xt7r222r8f2p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7r222r8f2p/data/mets.xml Kentucky -- Lexington  Davidson, Robert, 1808-1876 1839 14 pages, 16 cm. Call Number: LB41 .D38 1839 Imperfect: copy badly damaged.Donor: Stoll, Myers, 8/1966 books LB41 .D38 1839 English D.C. Wickliffe Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection Education Schools -- Kentucky -- Lexington Lexington (Ky.) -- Schools Address of the Rev. R. Davidson on the Eleventh Anniversary of the City School of Lexington, August, 1839 text Address of the Rev. R. Davidson on the Eleventh Anniversary of the City School of Lexington, August, 1839 1839 1839 2024 true xt7r222r8f2p section xt7r222r8f2p  

 

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ADDRESS.

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THE Spartans being once required to send thirty , '
‘ ‘ their children as hostages to a foreign mun-t. otl'ercd in the:

place thrice the number at their most Vilitiflltlt‘ r'iti-zvens
53 Thus they showed their dread of the relaxing influence of

. foreign luxury upon their children. at :1 time at life, when
'1' their principles and habits were not ll.'\"( :i. This furnishw

a fine illustration of the importance of watching sedulously

a,”

u. or that age which may em; hatically be styled Nufmminc
\ «gr; as well as the necessity of great caution in selecting~
"' the persons to whom the care. of youth is (.ntrttstfld. The
proper culture of the mind is. at that plastic period. of more
3‘ "onsequence than at any other. The impressions then made.
*‘ of whatever Character. are lasting, and bronze palt anal
j parcel of the n" ". They (‘oriipnsc the very warp of the

mind. while all that is acquired subsequently is but the woof
:s‘ or tilting. It wrl always remain uniform. l;(\wever tlieco—

hiurs interwove 'th the texture may var}: The proper
instruction of tli ~outhtiil mind becomes. therefore, an
object of the nun important-e. To neglect it is as absurd
i as to allow a garden It- be choked with n ecds. fondly trust-

' ing that it will be an easy task to extirpate them when fully
grown. You might. with as much reason‘ leave a broken
arm to itself. in the expectation that it can be readily
straightened after the lapse of years has given it an incu—
rable set. ' .

Situated as we are. this subjectqah'never be centem

ted without the deepest interestifdvt cannot be too often _

repeated, that a republic requires intelligence an V" e

to perpetuate a healthy existence. There is no

the name ofa republic.-n0r is there any spell of g

in a written constitution to secure the blessings

dently desire. The state of liberty is not a sta
leges alone; it is attended with duties and condi ion

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Universal education, and that of the hes},

miums for wishing“ that every one of his Subjects might be
able to read the bible. To read, write, and cy filer; are,
indeed, useful acquiremen‘s. and better than 111 ing; but
for the citizens of a i'e;»xiHli(; something more appears ne—
'csmry. Geography, history. ethics mental science, and
the principles ot" political economy. cannot be dispensed
with, at least to rt1-0.}tertrtlileextent.in thrming an intelli~
gent, memht’ * t the ('t'ttlmttltv't‘ tlih. Such, or nearly such,
is the course pursued in the no nimlt‘o institution whose
eleventh anniversary we ohszet'vo this day.

All our citizens should tnidersmnd the science ofgm'ern-
them. They are to president the llt'llti. or. which is much
the some thing, they are to choose thv llt'llnS‘tDZU); and it‘ he
knows not how to steer. the rudder bands will soon he
loosened, and the ship of «.tnte drift upon the breakers
A cobbler ot‘ Athens was once justly rwnrt’n'ed tor his pro-
sumption in meddling with politics. lty “0111;135le to mend
a watch. He declined, on the plm ot‘ no; understanding
its mechanism. How then. was the application. can you
pretend to direCt the wheels: of governme' t. whose mecha-
nism is intinitely more «tilitlc and comp‘ ted thvtn that at
n watch? Were we to stop here, we t ,tt consider 1215..
(is monarchists have used it, a vegan Iiltntttll ngninsf
republics. B’It we do not Choose to stop helm We minor.»
3 step further. and back of:tll this; end we nilit'tn tint there
is nonood reason why the cobbler at, his hench should not
have as: solid an education, of the sort already described. :13
the nnhnh in his palace.

