest j hold of every means in his power to give months in the year, which is true. Last j them an education, and if he will not do year our schools averaged a fraction I this, then it is the duty of society to over three months; and I am informed j compel him to send them to school; for by Professor Hoss, that they will proba- j the interest of that society is paramount bly reach four months this year. Ohio j to that of the individual. But, why be keeps her public schools open six so particular about having the children months, and sometimes she goes beyond j at school every day ? 1 answer by saythis. Illinois, Iowa and the New Eng- j ing, that the irregular attendance among land States all accomplish about the j pupils in our common schools, is one of

aiuc iuiui;, cb iiiuiaua . ill! nci nraua, and her vast resources, with her abilities to raise an armj- greater than Napoleon led into Egypt, or on the plains of Feidmont, or on the blood- fields of Austerlitz, does not compete with her sister States in that great cause which should concern her more than all others. Now this is all wrong and should be remedied; but how can it be done ? I answer, by making our school S3'stem more simple ; have a less number of wheels in the machinery, and fewer men to turn the crank; for where any system is too complicated the lubricating process is so extensive that by the time the means i j get through, the machinery is pretty well exhausted. Poor but honest men should ) be allowed to turn the crank men thro' ' whose hands money could pass without j its sticking to their fingers men hose ! whole hearts are in the work, and who ! do not hold office merely for the pay I but who will pull otf their coats, roll up tbtiir sleeves and go to work as a man would mauling rails, determined to do something, and accomplish much in making Indiana stand at the head of the great educational interest of the country, as she now stands second to none in the peerless bravery of her sons upon the battlefield. Having got it in good running order, a tax should then be levied upon the property of the people, (f r the property of the State should educate the children thereof.) which in connection with the school fund would be sufficient to keep the schools open nine months out of tho 3"ear, and this at a fair remunerative price to the teachers. Then I would have it go farther than any ever has gone. It should speci 13th e day, and month, on which schools throughout the State should commence; sa- the 17th dar of September. I would make it the duty of the director to call his district together at t?ie proper time toeiect a teacher, and if they failed to unite on someone then he should pro ceed at once to hire one for said school, and if he failed to discharge his dut' in this respect, then he should pa3T into the school fund for ever- day there was no school, after the specified time for school to commence had passed, a sum double the amount a teacher would get per da3 in that school; but it should be the duty of the township trustee to assess this amount, and compel him to pay it. Having made this provision for the support and commencement of schools, it should then compel even parent in each district to send his or her children to said school, commencing with the first d.iv and continuing cver3- da- during each for every day the child was detained frora school, except in case of sickness, i or some circumstances over which the ; parent had no control, he should pay into 4he- scnool fund, a sum double the amount the teacher received as wages; anJ to that man who wag too j32J ortoo injirTerent or too contrary to send his .liijren to school, it should sav to him end them, and if he refused, then it &ou!d take them away from him and j ; pace them where they could enjoy the j ; bnefits of a free education. With our I i scool system thus simplified, thus ! ; feasible and can be made a living reality : if the psple will it; and when we fnllv make upur minds to this great interest. somethir of the kind will be adopted and put execution. Prussidoes not ask the parent wheth er he willend his child to school or not; but makesrovisions for its education, and then Onpels him to send it, until it is fourtet years old ; and you will scarcely fin a German in this country but what n read and write. And shall we beehind Prussia in this great cause, when 1 much depends upon the education othe rising generation. Shall we refa to adopt a more rigid school systemjecause we may think it strikes down o- liberty in this respeet.

Tj'li Y

Whole Number, t7t. the chief causes of imperfect scholarship existing among them; and how could it be otherwise, when to acquire a thorough knowledge of the branches the pupil is studying, it is necessary for it to be regular in its attendance, and punctual in its recitations. Every teacher will agree with me insa ing that there is nothing so injurious to the scholar's education as this one thing. But let me illustrate. John commences going to school, is progressing finely, is iu fractions, finding the greatest common divisor, or least common multiple, on the thorough knowledge of which his future progress in those fractions very much depends ; when some morning he is making preparations to be off to school, his father sa 3 to him, you will have to remain at home a few days, as there is some extra work to be done, and you must help do it ; so John, disappointed, remains at home ; while his class moves on, and when he returns, he finds them in addition or multiplication of fractions. He opens his book, and sees before him the example, add together 1-2 of 3-4 plus 10-15, or some similar example. He is amazed. He knows nothing of the greatest common divisor or least common multiple, for he had to remain at home when his class passed over there. lie does not know that before one fraction can be added to another, that nil compound fractions must b reduced to common denominators. He commences the operation and failstries again, and fails, and so after severcral efforts, with like results, he becomes discouraged, throws down his books, declaring that there's no use trying, he cannot master it ! and thus, often tho best pupil, and the most intellectual, becomes the poorest, and the most indifferent. Now what interferes with John's progress in arithmatic, will interfere in a like manner in all the rest of his studies, and John will illustrate as many other Johns' and Marys' (and their names are legion,) who are similarly situated. But John's father may be ready to enter as a justification for his keeping him away from school, that he could not get along without him ; suppose you had no John, or suppose John should conclude to strike for himself, as a great many young Americans do now-a-days, would you not do without him in that case? most assuredly you would ; but because you have him at home, you think 3-011 cannot get along without him, and thus ruin his education, and his efficiency in futuro life. I know there are some occasions when boys and girls must remain at home; but I am firmly convinced that in nine cases out of ten, if there had been proper exertion put forth, on the part of the parent, the difficulty could have been mastered, without the aid of John or Mar-, and they could have been at school studying their lessons, and keeping up with their classes. But there are some Billies in school who are not as highly impressed with the importance of an education as they should be, and are at what the philosophers would call the -'impressible age ;" and with this spirit moving them, they take the old man's (as they politely call him) horse and sleish. and often BDend three their youthful imagination, scattering to the winds all sober thought or study; and while the much abused teacher is explaining some point in gran, mar, or some problem in arithmatic, Billy, to whom he is trying to impart this instruction, whispers, "golly, did not we we have a gay time last night ! and so it goes through the whole day or week, while the pupil is in this condition. But what has this to do with the common school system? Very much, sir. It would be useless to build up a school system, and then allow the students to act in a manner which would render its provisions of no effect. I would have the parents of William and Thomas, to tell them after they had entered school,

