Western Sun & General Advertiser, Volume 20, Number 25, Vincennes, Knox County, 1 August 1829 — Page 1

. WESTERN BUN & ENEESlLOl'VmTisKS

?5P BY ELIHU STOUT. VINCENNES, (IND.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1889. Vol XX. No. 23.

TILE WESTERN SUN

IS published at $2 50 cents, for 52 numbers ; which may be discharged by the payment of S2 at the time of subscribing. Payment in advance, being the mutual interest of both parties, that mode is solicited. A failure to notify a wish to discontinue at the expiration of the time subscribed for, will be considered a new engagement; Se. no subfceriber at liberty to discontinue, until all arrearages are paid. Subscribers must pay the postage on their papers when sent by mail. Letters by mail to the Editor on business must be paid, or they will not be attended to. Product, will be received at the Cash Market Price, for subscriptions, if delivered within the year. Advertisements not exceeding thirteen lines, will be inserted three times for one dollar, and twenty-five cents for each after iniertiui longer ones in the same proportion. tyST Persons sending Advertisements, must specify the number of times they wish them inserted, or they will be continued until ordered out, and must be paid for accordingly.

FOR THE WESTERN SUN. FREE SCHOOLS--No. I. For a long time it has appeared to me, that no subject whatever, presented so many and so urgent claims upon the serious attention of every individual, who desires to improve The condition of his fellow men, or to serve his ro'intty as the common school question. It appears to be in effect this; shall education and all its train of benefits and advantages be extended to every individual in society, or shall a large portion of our future citizens the children of the destitute and the friendless continue shackled and degraded by the bonds of ignorance ? I feel the strongest conviction that our duty to ourselves that respect which wc owe to the character of our ovrn times as well as a regard for the honor and glory of our state and country, and for the prosperity and happiness of the countless millions who will succeed us demand that wc make every exertion, to secure to them, he enjoyment of civil and religious liberty and political equality. Gratitude to those who endured the Btorms of the Revolution, and by thdr sumuings, purchased for us the happiness wc enjoy, requires us to use every effort to transmit, their institutions pure and vigorous to their litest posterity. This, be adored can only be done, by providing for each individual in society for the poor, as well as for the rich, education " the guardian of liberty and the bulwark of morality."It is true 'hat in this and other western states, theic ate amongst those entirely destitute of education, many most estimable citizen. But this, is in consequence of the peculiar circumstances of a new country; and as the settlement of the country improves, these circumstances will cease to operate, and the siluation of those destitute of education, will approximate to the situation of the ignorant in old settled countries. Hence we should consider, not so much the state of those who arc destitute of education here now, as the situation of the same class of citizens in other countries, and the state to which they will be reduced in this, when its population shall have become dense. Under this view of the case, it may be asserted as a proposition sustained by the experience of ages : that a man degraded by ignorance-- destitute of elevated sentiments and precluded from all intellectual pleasures-- a prey to his own animal propensities and desires will be personally miserable, is almost useless as a member of society, and will be ready whenever a fit opportunity occurs, to become the instrument of destruction to that liberty of his country which

knows not how to estimate, and to that

happiness of his fellow man in which he docs not participate and which he cannot appre-

!

I am aware that strong prejudices exist

on this question ; that many of my lellow

citizens--many too, distinguished by private worth and public spirit will view the opinions I advance very unfavourably. But it is

such 1 write. I appeal to their candour

--and will point them to the shade of the lamented Clinton, whose words I have quoted to the fathers of our country, to Washington and Franklin. whose precepts and opinions are authorities in point I ask of them a serious consideration of a subject, in my opinion of mighty interest; and of a measure, which with me, unites in its approbation, the deliberate determination of the judgment, and the -"best sentiments of the heart. A Republican government derives all its sustaining energies from public opinion, and is dependant for all its power upon its moral force. In proportion as the mass of its citizens are enlightened or ignorant, the government of n Republic will be administered with wisdom, or be abandoned to ignorance and errv profound and ruinous To these principles so obvious and so important the pro visions in our constitution respecting educa-

then are to be at attributed. It is the duty of members of the legislature a duty sanc-

tioned by the obligation of an oath to give

force and effect, as soon as practicable to those provisions Nevertheless, from the legislature, this subject has net received that favourable notice which it merits. Tbc esta-