‘ the hntnhlcst shuntee resides If S'rtzerrnfgn, an integer
he greet aggregate‘tn it hum dwells the national sove—
reignty. ' His Vote may demdo the majority in Congress.

. ' ‘le voice may giv‘ev the country it President. Upon

ent may indirectly dotiend some act 01‘ legislation
'll-throw the country into :1 torment, which will de-
operations of comni'erce, which will add millions
mat revenue, or_which Wlll subtract millions.

  

sable. George III; has received grez‘ (ides t‘éd enco»

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New hear in min” “W the Sovereigns ofl European ed-
ucated..,Tl‘i§,bost, . "s are procured. andnopains or
expenseuspared to trial {them up in a ntan‘gericprrespond—
out to the exalted station which they age expected to fill.
And shall a sovereign people. {with whim is the fountain
and original sourccpf all power. a peeple who boast ol‘
their capacity for self-government. contentedly remain in
ignorance of that information which i~ indispensable for
the proper discharge ot‘ the responsibilities which they
have assumed?

The rich are deeply concerned in this matter. The share
which the inhabitants ol'the shantee or the cabin shall en—
jov in the benetits of education, has a hearing on the secu-
rity and value of property. as \t ell as ot‘ lite. There should
he no such thing ltnonn in this republic. as the populace of
l‘hirnpe we ought to hate no populace; no tribe of paupers
and semi-paupers, whose indolencc and ignorance at once
prevent them from acquiring property themselves. and
place them in the power of every nnprineiplcd demagoguc
who makes his appeal to their prejudices. These are the
men that agitate the fierce waves of popular tumuits. that
are always ready to swell a mob, and that are never more
happy than in the ri ‘ and the brawl.

For this reason pr. rty -ilOillt‘l‘>‘ should submit to taxation
For the support of _ stem of munumt schools. They
should yield their consent freely. inasmuch as it is not
merely for the general good. but for their own private inte‘
rest also. By the small annual contribution they would
make tor the purpose of raisingr the intellectual and moral
character of the community, they, may save thousands,
nay, perhaps the whcle of what they possess. rl'his is
truest economy. to expend a littleby way of prevention.
and thus obviate the necessity of a heavier expenditure a.”—
terwards by way of remedy; as sailors in a storm th “ "
overboard part of the cargo to save the remainder
do Calonne, the French financier, proposed to raise a -.
.x, for government purposes, off the nobility and we

bishops, instead of the people, whose burdens were
»‘sufficiently heavy; but they resisted the attempt

  
   
   
  
    
  
   
 

   

   

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most determined Qiiettnacy. The cat‘. . j‘nce unsgtthat a’
revolution Was fimfipitated hythe I a i tents of'thepeople,
which shortl‘yat't‘er‘notonly deprived the whim; offintr es-
tates, but many of them also of their heads. -

But the question hasbeen asked, suppose property hold-
er.“ refuse their Consent, what is to be done? Can the com-
pansory measures which the king of Prussia employs, be
tolerated in a tree country like this? We hesitate not to-
eay, that rompulsim in this respect may lawfully he used.
Taxation here i? no tyrmiu} I lglxzitnine the matter a mo—
ment. The. government is t zit-pm» erect to carry on worth:

  

the detence ot' the country. {and for this purpose is author-

ized to erect forts, magazines, tttéwrtziis, dochynrds, and the ’
like. Nor can it he otherwise; since ‘he grant of a certain

power implies, ot'neccssit} , the right {it provide the means:
essential to carry the power granted into execution Tr.
imagine otherwise, would he to ti‘ztetrtttc the Very end and
intention of" government. The same reasoning hrte hit-er;
applied to the estn’tlishment. of anationul hunk. Such an
institution is neither provided far :tur named in the criteri—
tution; yet it wasdeemcd so 2:51 tiii tin" the cofhetmn, {1'1“}: —
portation and disburstnmm of the put '

crient an aid to the fiscal operations 0 overttuteriz, that a
national bank htehee‘n generally reg ed, and by the St:—
prerne Court promyttnced, within the implied pouets granted
it} the CU“SilIL.U in to Congress. But a judicious and uni— a

