part19-第13章

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them；　that　in　establishing　an　institution　of　wisdom　for　them；　we

secure　it　to　all　our　future　generations；　that　in　fulfilling　this

duty；　we　bring　home　to　our　own　bosoms　the　sweet　consolation　of　seeing

our　sons　rising　under　a　luminous　tuition；　to　destinies　of　high

promise；　these　are　considerations　which　will　occur　to　all；　but　all；　I

fear；　do　not　see　the　speck　in　our　horizon　which　is　to　burst　on　us　as

a　tornado；　sooner　or　later。　　The　line　of　division　lately　marked　out

between　different　portions　of　our　confederacy；　is　such　as　will　never；

I　fear；　be　obliterated；　and　we　are　now　trusting　to　those　who　are

against　us　in　position　and　principle；　to　fashion　to　their　own　form

the　minds　and　affections　of　our　youth。　　If；　as　has　been　estimated；　we

send　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　year　to　the　northern

seminaries；　for　the　instruction　of　our　own　sons；　then　we　must　have

there　five　hundred　of　our　sons；　imbibing　opinions　and　principles　in

discord　with　those　of　their　own　country。　　This　canker　is　eating　on

the　vitals　of　our　existence；　and　if　not　arrested　at　once；　will　be

beyond　remedy。　　We　are　now　certainly　furnishing　recruits　to　their

school。　　If　it　be　asked　what　are　we　to　do；　or　said　we　cannot　give　the

last　lift　to　the　University　without　stopping　our　primary　schools；　and

these　we　think　most　important；　I　answer；　I　know　their　importance。　　No

body　can　doubt　my　zeal　for　the　general　instruction　of　the　people。

Who　first　started　that　idea？　　I　may　surely　say；　myself。　　Turn　to　the

bill　in　the　revised　code；　which　I　drew　more　than　forty　years　ago；　and

before　which　the　idea　of　a　plan　for　the　education　of　the　people；

generally；　had　never　been　suggested　in　this　State。　　There　you　will

see　developed　the　first　rudiments　of　the　whole　system　of　general

education　we　are　now　urging　and　acting　on：　and　it　is　well　known　to

those　with　thom　I　have　acted　on　this　subject；　that　I　never　have

proposed　a　sacrifice　of　the　primary　to　the　ultimate　grade　of

instruction。　　Let　us　keep　our　eye　steadily　on　the　whole　system。　　If

we　cannot　do　every　thing　at　once；　let　us　do　one　at　a　time。　　The

primary　schools　need　no　preliminary　expense；　the　ultimate　grade

requires　a　considerable　expenditure　in　advance。　　A　suspension　of

proceeding　for　a　year　or　two　on　the　primary　schools；　and　an

application　of　the　whole　income；　during　that　time；　to　the　completion

of　the　buildings　necessary　for　the　University；　would　enable　us　then

to　start　both　institutions　at　the　same　time。　　The　intermediate

branch；　of　colleges；　academies　and　private　classical　schools；　for　the

middle　grade；　may　hereafter　receive　any　necessary　aids　when　the　funds

shall　become　competent。　　In　the　mean　time；　they　are　going　on

sufficiently；　as　they　have　ever　yet　gone　on；　at　the　private　expense

of　those　who　use　them；　and　who　in　numbers　and　means　are　competent　to

their　own　exigencies。　　The　experience　of　three　years　has；　I　presume；

left　no　doubt　that　the　present　plan　of　primary　schools；　of　putting

money　into　the　hands　of　twelve　hundred　persons　acting　for　nothing；

and　under　no　responsibility；　is　entirely　inefficient。　　Some　other

must　be　thought　of；　and　during　this　pause；　if　it　be　only　for　a　year；

the　whole　revenue　of　that　year；　with　that　of　the　last　three　years

which　has　not　been　already　thrown　away；　would　place　our　University　in

readiness　to　start　with　a　better　organization　of　primary　schools；　and

both　may　then　go　on；　hand　in　hand；　for　ever。　　No　diminution　of　the

capital　will　in　this　way　have　been　incurred；　a　principle　which　ought

to　be　deemed　sacred。　　A　relinquishment　of　interest　on　the　late　loan

of　sixty　thousand　dollars；　would　so　far；　also；　forward　the　University

without　lessening　the　capital。




　　　　　　　　But　what　may　be　best　done　I　leave　with　entire　confidence　to

yourself　and　your　colleagues　in　legislation；　who　know　better　than　I

do　the　conditions　of　the　literary　fund　and　its　wisest　applications

and　I　shall　acquiesce　with　perfect　resignation　to　their　will。　　I　have