te

blishmcnt of Free Schools, necessarily in

volves the appropriation of money ; it would interfere with that favourite topic of all stump orators and hobby-horse politicians, the re duction of taxes. But it is a subject of gratification,that with the crowd of hobby riders, there has been in the legislature a few who could look beyond mere present popularity, to that respect of the wise and esteem of the good, which will ever attend the conscientious discharge of public duty and who have endeavoured to act upon this matter but in vain If the virtue and-morality of our ancestors are to be transmitted to our descendants, education must be provided for all. Our children are the property of the state. They are its future sovereigns and its future subjects. Upon them, the permanence of its institutions, and its prosperity, its happiness and its glory depend. The children of the poor are

the peculiar property of the state. And such is the condition of our nature, that the poor,

will ever form a large portion of every community. Neglected, they will become the slaves of ignorance, the victims of vice, the prey of corruption, and a burthen to their country ; cultivated and enlightened, (hey will form a mass of physical strength, and compose a fund of moral worth, beyond estimation If the possession of equal rights ?.nd all the blessings ol liberty, are to be secured to our country, instruction must be provided for all. " Knowledge is power" and will ever control and govern ignorance. If the people intend to continue their own governors, and are unwilling to surrender their authority to a select J rjy they must strengthen themselves with that power, which knowledge alone be stows. In a Republic dependant for its existence upon the ascendancy of the Democratic principle the public good requires, that common schools should be provided, for the children of the rich not so much as the means of education but as the nurseries of liberty and equality : and for the children of the poor, not only as the means of education, but as nurseries of self respect and emulation, of manliness and independence In a common and free school, all the children of a neighborhood will mingle together in a perfect equality. The influence of all those circumstances which necessarily aflect, in a greater or less degree the intercom se of individuals even of children in private society, will yield to the force of nature; worth and merit and talent alone will be esteemed ; natural justice will be habitually administer ed ; and political equality will be practically inculcated. The rich will ever take care of themselves. They will ever provide Uni vcrsities and Colleges and Academies for the instruction of their own children. But this alone will not be sufficient. Search the re cords of man examine the history of nations regard and improve the experience of ages. Athens was once the mistress of the commerce of the ancient world the nursery of the arts and sciences the home of the mu ses and the temple of philosophy. But the great body of her citizens were ignorant and became corrupt and vicious. The epithet of u the iust" had become to them a cause of of fence. And in the arc of Aristotle and of O Phociorj, 41 the meanest, basest of mankind," pensioned orators and ambitious demagogues had acquired the presidency in her councils Think ci) Rome : whose populace enslaved by ignorance and debauched by idleness, they had long disgraced the name of citizen bowed their necks to Ccesar in the age ol Ca to, of Cicero, and of Brutus. I might repeat the story of the Italian Republics, whose merchants were princes and patronised the literature of the world. I might remind you of Aragon a name once synonymous with freedom of Spain, indeed whose fleets once swept triumphantly the surface of every ocean whose banner once floated in almost universal dominion and whose literature, arts and sciences were once as distinguished as her arms were formidable. Spain boasts an University in every province an Academy in every town. Each will teach the same lesson the annals of every agethe history of every civilized nation will afford the same moral. That Universities, Colleges and Academics alone the education and learning the literature and science of the wealthy will not assure the happiness of any people secure the permanence of any form of government or preserve the liberties of any nation. This is only practicable, by bestowing the blessings of education upon every class of citizens. For Education is the guardian of liberty and the bulwark of morality." UNUS. FOR THE WESTERN SUN. ' .Vo matter tvhar complexion incompatible with freedom an Indian or an jifrican Sun ir.ay have turned ufion fiimVcURRAX. Though the noble and distinguished Irish barrister confines his remarks to the masculine gender expressed, yet I believe from the philanthropy of the man, and the course of universal emancipation which he pursued, that under the title of man, he would include all that are compiehended within the term, " mankind," of whatever 6Cx. Every noble and generous mind swells with enthusiasm