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versal system of'puhlie instruction is. tithe-time. much more
Within the scope ot‘ the implied powers o!‘Quiver-ninetih be-
cause popular education i6= vital to the pti't‘lttttn’c’l’it'O. safety

.. prosperity of the repuhiic. The g'n'crniuent may
ne'rei'ore he concluded to. l)tr.~~C“«S thepower ofestuhliehingr
schools for this pttrpoee, Viz. the purpose et‘ eeltlpreserva-
I” which is entitled the first law ot'nature; and, bycon-

-ce, is empowered to misc and collect taxes to found
iaiatain an adequate number ofschools. Much more
bligation binding on the government, when a larg .

f money is placed in its hands to expend at its dis— 5.
. as, for example, the State’s share of the surplus. t I
<9“ ue; thus diminishing the edium of direct taxation. ;

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One thinggv ho .-' 331's remain. that ' rgmmuanve
government} the p " r will must lead an}; mimposmg
taxesfand this shows the unperious necessity ofanlighten—
ing the public mind upon tln admioaiblc utility of a system
01 general instruction.

In these remarks we have spoken or the imulied pOWCrs
of government alone: but the argument derives additional
1 Force when we tak into View the distinction which exist».
between the Gene 1 and the State Governments as to the
extent of their powers. The tieneral Government is clo-
thed by the Constitution with no powers but such as are
expressly given toit, or such as are inferred from necessary
implication; while. on the contrary, the State th‘t‘l'nlncltl‘
remain in possession of all powers exceptonly such as are
expressly withheld from them. Consequently it is only
necessary to ascertain that the po“ e1 to t'ound schools ant
1aise taxes tor their support, 1s not withheld by the Consti—
tution oi the State, 111 oidei to tind the requisite authorit V
for such foundation

Again, taxes are imposed to erect jails and penitentia—
ries: the necessitV' of which enormous expenditures might
haVe been, to a verv g1eat dexrree, prevented in preVio: 15
attention to the eduettion and morals of the people 011
the p1esent S} stem,l nislatmes throw t-em tations Ur pe1—
mit them to be thrown, in the em ot the epic. and then

‘ punish them for V'ieldiiig to those temptat . How much
‘ better would it be to adopt the preventiV 9 course, and bV a.
smalle1 amount of taxes raised for educating the chilrhen

ot the State. saVe them treat the danger of contamination

and crime. As it is, the State Penitentiary contams
candidates for graduation than the State University.

There is another consideration whiyh deserves notice

We want intelligent electors, who can read and thm'
themselV es, and who, though 1mm, will be above a

men who might say with Reed, of the old Congre

mot worth buying, but such as I am, the king of L:

.not rich enough to pu1chase me ” It is humiliati

. :flect how common the method of bribery has beco

’ Neilof modesty is no longer thrown over the nef ~

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transaction} but votes are bought and Q ,7
Candidates,.ur thr'} friends, make no 0f purchasing
votes. a’itd mythic} .1 the :x'rqwting ”‘5- V qugmay'see
them sallyini-tlnuh, pyfryi' to Gle.‘t.“til.)tl5, Withtthei-r Saddle-
hags stufl‘ed with (lullars, it.) uperate upon the. cupidityof the
free and indqtcndc’m vapors of the Country. Liquor has
M.‘ e? :1 “info shrinot'ul anti extensive partyin .our elections;
and the (‘itlltiltiEtlt‘b on all sides. it is tit he feared, with little
exception. ewe ttit 'i (fixation to etliee. not to the votes of
an jijtt-lfie‘ertt. Vil‘lttutt :zntl high-mindet Ctnnmunisfv. but
to the inure puie‘gzt \li‘lli" at“ it ilenniuhn and the still.

The ohl Germans, i1 is >‘titl. had :1 custom of‘delihernting
on a matter tn irjt‘. unee “hilw drunk, and (nee while Hiltol‘;
and it“ their opinions C(tlllClthd Catch me.
on the tnaetinent. But mr mederns‘.