brooded；　perhaps　with　fondness；　over　this　establishment；　as　it　held

up　to　me　the　hope　of　continuing　to　be　useful　while　I　continued　to

live。　　I　had　believed　that　the　course　and　circumstances　of　my　life

had　placed　within　my　power　some　services　favorable　to　the　outset　of

the　institution。　　But　this　may　be　egoism；　pardonable；　perhaps；　when　I

express　a　consciousness　that　my　colleagues　and　successors　will　do　as

well；　whatever　the　legislature　shall　enable　them　to　do。




　　　　　　　　I　have　thus；　my　dear　Sir；　opened　my　bosom；　with　all　its

anxieties；　freely　to　you。　　I　blame　nobody　for　seeing　things　in　a

different　light。　　I　am　sure　that　all　act　conscientiously；　and　that

all　will　be　done　honestly　and　wisely　which　can　be　done。　　I　yield　the

concerns　of　the　world　with　cheerfulness　to　those　who　are　appointed　in

the　order　of　nature　to　succeed　to　them；　and　for　yourself；　for　our

colleagues；　and　for　all　in　charge　of　our　country's　future　fame　and

fortune；　I　offer　up　sincere　prayers。







　　　　　　　　A　DANGEROUS　EXAMPLE




　　　　　　　　_To　Jedidiah　Morse_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　March　6；　1822_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　I　have　duly　received　your　letter　of　February　the　16th；

and　have　now　to　express　my　sense　of　the　honorable　station　proposed　to

my　ex…brethren　and　myself；　in　the　constitution　of　the　society　for　the

civilization　and　improvement　of　the　Indian　tribes。　　The　object　too

expressed；　as　that　of　the　association；　is　one　which　I　have　ever　had

much　at　heart；　and　never　omitted　an　occasion　of　promoting；　while　I

have　been　in　situations　to　do　it　with　effect；　and　nothing；　even　now；

in　the　calm　of　age　and　retirement；　would　excite　in　me　a　more　lively

interest　than　an　approvable　plan　of　raising　that　respectable　and

unfortunate　people　from　the　state　of　physical　and　moral　abjection；　to

which　they　have　been　reduced　by　circumstances　foreign　to　them。　　That

the　plan　now　proposed　is　entitled　to　unmixed　approbation；　I　am　not

prepared　to　say；　after　mature　consideration；　and　with　all　the

partialities　which　its　professed　object　would　rightfully　claim　from

me。




　　　　　　　　I　shall　not　undertake　to　draw　the　line　of　demarcation　between

private　associations　of　laudable　views　and　unimposing　numbers；　and

those　whose　magnitude　may　rivalise　and　jeopardise　the　march　of

regular　government。　　Yet　such　a　line　does　exist。　　I　have　seen　the

days；　they　were　those　which　preceded　the　Revolution；　when　even　this

last　and　perilous　engine　became　necessary；　but　they　were　days　which

no　man　would　wish　to　see　a　second　time。　　That　was　the　case　where　the

regular　authorities　of　the　government　had　combined　against　the　rights

of　the　people；　and　no　means　of　correction　remained　to　them；　but　to

organise　a　collateral　power；　which；　with　their　support；　might　rescue

and　secure　their　violated　rights。　　But　such　is　not　the　case　with　our

government。　　We　need　hazard　no　collateral　power；　which；　by　a　change

of　its　original　views；　and　assumption　of　others　we　know　not　how

virtuous　or　how　mischievous；　would　be　ready　organised　and　in　force

sufficient　to　shake　the　established　foundations　of　society；　and

endanger　its　peace　and　the　principles　on　which　it　is　based。　　Is　not

the　machine　now　proposed　of　this　gigantic　stature？　　It　is　to　consist

of　the　ex…Presidents　of　the　United　States；　the　Vice　President；　the

Heads　of　all　the　executive　departments；　the　members　of　the　supreme

judiciary；　the　Governors　of　the　several　States　and　territories；　all

the　members　of　both　Houses　of　Congress；　all　the　general　officers　of

the　army；　the　commissioners　of　the　navy；　all　Presidents　and

Professors　of　colleges　and　theological　seminaries；　all　the　clergy　of

the　United　States；　the　Presidents　and　Secretaries　of　all　associations

having　relation　to　Indians；　all　commanding　officers　within　or　near

Indian　territories；　all　Indian　superintendants　and　agents；　all　these

_ex…officio_；　and　as　many　private　individuals　as　will　pay　a　certain

price　for　membership。　　Observe　too；　that　the　clergy　will　constitute

（*）　nineteen　twentieths　of　this　association；　and；　by　the　law　of　the