in the contemplation of the great and kind

spirit that elicited the remark quoted from Curran, and all would join in the amen ol assent to the principle therein expressed. To think and not to act to know the proper line of conduct and not to pursue it to advise or to admire any course, and to be found tho advisers or admirers, delinquents in our own fancy or prescriptions, are o com mon that wc are almost tempted to suspect advisers, professed admirers, and even advice But when I find that advisers act as they ad vise, and admirers of equality bring themselves to a level with the lowest, 1 admire their candoui. and acknowledge there is no need for such preachers of equality to say, in the language of Burn's epistle to his young friend Andrew " And may ye better reck the reed Than ever did the adviser" These are the preachers I believe in, and to them I look for advice, example and instruction. In a short promenade through our happy little town, my attention was attracted by an cxtraotdinary and very singular exhibition that has drawn forth the present remarks ' Twas eve when I passed a negro hut, into which I accidentally cast my eye, ?.nd I heheld seated around the African board (which was neatly spread with the good thingstnat are acceptable to void stomachs,) divers radios that, to our town e.s a firmament, should be termed planet3 r twottld be rude to call one the Moon on account of her superior splendour, lor we know that when she shines " The filancts are lest in her blaze," so I will leave them each to indulge her fancied light to the appellation ol Vuius. The dark skinned hostess received with joy the approving smiles of her fair visitor s, .md seemed to gladden her heart methought by these refKc tions "How happy they seem, and how com fortable have I made them ; how have I toiled and laboured to deserve the acknowledgments of equality from these dear ladic.m their visit of Christianity, which knows no 4 tinction ol colour ; and how overjoyed will I be, when they return the favour thus conferred; when I shall be the guest, and each f my present guests tdiall be a hostess 1 hey ol a different complexion have supped with me, and I shallat their icspective tables be but one among them as I am herethough diverse from ihem by co'our, yet united to them by the christian bond of philanthropy, which we are now strengthening by the giving and receiving of reciprocal favours." Alas poor Peggy, thought I how much better 'twere for you to give over hopes of extended favor on account of your advances to morrow you must return to your own avocations and your own level, and forget the elevation of to day your 25 cents per day must be carefully hoarded, and when it is equal to the expense, you can again have your fair constellation around you to charm their sable hostess I tear my reflections were Vathcr misanthropic, but they were involuntary My best wishes to all, hostess and guests, and may the fair frienib produce very many in our town of happy equality, who shall be true and genuine disciples of the great and philanthropic Elizaheth Fkv. From the Western Kcrittcr. To Wm. Ludlow, Esq SIR: I have read with attention your address to the people of Montgomery, Fountain, Tippecanoe, Warren and Cart oh, published in the Register of the llth in-t. I admire your candour and approve of most of your political views ; but on that part ol the subject which both you and myself believe ot the most vital importance to our state we differ so widely that I cannot be silent, to wit, on the manner which you propose of disposing of the land donated by thegeneial government, to aid the state ol Indiana in construct ing the Wabash canal, wherein you say: 'Upon that head I will give you my ptesent opinion, from the reflections 1 have had : I believe it would be beat to sell the land upon a credit ol 1 5 or 2 ; years; the interest on the purchase money, u be paid yearly in advance," Sec. kc. On this subject, sir, wo should, in the relation of candidate; and voters, before as well as after an clccticyi', "deal fairly, frankly and candidly with eacliothcr ; and I am free to tell you that unless you change that opinion and inform my neighbors and self of it before the first Monday in August, we connot vote for you. We feel confident that a sale of land on credit will destroy the value of the donation, and greatly procrastinate, if not entirely defeat the object for which the d nation was made. It will fill the upper Wabash country with idle, extravagant and insolvent debtors, who have slipt through the fingets of sheriff and constable clswhcre who vi;l not work-have no money, nor energy of action to improve the land. At a credit sale no money is wanting beyond what will pay the interest required in advance ; and he who has not one dollar more than will pay that interest can and will bid higher than the saving, industrious and economical farmer who earns his money by the sweat of his brow pay the interest for the first year get possession of the land, and before a second payment becomes due he will sell timber, stone and lime to the citizens cf