TERMS OF ADVERTISING:

Oneiquare three weeks each additional tnaertion. " Three month " " Six months ...ft. 1,00 SO 4,00 tvx 1S.OO One rear-,-A liberal discount made on talker dTertiaement. tor the same 01 luaeruons mm c-c-.V "square" is ten line of thi tTM. o adTertiement inserted tor leas than One Dollar, though less than ten line and for one wee only. All diplTd advertise men ta measured bv this rule. Jjr-Repilar specials, IS cent per line; traatcient specials, li cents per line. Advertisements should be handed in on Slondar aftenouns. to insure insertion. that no running about would be allowed or tolerated during the d ys and nights of the school term. I would have you have them remain at home, and get a portion of their lessons for the next day; and if they must go out at night, let it be Friday or Saturday, not on any other night of the week. I would have you turn your'home into a miniature school, and give them all th aid in your power, ask them questions about their lessonsexplain different points, give them pen, ink and paper, slate and pencil, draw out the centre table and set them to work, and I tell you they would make advancement that would astonish you. With this co-operation on the part of the pa rent almost any system would succeed without it, the most perfect would fail. Another duty you owe to your children, and your teachers and one which if discharged would materially strengthen our common school system, and that is visiting your schools, and see what progress they are making. It pleases the pupils, it encourages them, and incites them to new exertions, when they see you taking this interest in their intellectual welfare. But this duty at least two-thirds neglect to perform. They stay away from the school room as though it was some pest house, infected with some mortal disease. But ou say that you have not time. Let me ask 3-ou how man' day you spend in town, in the store room, at the bar room, listening to the gossip or nonsense current in these places. Come, be honest with yourself, and acknoweledgc that 3 011 had time, but that you felt yourself somewhat indifferent about it, and thus neglected to do what you ought to have done towards 3-our school. Now let us see what would be the effect upon the educational iutercsts of the State if the system was thus strengthened and enlarged, the duties of parents and teachers connected therewith were punctually and faithfully fulfilled and performed; and for illustration will take this school, and it will illustrate all others, in the effects a system of this kind would have upon it. Suppose thzlaw is passed, and on the 17th day of next September the school commences, with a competent and faithful teacher at its head, and continue nine months out of the year, and so on for ten years. I say what would be the effects upon those, who arc now between the ages of five and 12. Let us sum tip. The first two or three 3-ears should be devoted to reading and spelling; then should come grammar, mental arithmatic, writing and geograpliy; following closely upon these, practical arithmatic, and by the time thp pupils were fifteen, they would be thor ough masters of all these branches. Then they might take up algebra, natural science, history, philosophy and physiolog, and gain a knowledge of all of these, here in this school room, and thus would the children obtain a good English education, and a knowledge of those facts which would enable them to perform well and understandingly their duties and responsibilities, as citizens of this great country. With - this system established, and rigidly executed, every one would receive at least the rudiments of an education would be able to read, write and spell, and would thus be able and qualified to think, form their own opinions, and act for themselves. All see their interest in its true light; morality, virtue, and Christianity would would Ire more earnestly and zealously supported. Love of country, of law and of justice would become stronger, more durable, and would be divested of much of the sordidness and selfishness that now surrounds it, and would rise to the true dignity of virtue ; with the people thus educated our free institutions, thrich legacy which our fathers purchased for us with tears of blood and sorrow, would be secure. No efforts of demagogues could alienate or seduce them frm thoir loyalty and devotion, and every attempt to destroy this rich gift would be met by an opposition more powerful and more effective, than an "army with banners." It would be an opposition of educated men, trained in and under that system, which had taught them their duties, instructed them in their rights and privileges and had showed them how and when to discharge those duties, and bow to preserve and enjoy them. I may be considered an enthusiast on the subject of common schools. I shall not deny the charge. I love the common school, because I be lieve in universal education, and know that it is through this system alone that it is to be accomplished. I lore it, because I lore virtue, morality and Christianity I love it because I lore my country, and feel her glory and power her integrity and unity, with all her untold blessings, which can be maintained only by having the people become acquainted with her institutions, and their own deep interest connected therewith. Then let the people awake to this great cause ; let them demand that our common school be built up, harmonized and expanded, until every person is embraced within iu folds, so that no longer the statistics of the country will bear upon their face the mournful fact that a large per cent of the people can neither read, write nor spell ; but shall bear the glad tidings that everywhere throughout our coantrr. nil

hare a good English education.