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the}~ tlt.t‘(‘t'll]li]€tl
mere sngneions. are
afraid to rtin the risque of stther judgment at all; and hav—
int,r sueceetlecl in deprixin;r :1 than at his rellé‘flfi‘, and in that
condition ezijeled him to espouse their Fitle. they keep liltl‘l
under lock and key until he has handed in his vote. After
that they are ready enough to (ilh‘lHlSS him. and he may lt'ml:
elsewhere furhis stimulus, until the next eccnsinn when he
is wantetl. ~

How shameful i9 thi: t-rrtcticel {my tit<flt‘:tt"t';ttl tn rhc
maple! How humiliating to the. Cft‘tltlldtllt ’ 'l‘ht: stir"ee<~f';i
harmful. :e assent“ his seat, nut en the grnttntl hi: 0m;
merit , nor dots s'nusmn heme with lvtlnt‘St prin‘ {trlSiilgI
flew the hanl- éd TOM tixt.’ ut'tle_\‘s of uiligence and night;
:ut'yttttljt. Ni Ville 'rliznlt: into otliee en pile.Q 02' i
line's; he tleztts int) the {Editical httrlmr on
i . it. is not he that has the tnrtxt lit-nine, but he that. has,
- est, hranrly. that wins ltti‘e-mnint‘iiee; antl innemmtr}
a1 boasts «:ti' its Lighter the li'eest under the FUD, the worst
_v to appetite.
terto ou ' remark? have been confined to the duties of
‘ tip; but it may he afldetl that we need education

.) qualify men to he citizens, but to qualify them
he Wallis of life.
fur example, is an igner

ant physician, who can
» read the labels on his Jars, or prepare an intelli-

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’Vh'to trampie (36%: might”
ivory one “he refu
" i‘e lamhornei" ‘
it? Jack Cede. .
i, thapr'néifiézfl «-
E his head p50: 3 .55 I , 4x
‘ (3 alwfi- :xbemin' ... mus ‘M'IN
(Heir; andr'wof no esa, 2e em war
Imcn. fer'they have mnjewbzedu rem
)xiousio the same Charge of céx-mp-
realm, in erecting grammar scheols;
, ‘in Payh'zg Emery tax _;.‘~; for 123;: improve?
fmmmiq 2 Y: r ~ _ But 3311:; \we be king dehvered
, . “palms f? , 5:115:35 under uflndes, the Oman:
and the Vandah m igr‘zomiiefl ‘ Q I
:The best-methucf [:1 pf‘event the bushel from being filled, '
With chaff, :52 hrst t J nh’ ;: m‘th grain; the best pian todis—
sxpa‘te the herrld , f;pecir93 With which the hours of<§;;,1'kness . 4‘
tangy us, 18 to 123m :1 torch; and the best. method of pre» 3 a V
venting the country from relapsing“ mm semi-barbarism is
:0 send thefihooimasmr abmad. “The means; ef eduéeti’on
gnu“ be {mu shed lisz‘ the chiidren a: ,éhe State; and if pa.—
rems neglect. t} eir duly. m are Lrtfi‘bk; frmnjhdirrence to
perform 1;, if»: State shouid 3. :wzéf the ebikvatimf ” at
parental affection is any. 3's"?! ‘ V a
igency, is too Clear T13 11
pretend (Men, that their _
respectabxlity as their fixiuflhs’ did befpr
ieaming; and their imrnezhaie labor is 10:)
fipared, The courts -~::‘ the cenniry headtele :1
flex their guardianship chifdren whose parents d a
prwho grossly fai.‘ 1e mm fer their welfare. 'n e
sameprmcipie pare .yfimt negiect er ref’ua ygévé {he‘ I
efl'sprgng a plam so! Enfih edxzcatien, ShOu be treat 7
m 1; Similar manner, mm" cmchfldsg‘n shouid be edu
at the public expense ;- for It is‘for EhEpublic 'nte :-
withhold the means of education, from. the y un 1 -
meme them. as a most costly eff; ‘ g It.) the M ’c .
flQIaitCL‘.

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thy“ Mayor ana Cou
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may worse the n 121'
men: of the Univ