328 Memorial of George Droivn Goode. 



The custom of turning men out of power or office, as soon as they are qualified for 

 it, has been found to be absurd in practice. Is it virtuous to dismiss a general — a 

 physician — or even a domestic, as soon as they have acquired knowledge sufficient to 

 be useful to us, for the sake of increasing the number of able generals, skillful phy- 

 sicians—and faithful servants? We do not. Government is a science, and can never 

 be perfect in America, until we encourage men to devote not only three years, but 

 their whole lives to it. I believe the principal reason why so many men of abilities 

 object to serving in congress, is owing to their not thinking it worth while to spend 

 three years in acquiring a profession, which their country immediately afterwards 

 forbids them to follow. 



There are two errors or prejudices on the subject of government in America, which 

 lead to the most dangerous consequences. 



It is often said, "that the sovereign and all other power is seated 7';/ the people." 

 This idea is unhappily expressed. It should be — "all power is derivedy)-^;;/ the peo- 

 ple," they possess it only on the days of their elections. After this, it is the prop- 

 erty of their rulers ; nor can they exercise or resume it, unless it be abused. It is of 

 importance to circulate this idea, as it leads to order and good government. 



The people of America have mistaken the meaning of the word sovereignty: hence 

 each .state pretends to be sovereign. In Europe, it is applied only to those states 

 which possess the power of making war and peace — of forming treaties, and the like. 

 As this power belongs only to congress, they are the only sovereign power in the 

 United States. 



We commit a similar mistake in our ideas of the word independent. No individual 

 state, as such, has any claim to independence. She is independent only in a union 

 with her sister states in congress. 



To conform the principles, morals, and manners of oiir citizens, to our republican 

 forms of government, it is absolutely necessary, that knowledge of every kind should 

 be disseminated through every part of the United States. 



For this purpose, let congress, instead of laying out a half million of dollars, in 

 building a federal town, appropriate only a fourth of that sum, in founding a federal 

 university. In this university let everything connected with government, such as 

 history — the law of nature and nations— the civil war — the municipal laws of our 

 country — and the principles of commerce — be taught by competent professors. Let 

 masters be employed, likewise, to teach gunnery — fortification — and everj^thing con- 

 nected with defensive and offensive war. Above all, let a professor of, what is called 

 in the European universities, economy, be established in this federal seminary. His 

 business should be to unfold the principles and practice of agriculture and manu- 

 factures of all kind, and to enable him to make his lectures more extensively useful, 

 congress should support a traveling correspondent for him, who should visit all the 

 nations of Europe, and transmit to him, from time to time, all the discoveries and 

 improvements that are made in agriculture and manufactures. To this seminar}^ 

 young men should be encouraged to repair, after completing their academical studies 

 in the colleges of their respective states. The honors and offices of the United States 

 should, after a while, be confined to persons who had imbibed federal and republican 

 ideas in this university. 



For the purpose of diffusing knowledge, as well as extending the living principle 

 of government to every part of the United States — every state — city — county-vil- 

 lage — and township in the union should be tied together by means of the post-office. 

 This is the true nonelectric wire of government. It is the only means of conveying 

 heat and light to every individiial in the federal commonwealth. "Sweden lost her 

 liberties," says the abbe Raynal, " because her citizens were .so scattered, that they 

 had no means of acting in concert with each other." It should be a constant injunc- 

 tion to the pcstmasters, to convey newspapers free of all charge for postage. They 

 are not only the vehicles of knowledge and intelligence, but the sentinels of the 

 liberties of our country. 