Lafayette, Delphi, Logansport and our nciirh

bors on the praii ics below Tippecanoe, to the whole value ol the land pocket the money and leave the state, an empty bag with both ends open. Another will sell his claim, a town site, tavern stand or a fine stone quarry, for some hundreds, pcihaps thousands, and like Pat'3 bug, when y ou think yout finger is on him take it away and he is not there. A third class of purchasers, pet haps more honest but not more useful, will flock to every legislature, crying out, like the purchasers of public land under the credit system and like? the purchasers of lots in the town of Indiana polis, for relief! relief! relief! Thus the donation, if sold cn credit, will become a fruitful souicc of legislation and instead of beinc; a benefit and blessing to the state, will turn out a curse Tin ee or four years since, Fountain, Tippecanoe and the country above began to settle, and we find if a farmer emigrates horn ao'yier part ot the country to theuptcr Wabash, who bring3 with him three or four horscs,j many cows, a wife and children, and but ono bundled dollars to pay for 30 acres of land, he buys the land, labors himself, his wife and daugi'tci s. spin, weave and manage the dairy around this dwelling there is peace, plenty and happiness. But observe the dwelling of some little general or colonel, or some honorable judge or esquire, who has come from thi3 or another state, where he had been in office high, or a merchant in times gone by, he cannot content himself with a little bit of land; will borroyr -money, or bnv second handed a large tract of land, build mills, lay off a town, &c izc l)yv and by an old creditor sweeps all his family is turned upon the world w ithout the means of living he cannot work here is gloom, misery and despair. Would it not be better to sell a moiety of the lard donated for ready cash to begin the canal ? If you want an industrious, wholesome ai d energetic population to settle this country, let your land go to a free and fair competition, fixing a rrin'muin below which it shall not st I I his wMl invite monied men to the Wabash country tho 'and sold will be immediately improved, ami will enhance ihc value of that part of the donation which remains unsold No man who :s involved in debt can feel like- a free and independent cithen of our country. Where a father ha a large family depending alone upon his exertion to pay for the land bought on credit and lor support, he is in constant gloom and despondency. Should he die, would our btate authotitv Ir.u I his family Worn houcand home? Sucly not, without some reiicf. If you would invite the hardy, enterprising, industrious i- mc3r useful men to the Wabash, never credit tor one acre of your land. This is the sure way to prevent speculation. -should you roll for ca3h and the land no com- ' irint'i plv 1r It. ! In .-.-. t n . I. Z ... I V

occupied by a citizen cl cur c -untry. Tho weahh of a state doe3 not consist in the number of dollars in its trcauiy it is the lovo

of country, independence, individual wealth, happiness and intelligence of tU people. 13y selling land for money and beginning this work, you open a field for industry and laudable competition you increase the demand for both provisions and labor, and by settling the country you afibid the sure w ay to furnisU men to labor and provision to feed them. The tvtiter request that editors friendly to the canal will publish the above, and that tho people in each county will, at the next election, vote for or against an immediate commencement, and vigorous prosecution of tho canal. l IPPECANOE. .fune 20th, 1329.

Lost Land Certificate.

O'l ICE is her by given, that six weeks iN alter date, application will be made to the Register of the Land OiTicc at Vincennes, in the state of Indiana, for a certificate of fchfeitf.d LAND STOCK for the amount paid on the southeast ouarier of section Tn. thtr-

i : a i t

iy-iour, in lowusnip 4n six, south, ol rango No. fourteen, west. And also the south west quarter of section No thirty five, in township No six, south, of range No. fourteen, west, in the Vinccnnes District, entered on the 23d day of May, 1307, by George Chapman, and forftitcd for non payment agreeably to law ; now claimed by me under tho act of Congress of the 23d day of May, 1828, entitled ' An act for the relief of purchaser of public lands that have reverted for nonpayment of the purchase money." the original certificates of the purchase of which hai

hand, this 9th dav of June, 1829. 1 2o-6i JOSEPH KENNEDY, fcr himself, and the other heirs of Joseph A'EssEDr deceased.

Kstray Hay Horse. TAKEN up by Samuel Merry, of Gill townshin, Sullivan county. la an cstrav

i i l-.l i" i f - .1!

oav norsc. coin ninu icci wmit, a mm siar in-

his forehead, slight saddle marks on his back, rv r n p l i (i r i o I mirlro -r 1.1 Iirwla rK

and judged to be six or seven y ears, old. appraised to g30. by John II. Eaton, William Price and Isaiah Colvert, bclore me SAMUEL WHITTELSLY, j.f.

June 13, 1829.